Don't jump! Good boy!

So sometime last week AM and I were out taking Dogface for a walk. He’s about 9 months old now and “maturing” but not fixed (yet) so he is sometimes aggressive with other dogs. We’re trying to better socialize him, so when we take him out we are always on the lookout for other dogs, so we can figure out the best course of action before he freaks out (there is a relevant, mental health part to this story. Trust me, I’m getting there).

We head down a neighbourhood street and hear another dog barking from somewhere. It’s pretty loud, but we can’t see where it’s coming from. All of a sudden, AM realizes there is a dog – some kind of basset hound or beagle maybe – ON THE ROOF of the house! An upstairs window was open, and the poor dog was barking its head off from the roof above the front porch. We look at each other, and I decide I should go knock on the door to let someone know that their dog got out on the roof.
As I approach the house, I see that there is a young adult couple sitting on the front steps.

“Ah, do you know that your dog is out on the roof?”
Nodding and laughing

“Is that okay? Does he go out there on his own?”
Yeah, wave and nod at me again. Still laughing. (at me? Because I don’t understand dogs natural affinity for heights, or in confusion wondering what this strange woman is talking about?)

“Aren’t you afraid that he will fall off?”
It’s okay, they say.

I left so confused. Now tell me where the mental health concern lies. Is the dog suicidal and/or trying to make some kind of threat to the other neighbourhood canines, or do these people need their heads checked?

The good news is, Dogface never noticed this roof dweller, saving us from at least one tricky doggie-social-interaction lesson.

True Confessions of a Sappy Housing Worker

Confession: I am in love with my client’s dog.

It got dumped on him by his brother. He is doing his best to care for it, but really has no experience looking after a dog. It appears to be some kind of Sheppard-X, and is about 1 year old, so he’s a good size.

This dog is crying out for structure and attention! When I walk in the door, he doesn’t jump on me, which apparently he does to everyone else. He listens if I give him commands, and while I visit with my client the dog curls around behind me on the couch with his head in my lap.

I know for a lot of my co-workers, they would consider this a workplace hazard, and likely would not meet the client in his apartment while the dog is there, but I love it. He has big, wet, sad looking eyes…

Is this crossing some kind of boundary? I am usually very good at enforcing limits and not forming emotional attachments in my work but I seriously want to take this puppy home with me! Apparently the brother keeps saying he is coming back for the dog when he “gets his new place” or when he “gets the right kind of transportation”. I’ll believe that when I see it. In the meantime, I will collect all the snuggles I can while trying to concentrate on what my client is saying.