Hi, dog buddies: Ah, the joys of getting a new addition to the family! I’m so envious of my pal Porter. His humans, Derek and Sarah Rodgers, had a baby boy two years ago. While there were anxious moments at the beginning, he tells me, things are now going along swimmingly.
Actually, the swimming part is still making Porter uneasy. He paces alongside the pool edge whenever Derek and the baby, named Jackson, suddenly disappear under the surface. “I remember when he did that with me,” says Porter, recalling how Derek used to get him used to the water too – at the ripe old age of 4.
Apart from that, it’s turned out to be a wonderful experience, largely because Jackson has developed into a key ally, Porter’s personal liaison to the doggie treats.
It all started when Sarah, a marine mammal biologist at Harbor Branch, began “preparing” Porter for the new baby. But of course, he had no idea why she was suddenly tugging at his ears and tail and paws. Porter is NOT the touchy-feely type. He’s a dog’s dog they found living on the streets of Gifford, a cross between something and a Rhodesian ridgeback. And it really got his hackles up – literally – when after 8 years, he was suddenly subjected to all this groping. But he put up with it. There is nothing he wouldn’t do for Sarah – or for that matter, Derek.
Derek grew up on the island. He handles national marketing now for Greene River Citrus. He’s the kind of guy that babies and animals just go ga-ga over. Porter and his cat pal, M.J. sure did. M.J.’s passed on but she was a terrific cat, and Porter’s absolute best friend. She was adopted by Sarah when she was working at Sea World in San Antonio, and M.J. was hanging around for fish scraps.
When M.J. first met Derek, she was all over him. Her favorite place to sleep was his chest. And when Jackson came along, he went ga-ga for Derek, too. He also, of course, went goo-goo, and that was fine with Porter. But mostly, Jackson went wahn-wahn-wahn. That was something Miss Animal Behavioralist omitted in her desensitization training. Talk about a howler. Porter told me he suspected Jackson had a wolf ancestor somewhere down the line.
Finally, the howling eased up, right about the time he learned to crawl. Then walk. That’s when Sarah taught him to give Porter treats, thinking that would give Porter reason to love him back.
Now, they are thick as thieves. In fact, thievery is one of Jackson’s chief skills, stealing food for Porter. Porter’s even getting used to Jackson’s hugs. I mean, who can resist a cute baby thief?
Till next time,
Raven
