Monday Musings

What a wonderful weekend we just had.  The weather was absolutely beautiful.  There is nothing better than warm days and cool nights.  Makes for wonderful sleeping.  Well, unless you  have to listen to your neighbors barking dogs from 1 am until about 8 or 9 am each day. Please forgive me for the rant that follows, but I have gotten no more than about 3 or 4 hours sleep each night over this past weekend and I may not be in my normal good humor, as I am not one that can function well if I don't get my 8 hours per night!

Here in Pine Cove, I would like to think that we are all neighbors, regardless of our specific addresses.  Since I work at the water district and get to met many of you, I view you all as my neighbors and would hope that you would return that favor to me as well. That being the case, I try to keep my home's appearance and noise level to what I would consider reasonable for my particular neighborhood and I would hope that others would return the favor.  I am finding out that this is not the case.

 Since I have moved to my current home, I have been inundated with music blasting so loud it rattled the dishes in my cupboards, couples fighting in the street using extremely vulgar language within ear shot of my two young daughters,  a pit bull breeder who beat his dogs in the front yard despite my attempts to stop the abuse, various renters who brought with them assorted problems such as drug use and child abuse, a condemned property, a drug dealer who had customers coming and going at all hours and then there was that whole woman's shelter fiasco.  If I described some of the goings on I have witnessed over the past few years to people unfamiliar with Pine Cove, they would think I was living in the ghettos of the inner city somewhere!  I don't think that my experiences are typical of life in Pine Cove though.  At least I hope not.  As each one has moved on, I breath a sigh of relief and think OK, now things will be normal.  But to no avail, as one problem seems to be replaced with another.  I am beginning to think that I have had the misfortune to purchase a house smack dab in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle of Pine Cove. 

I have long pondered why people get dogs, only to shove them out into the yard and pay little mind to them or their socialization and training.  My dogs are not perfect and every naughty behavior they have developed is due to either a lack of training, discipline or an over indulgence on my part. They are not to be blamed.  Such is the case with the barking dog in my vicinity.  He is obviously lonely outside all night and all day and is trying to get his human owner's attention.  Barking is the only way he has of communicating.  When he is ignored, he continues on in hopes of getting attention.  Unfortunately, from what I heard, all he got was shouted at. What people don't seem to realize is that dogs do not train themselves and do not just automatically behave in the ways we want them to.  They have to be taught

This really breaks my heart to think of a dog not getting the love and attention he so desperately wants and needs.  So I would like to remind everyone that being a dog owner is a very long and serious commitment.  Sometimes as long as 15 years or even more. Please do not get a dog without taking the time to really stop and think it through.  They look to us to meet all of their needs.  There is so much more to owning a dog than just feeding it every day.  They have mental needs as well as physical needs and providing them with plenty of  mental stimulation is just as important as giving them  lots of exercise and  fresh, clean food and water.  On top of that, they need training, discipline and lots of affection and interaction with their humans.  There is also the financial aspect of owning a pet.  They need shots, visits to the vet, get sick and of course need things like food, collars, leashes, toys and medications.  So please, be brutally honest with yourself before you adopt a dog, because it you aren't, then it is the dog and your neighbors who will pay the price for your bad decision.

We have a very special and unique community here in Pine Cove and it would be my dream that we would all live by the simple rule we learned in kindergarten.  Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.    It is really that simple.  Please, think through your decision to get a particular pet and really be honest with yourself as to the level of care and commitment you can realistically provide for the animal before you get it.  They have no control over who adopts them and I am sure it isn't the dog's choice to be locked outside in the yard all night.  I know my dogs are at their happiest when they are with their human family.  I hope that this particular dog's owner will see the light and provide his dogs with the attention they are so desperately trying to get.  And if you are thinking of adopting a dog, make sure you can do so for the right reasons and that you can provide for ALL of it's needs.  Please take the time to think it through and be sure you are ready to make such a huge commitment.  Everyone will thank you for it.