Canine kids are doggone special

By Tammy Malgesini

Staff Writer

Published on August 29, 2017 7:55PM

We sang a rousing round of “Happy Birthday” Monday morning in celebration of Lucifer’s eighth birthday.

While we didn’t throw a big party and invite all the neighborhood dogs, we did give Lucifer and the General some canned dog food. They get the good stuff on special occasions. The following morning, I swear the General looked at me like, “What gives!?” when I placed a bowl of regular food at his feet.

While both of our dogs are part of the Malgesini pack, Lucifer, a black German shepherd, is John’s dog and the General, a 5-year-old tan/black German shepherd, is mine.

After having Jeter, my 13-year-old German shepherd, put down in April 2012, I was initially hesitant to get another dog. I didn’t think I wanted to go through the difficulty of losing another canine kid. Lucifer helped me through the grief process and I’m grateful the General joined our pack. I can’t imagine life without my sweet boy.

The General is definitely the most intelligent dog I’ve ever had.

However, he has issues.

I used to think it was pretty amazing that he never had an accident in the house. Seriously, house training was a breeze. But later, it became apparent he had some quirks when it came to going to the bathroom, which I shared about in a past column.

The goofy guy also has tactile issues. I think he exhibits symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder or maybe even autism. My friends laugh when I say that, but think about it, dogs get other “human” diseases.

The General will only drink out of certain dishes. When he was about 9 months old, a paper towel fell into his water bowl by the daybed. He jumped down and stared at it.

“Take care of that,” he seemed to be saying. So, I squeezed the water out of the paper towel and threw it away.

He had a look on his face like, “That’s it, that’s all you’re going to do.” Honesty, I don’t know what more I could do. But he never drank out of that bowl again. He would jump over it, run downstairs and get a drink and then come back upstairs. After several more weeks, I finally removed the bowl.

And, playing hide-and-seek is hilarious. When I peer out and see him running frantically looking for me, I want to yell out, “Dude, use your sense of smell!”

What’s even more entertaining is when Lucifer hides with John. Seriously, this 95-pound dog will stand perfectly still in the shadows. I swear sometimes Lucifer even flashes an eye-roll while watching his brother searching for them.

John and I readily admit our canine kids have us wrapped around their dew claws. It’s all good — the boys always happily greet us when we come home, they rarely talk back and as long as they have food, water and the occasional belly rub, they’re happy.

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Tammy Malgesini is the community editor. Her column, Inside my Shoes, includes general musings about life. Contact her at tmalgesini@eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4539.

Pet ownership benefits health

Dog may be the best friend of man and woman, but the four-legged pal can test your patience too.

By Tammy Malgesini

Staff Writer

Published on March 15, 2016 12:01AM

When asked if I have children, I tell people I have two canine kids.

John and I are currently raising Lucifer, 6, and the General, 3, both German shepherds. And, they are very important members of the Malgesini pack.

It seems life insurance companies also understand the value of dog ownership in regards to a person’s health. When I was shopping for a new policy, among the questions my insurance agent asked was did I own a dog.

An article I recently read on WebMD also touted the benefits of being a pet owner. Written by Jeanie Lerche Davis, “5 Ways Pets Can Improve Your Health” was reviewed for inclusion on the site by Dr. Louise Chang, who is board certified in internal medicine. The article isn’t merely a pet lover gushing about their animals — the content is actually endorsed by a medical professional.

“Pets help lower blood pressure and lessen anxiety,” Davis said in the article.

While I totally agree with this, I also can attest that pets can act out in ways that raise your blood pressure and increase anxiety. Like the time Lucifer chewed the remote control — then a short time later, he gnawed another and then a third one.

Growing up during the pre-remote control world, the convenience of changing the channel without having to get up is now firmly embedded in our lifestyle. After the third remote bit the dust, Lucifer and I had a serious sit-down.

Lucifer is John’s dog and his affinity for remote controls was putting his status as man’s best friend at risk. Even though my lecture probably was comprehended as, “Lucifer, blah, blah, blah ... no, blah, blah, blah,” he seemed to understand the severity of the situation and discontinued the attack on the remote controls.

As for my dog, the General seems to exhibit symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. At about 6 months old he got weird about drinking out of only one bowl in the house.

Overall, it’s not a big deal if he prefers running downstairs to get a drink — even though he jumped over a perfectly good bowl of water sitting next to the daybed. However, it becomes an issue when that’s the only bowl he’ll consume water from.

One time during a pack outing, I was concerned that he’d become dehydrated or get heatstroke. Panting heavily, his tongue was dangling from his mouth. I finally ended up sucking water out of my CamelBak and then spit it into his mouth. While he didn’t protest, I’m sure it looked rather odd to anyone who might have witnessed it.

Our dogs definitely add to our life ... and you just can’t beat the excitement they exhibit when greeting us at the door after a long day at work.

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Tammy Malgesini is the community editor. Her column, Inside my Shoes, includes general musings about life. Contact her at tmalgesini@eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4539.