Who's the Boss?

Yesterday was the big day -- after spending the morning filling in as host at the station, I hustled down valley to eat, shower, and adopt.

Parker and I met on Memorial Day weekend, when Janelle, Brandon, Jeff and I went to visit the animal shelter. We took Parker (under his alias, Dennis) for a walk, and I fell hard. The next day, I went back for another walk and dropped off an application to bring him home.

Let's do the basic Parker info: the shelter says he's a mix of Boxer and Hound, he's between 6 and 9 months old (they estimate 8), and weighs in at about 40 pounds... for now. He will probably gain another 30 pounds before he's fully grown. Based on my dog history, which includes a number of chubsters, Parker is a bag of bones. Or, as a friend put it yesterday, "he's got a little Santa's Little Helper look going on."

After days of anxious waiting, the shelter approved me as a new owner and I agreed to pick him up on Saturday. In the meantime, I thought, I would prepare my apartment, get some dog toys and a collar and leash. None of this actually got done. Nor did my laundry, but that's another story.

So after breakfast with the boys, Jeff and I stopped at the Coop to pick up a leash and collar. And I couldn't resist buying him a little fleece "baby" squeak toy (although the squeak leaves something to be desired. Like noise.) Back into the Silver Bullet and off to the pound.

By the time we creaked our way up the mountain to the Colorado Animal Rescue shelter I was vibrating with a mix of nerves and excitement. Last time I got a shelter pet, my mom was signing all the paperwork. Now it's my responsibility, which is a big deal. And a little scary!

The process took about half an hour, but soon I was walking (or being dragged!) out the door with Parker on the other end of the leash. When I opened the car door, Parker hopped in like he was an old pro, and settled himself comfortably on my lap. Next stop? Petco, of course!

Parker got coos and pats from almost everyone we saw. And he proved an affable dude, making friends with everyone from a tiny schnauzer named Harry to a gigantic pitbull, name unknown. When you adopt a dog, Petco gives you a little book of coupons for things like toys, food, leashes and treats. Parker picked out a tug-a-rope, and I picked out some mini dog biscuits for training and a blue bone-shaped name tag. Jeff and Parker then spent some quality time while I hit up Target for a dog bed and a giant lint roller.

By the time we got home to Carbondale with all the goods, Jeff and I were both ready for a nap. He got one. I didn't. Parker liked the apartment, but he was really interested in checking out the town. So after Jeff went home, out we went, heading for the Rio Grande Trail. This is where I discovered that Parker likes cyclists and motorcycles, but fears roller blades. And he's a chaser. Or he would be, if he wasn't firmly attached to a human wrist. More on that later.

After our outing, Parker decided that he would lay down for a rest. On my bed. Only once the bedroom door was shut did he resign himself to the blue dog bed. Which should be too small for him in about a week. Apparently large is not a good definition of my dog. So Parker had a siesta while I caught up on e-mail and tried to reach the family for a webcam. Which eventually happened but I can't remember what was said because Mom and Giva were laughing too hard at my attempts to maintain order.

Next up was Parker's first BBQ. Grilling out is the new obsession for the Carbie crew, and Brandon and Janelle just moved to a new place in paradise. It's in West Glenwood on a beautiful estate with a rushing creek, lots of grass, and even some wild turkeys. Parker really enjoyed the space. I enjoyed him enjoying it, until he skipped out under the fence and headed for the river. I ran after him, hopped the fence, and found him standing on a rock inches from the roaring water. However, I did discover that hollering "Parker, COME!" will draw the desired response. No more fence jumping for puppy.

Instead, he decided to chase Brandon's truck down the road. Off I ran again, and imagine the horror when a motorcyclist (seriously, what are the chances on a random backroad?) gunned his engine and Parker took off running. I hopped in the cab with Brandon and we chased him down. Apparently, he's good off leash as long as there is no chance of someone driving away. Obedience school should have something for that...

Aside from the car chasing adventure, the dog is great. I can even get him to respond to the command "sit." And he really seems to like the radio station, where we're hanging out this morning. Which is a good thing, because radio is going to be a pretty big part of Parker's life. Hope he likes public broadcasting.