SEBASTIAN — After weeks of interviewing shichis, Mi-Kis, shih-poos and Alaskan Klee-Kais, I figured I had heard from every unusual breed in Sebastian. Then I got a call from Trouble, who said he thought he was an American dingo!
Trouble came to Sebastian three months ago from the mountains of Colorado with his human parents, Annie and Dan Keyes.
“My parents picked me up from the Humane Society in Colorado when I was 7 weeks old,” Trouble said. “They didn’t know what I’d turn out to be.”
“Well, I did a little research, Trouble,” I said. “You sure look like an American dingo.”
“I guess,” Trouble said. “There are some similarities I have with the breed. Like dingos don’t like to be handled. I don’t know why humans seem infatuated with petting me.”
“It’s a human’s way of greeting you and telling you you’re handsome,” I said.
“Well, duh, Bonz,” Trouble said. “But honestly, like a dingo I’m also kind of shy. That’s probably why I’m not into it. The other similarity is I love being part of a pack. Mom, dad and I are a family, which makes us a pack.”
“How do you like living in Florida?” I asked.
“I keep hoping to see some snow,” Trouble answered. “It snowed ten months out of the year in Colorado.”
What the heck is snow?
“Since I’ve moved here, I’ve come to prefer sleeping in,” Trouble said. “When I wake up, I ring my bell to be let outside, come in and turn on the light to eat. Then I go find mom and dad and give them one big ‘woof’ which means ‘merci’ to them.”
“You speak French?” I asked.
“Oui,” Trouble said. “In Colorado, there were a lot of dog buddies around. My parents taught me my commands in French so I’d know which commands were meant pour moi.”
“So maybe you’re a French dingo,” I said. “Why were you named Trouble?”
“I have no idea,” Trouble said. “Supposedly, I steal socks but that’s absurd. If there is a ball of socks anywhere nearby, I gently separate them so mom and dad don’t have to.”
“So Trouble, let me get this straight,” I said. “You don’t know if you’re a dingo, you’re not sure if you’re American or French, and have no idea why you were named Trouble. What do you know?”
“Well, I’ll tell you, Bonzo,“ Trouble said. “I know my parents are self-employed so I’m never left alone. And my parents and I only dine at dog-friendly restaurants. My parents plan our social life around dog-friendly activities, and our car is set up so I can lie down and look out the window as we are driving.
“I also know I’m beginning to love living in Sebastian,” Trouble added.
What’s not to love, Trouble? You have pawsome parents and you live in paradise.
Till next time,
The Bonz
