Sage’s Chair

It’s been many-a-year since either Nyel or I have had a dog.  Periodically we discuss the possibility but, thus far, have held firm in the belief that there are more negatives than positives regarding canine ownership, at least for us.  Sage, the big yellow lab who lives with our friends Ray and Carol may be the one to change our minds.

Sage is three years old – just at the mellowing out stage of adolescence.  He’s well-behaved – mostly.  Doesn’t jump up – too much. Sits on command – pretty often.  He’s over his chewing-up-the-environment stage after destroying 1) a garden hose and reel, 2) part of a garden umbrella, 3) the brake line to Ray’s truck and 4) Carol’s most expensive-ever pair of shoes.  He responds well to the promise of treats and confines himself to his own big leather easy chair for family visiting time.

Good job, Sage!

And he has tricks.  For no reason that anyone can determine, he will pause in his casual exploration of the backyard, ready himself for action, and then run at full-speed back and forth the length of the lawn.  Back and forth, back and forth – a blond streak of pointing nose and flying tail until Ray says, “Okay, Sage.  That’s enough.”  And then it’s a return to a casual ramble, checking out the garden perimeter.

First thing every morning, Sage gets the paper from the front driveway – or so we were told.  It’s not a perfect trick yet, “but he’s getting better at it,” said the Head Handler.  (That would be Ray.)  So, yesterday morning we were given a demonstration.  First, Ray showed Sage a treat, then opened the front door with the command, “Paper!”  Sage bolted forth, out of sight and down the drive while we all waited patiently in the doorway.

Then there was silence and a long period of no Sage.  Next came some barking of the ferocious guard dog variety but no Sage and no paper.  Ray went to explore and soon returned to report that the difficulty was our car.  It was parked in the driveway where it had been for several days but, for reasons only Sage could relate (and wouldn’t), the little red Prius posed a serious threat to the process of paper retrieval.

The Big Bad Prius

Sage, Ray and the pretty-much-destroyed paper returned to the house together.  There was no treat for Sage and a somewhat wet-and-shredded Sunday newspaper for the human contingent.  Oh well… maybe another morning.

Subject of the next leg of our road trip: how to train chickens to deal with a new puppy.  Or not…