Man Vs. Dog

An early pic of Randie 'm' Rosie

Earlier in the spring, a new member of the family joined us here at the Fortress of Ineptitude. 

Rosie is a black lab mix we adopted from the SPCA. We're not entirely sure what is in that "mix" but sometimes we suspect it may include "cat". 




Abused and neglected in her young puppy days, Rosie was skittish and shy, prone to anxiety. At least here at home, she has received a lot of love and attention, particularly from our daughter Randie. 

Rosie established a pattern of her life around Randie. She has a bed on the floor of Randie's room but was just as likely to join Randie in her bed. Rosie was devoted to Randie and likewise, Randie was devoted to Rosie.

Which presented a problem when it was time for Randie to go back to college. 

Going back to college has been hard for Randie with the worst part is she misses Rosie terribly. 

And Rosie misses Randie. 

Rosie will sit up in her favorite chair by the window and scan the room. She sees my wife Andrea and she sees me but...

She jumps down from the chair and wanders the house a bit as if looking for that missing other person. Dogs can count and Rosie realizes we're down by one. 

Andrea and I have done our best to take up Randie's duties in caring for Rosie, getting her food and water, taking her outside, brushing her fur and putting her to bed. She still sleeps in Randie's room at night, mostly on the bed on the floor but sometimes she climbs up on Randie's bed. 

I'm responsible for brushing Rosie's teeth. That's not been easy. Early on, she clenched her jaws tight to restrict my access to brush even the outside of her teeth. It took about a week to my finally get Rosie to loosen up enough for me to give her teeth a thorough brushing inside and out. 

The finger with the toothbrush is the enemy. So I've got that going for me.   

Rosie also does not like to be recorded on video. 

Randie set Andrea and I up with an app called Marco Polo by which we can send quick videos back and forth.  Randie naturally wants lots of video of the dog. 

Here's the thing: if I hold my phone up and out to record Rosie using Marco Polo, she will flee. Rosie will jump down from her corner chair and flee to the sofa. She will jump over the back of the sofa to hide. She will flit back and forth around the living room, a moving target trying to avoid my phone's electronic gaze.  

Now here's another thing: if I hold my phone up and out as if to record Rosie but I don't have the Marco Polo app active, Rosie will not run away. She just sits there like a good dog.

Oh, who's a good dog? Let's send a video to Randie to show her what a good dog Rosie is! 

The second my thumb touches the app, Rosie is off like a bolt, scurrying and hiding. Even if I'm not actually recording, I just have the app "on", she will run from me and the phone.  

The second I turn off the app, she settles down. 

Rosie is messing with me. 

Also, Rosie likes Andrea better than me. 

We've managed to convince Rosie to join Andrea and I on the sofa to watch TV.  She will invariably snuggle up next to Andrea more than she will with me.  

I guess it's because I'm the one sticking a toothbrush in her mouth. I am the accursed paparazzi trying to video her.  

In the battle of man vs. dog, Rosie is winning and I am losing. 

I'm being outwitted by our dog.