Brewskie – The Dog That Chose Me
Growing up, my parents were kind enough to get us a dog.
If I was in my mother’s shoes (having 7 kids within 10 years) I would not have added another mouth to feed. Smokey was a nice laid back gray poodle. When my kids were growing up we had a couple shih tzus, a sheltie (favorite dog, ever). Also a German Shepherd- that sounded like a good idea, but wasn’t. Getting a dog is quite a commitment, something Lance and I just didn’t want to undertake.
Turns out, we don’t need to get a dog, this dog got us. Brewskie is actually an ideal dog. He goes home every night. We don’t have to feed him, which is good, he’s a finicky eater. I had hoped he’d be my garbage disposal, but he has a fairly discerning palate. He will gobble up any kind of bone. He’ll eat peanuts if he’s bored and any type of dairy seems to make his tail wag. Old peanut butter and rice, not so much.
This photo was taken last September, before he chose us to be his daytime owners. This was the evening all the neighbors gathered on our drive way to shoot the bull, drink some beers and meet us newcomers. Brewskie was playin’ it cool.
Later in the Fall I’d often be joined mid-walk on my way to the mailbox by Brewsk (we’re on a first syllable name basis now). He’d come leaping out of the woods to join me. He’d be SO excited to see me that he’d jump all over me like a frat boy in heat. THAT’S annoying as all get-out.
Now, Brewskie shows up on our porch bright and early. I surmise that his owner leaves for work around 6:30 am and Brewsk heads up the mountain to keep our doormat warm. At first I thought it was his way of getting a good seat for leftovers, but there are many days we don’t have anything on the menu that he’ll eat. He just likes us and loves me. He’s one smart pup. He’s currently working on reading my thoughts. He’s getting pretty good at it.
If you think dogs can’t count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then giving Fido only two of them.
Phil Pastoret
I feel confident he’ll protect me from any rogue deer or raging rabbit attacks ;-). He’ll also keep any and all neighbor dogs away from me. Brewskie’s actually got a brother dog named Tucker. Tuck can’t get within petting distance. He isn’t even allowed to look at me. One day Brewskie wandered off after something with feathers. A sweet chocolate lab decided to keep me company. That poor lab got his butt bit when Brewskie caught him accompanying me home.
Sometimes we get to the mailbox too early (or the mailman gets there too late). We go down by the fishing dock and sit on the picnic table. I read and Brewskie secures the perimeter. If the wait is long, he amuses himself by doing his Jesus impression and walks on the lake. I’ve made it clear that I will not rescue him if the ice breaks. Can you find him in this photo?
Today I decided to hide from Brewskie to see if he could find me. I didn’t do it to be mean. I think it’d be helpful if I fell down a well or was kidnapped by a bear, to have this dog hunt me down. Today I just wanted to tie my shoe without his assistance. I hid behind some brush. After a few minutes, he sniffed me out. You would’ve thought I was gone for 3 weeks and didn’t write. He was SO excited to find me. It was a bit embarrassing to see him stand and try to convince me to have his puppies.
This is the best dog we’ve never owned. I think we’ll keep him, until he tires of us and finds a new porch to roost by day.
