Roscoe, Molly And Me

                                             ROSCOE, MOLLY AND ME       

Some of you have heard me say  “Roscoe is a hard dog to love, and I love him extra hard.” A mix of Chihuahua, wiener dog, mini pin and ?, Roscoe is cantankerous, nippy, a scaredy cat ( my apologies to cat lovers) and he’s a “barky”dog who’s also got an annoying whine. Right now he is whining and waiting for me to finish my T.V. dinner and set the bowl on the floor so he can lick it clean. He doesn’t know that I leave a couple of teaspoons in the bowl for him. Roscoe is on a diet, actually a diet to help him gain or maintain his weight. He lives and plays hard so burns a lot of calories. So I can kinda justify giving him people food. Entitled and insecure, Roscoe is full of contradictions. He hogs the bed but begs for comfort when he hears loud thunder. He loved our neighbor Larraine immediately, but takes awhile to accept my son Tyler, who Roscoe has known since he came home with me 5+ years ago. When Tyler visits he must woo Roscoe with treats before he will stop barking and settle in on the sofa. Roscoe plays with all the dogs at daycare and has no hesitancy with getting up close and personal with the big dogs. Roscoe is a big brother to Molly, my other little dog, and watches out for her at daycare. Don’t mess with Molly or you will have to deal with Roscoe. Dogs have personalities, and Roscoe has a BIG personality. He stands up on his hind legs and braces himself on my knee and looks up at me with adoring eyes. Roscoe loves me, and he loves me BIG. 

And then there’s Molly, my sweet little dog who weighs in between seven and eight pounds. Molly has a big bark and will bark at a dog 10 times her size. A mix of Chihuahua and ?, she can run circles around Roscoe and can get from the patio door to the back yard fence in a few seconds. She spins when she is waiting to get fed and I am amazed she does not get dizzy. She’s light on her feet and moves gracefully. When she perks up her ears she seems to be all ears, and her eyes are like the eyes of a deer. She gets what she wants with honey. Belly rubs are her favorite thing,  if you stop she will reach out with her paw to get you to keep going. She wiggles her way in to get a space on your lap and even Roscoe has to defer to her. Roscoe rules the roost, but Molly has her share of work-arounds. No matter how hot the day, Molly likes to sun herself.  It fun to watch her dig, as long as she is not digging up flowers. The dirt comes flying out and she is  like a machine. She escaped to the neighbors yard once by furtively tunneling under the fence in an area under the deck. Now, needless to say, the yard perimeter is checked frequently for any suspicious movement of dirt, but she does have a safe, small spot she can dig in to scratch her itch to dig. 

Roscoe, Molly and Me. I’m the only human member of this warm-blooded trio. Who’s in charge? I’d like to believe its me, but to be honest, some days I’d bet on the doggies. I sleep in rather contorted positions because I don’t want to disturb Roscoe or Molly, who own the bed despite the small amount of physical space they occupy. Admit it dog owners— you too try not to disturb your canine bedfellows.  Spooning with your dog doesn’t need to be our dirty little secret!  I usually allow Roscoe and Molly to determine the pace of their walks, but I can override them with my power of the leash or simply pick them up and carry them home. When I say “sit”or “wait” that is what I mean and I expect them to do it  now. They have learned many commands but they have more to learn and I intend to teach them. 

How do I explain how much I love Roscoe and Molly? We are like the 3 musketeers, “One for all and all for one.” I take care of them the best way I know how and I am fiercely protective of them. There are lots of people who aren’t as human as Roscoe and Molly. For their part, they are dogs, but dogs that seem to know when I need comforting,and comfort me, play with me when I want to play, and love me always. I don’t feel lonely when I can pet my dogs. I feel blessed. I’m so grateful to be Roscoe’s and Molly’s human.