Linda and I had a big dose of Brandy over the weekend.
Now, before you reach for the phone book and, for our own good, look up the number to Alcoholics Anonymous (It’s towards the front) let me explain.
This is Brandy.
It’s our daughter and son-in-law’s doggie and since they were going to be out of town for a few days, they asked if we’d be interested in hosting the little bugger at our place. “Sure, glad to help out.”
Well, it’s amazing how that pint sized Shih Tzu managed to transform a couple of reasonably reserved retirees into a pair of blithering idiots..talking in pigeon English an octave higher than normal.. asking questions as if we fully expected this little creature to respond with something more than a cocked head and a tail wag.
“Is Brandy ready to go outside? Is she? Yes, you are aren’t you? Shall we go outside? Okay, sweetie. Where’s your chain? Where’s your chain Brandy? Okay, here we go..yes here we go. Whadda ya see out there huh? Alright Brandy go potty now. There, good girl. You really had to go didn’t you? Alright honey..shall we go inside? Are you hungry? I’ll bet you are. Where’s your ball?
Of course one of the reasons we fawn over this animal is because even with a fresh buzz haircut from the barber, she’s so darned cute.
The only issue I have with Brandy is her breed; Shitzu..or Shih Tzu. It’s kind of embarrassing to say out loud in mixed company..at least the way I was saying it.
I finally did look the name up in the on-line dictionary and see that the preferred pronunciation is now “Sheet-zoo.” I suspect that was changed somewhere along the line by the good taste police who have also managed to upgrade the pronunciation of the seventh planet from the sun, Uranus, to “YOUR-ah-nus.”
It wasn’t long after our son in law came to take Brandy home that I began to miss the clicking of her toenails on the kitchen floor; dropping her toy rubber hot dog at my feet for a fast game of fetch; doing three circles on the couch before lying down next to me for a nap or with a ferocious growl, challenging the squirrels and rabbits that passed by the window to a fight.
Anyway, the whole Brandy experience has rekindled that flame inside me which really wants a dog of our own. By the way Linda was acting, I figured she was ready too..but I’m afraid it’s going to take more convincing. If we ever do get a dog, though, it probably won’t be a Shih Tzu.
I’ve always wanted a cocker.
No, wait.