That Wado Dog!

So I thought it might be time to tell the story of how we got our lovable but very bad dog Wado.  But first, I’ve made a list of all his infractions so you have some idea of what he’s like to live with.

• He never comes when he’s called and only responds when he feels like it–which means he’s never allowed off leash and some nights we can’t even get him to come inside.
• He’s an escape artist.  We lived in a house once with door handles that you push down to open and yea…he pretty much had that figured out day one.  Now we have a wireless collar on him which sets up a perimeter around the house and gives him a warning whistle if we gets too close and he is constantly testing it and gets out the minute the battery needs replacement.
• When he has his freedom he hunts the neighbors’ cats and barks at people walking down the street particularly if they are Asian or Black (see next line) and even chases bicyclists and runners.  Also he tramples the neighbors flowers.
• He’s racist.  We lived on a campus in New York and he would bark and scare only the Asian and Black faculty and students.  This aspect of Wado Dog mortifies me.
• He also hates all postal and UPS workers–we sometimes don’t get mail and packages delivered when he’s in the front yard.  He’ll start barking the moment the trucks enter the neighborhood and will not stop until they have passed our house.
• It is not uncommon to wake up at 2am to Wado Dog fighting with a raccoon.  The neighbors love it when this happens.
• Speaking of neighbors–they stop by to chat about Wado Dog with various levels of complaint.  At the last block party one new person said when I was introducing myself  and pointed to my house, “Oh you’re the one with the dog.  I’ve heard about you.”
• Wado Dog gets skunked every chance he gets.
• He digs holes everywhere including in my rose garden.  He also bites through the watering system’s tubing every time we replace it.
• One time he killed a fawn and proudly brought it back to our door.

Upon reading this Dearest Hubby’s response was, “I don’t know why we keep that dog.”  Of course deep down he loves Wado Dog and is secretly elated that I brought home a 4 month old puppy when my eldest was 4 months old herself even though he specifically said no dogs.  You’re welcome DH!

And that brings us to the rest of the story: How Wado Dog came into our lives.

We were in Texas.  The Girl was 4 month’s old.  911 had just happened and I was pretty freaked out and not venturing out of the house much with the baby.  One thing that I did do was visit and chant with Buddhist friends.  Just as I was leaving my friend’s house I noticed some boys hanging a puppy by the neck with shoelaces.  The puppy was twisting and struggling and was clearly being strangled.  I snapped and handed the Girl to my friend and shouted, “Hey!” running over to the puppy.  The boys scattered.  I called to my friend to get some scissors and I cut him down, put him in the car with The Girl and drove off.  My friend later disclosed to me that the SPCA had been called on that family before.  I knew I did the right thing.  No one who treats a puppy that way deserves to have him.

Now DH and I had talked about getting a dog before the baby arrived.  We even visited a shelter.  But after careful thought DH and I decided that we shouldn’t get a dog.  It just wasn’t the right time with a new baby and all the added responsibility.  So when I brought home this cute little puppy what did DH do?  Did he try and find him a home?  No, he named him Little Bear. And that was the beginning of a love affair with Little Bear who later became Wado Dog but that’s another story altogether.

Wado Dog beside his latest set of holes