Putting Down The Dog

Putting to Rest Little White Dogs
JULY 9, 2010 2:15AM

In case Buffy comes nosing around

Rate: 6 Flag
"The truth of the matter is that a Standard Poodle would be the perfect dog for any human body-personality type."
~ Buffy
 

This is Jovi

~~ Jon's Dog Jovi  ~~

a perfect dog

 Jovi first day outside

This is Jovi shortly after he came to me.

He was almost two years old.

 
My new poodle came to me named Kobe. This is the sort of thing that can happen when a little boy is allowed to choose a dog's name.  The first day I had him, a neighbor told him he looked like an eighties rock star. I took it as a sign from the universe that his real name was  Jovi.  And so it is.
 
  Jovi first goom standing 2
For reasons of cost and maintenance, the glam rock do was switched for the grooming favored by pet poodles in my area.
We call it the curly lab.
 
 Jovi digging happy 08 06 22
What?  You were digging too.
 
Poodles have that froufy image.  I'm here to tell you that while Jovi is, like all poodles, graceful and agile, sometimes dignified, he must be kept away from unclean litter boxes,  dribbles water all over the place when he drinks, pees all over his chest and front legs, thinks hardcover books and toilet paper tubes make the very best chew toys and  he loves to dig in the dirt.  Just like a dog.
 
Nearly every day at the dog park he falls in love with a small male, a different one every time, and humps the poor little thing obsessively until I leash him or remove him to another part of the park.  The conventional wisdom is that this is an expression of dominance but from the idiotic grin and glazed over eyes as he performs, I don't think so.  Perhaps it's some behavioral residue of coming to sexual maturity while living with small dogs, perhaps he was a Catholic priest in a past life. 
 
Jovi has a scar on one side of his muzzle from a wound he suffered playing with  Oscar, a cream Standard Poodle.  Poodles play rough.  With teeth.
 
 Jovi in lotv no date
a real dog, yes, but he prefers to rest in flower beds
(the lilies of the valley weren't blooming yet)
 
Jovi goofy face
The perfect dog
(not always perfectly groomed. )

Author tags:

dog, poodle

Your tags:

TIP:

Enter the amount, and click "Tip" to submit!
Recipient's email address:
Personal message (optional):

Your email address:
Cancel

Comments

Type your comment below:
Cancel
So cool! From the sound of it, Jovi is like a Buffy with more "street cred" You're right about the rough play, Buffy also would have spirited contests with the neighborhood Standard. One bark by Buffy dispels the frou frou image. Thanks for the great post.

Jim K & Buffy
James Kastenholz
July 09, 2010 05:28 AM
A perfectly imperfect fur person. Got to love that curly mug!
Linda Treiber
July 09, 2010 06:41 AM
Jim, he's more of a country boy (farm cred!) who spent his first 10 months "in a dirty old barn" in the wilds of North Dakota without ever being groomed. If he wasn't such a poodle I'd suspect repressed childhood anger. His second year was in small town NW Minnesota (a lot like ND). He came to me because "he hates my husband" and was extremely apprehensive of all men. He got over that so quickly and thoroughly that I have no choice but to blame that husband. (Last week at agility class he plopped his head in a strange man's lap - though I suspect there were treats secreted somewhere near that lap.) Maybe some day I'll post about the street cred he gained the first day here in the city.

Thanks for commenting Jim and Linnnn. I adore this dog.
nerd cred
July 09, 2010 10:58 AM
I love the name and the rock star attitude.
mypsyche
July 09, 2010 11:07 AM
mypsyche - you answered my humping question just as I got a reply from his breeder! (Neutered after 10 mos, boys being boys.) It has nothing to do with his neutering or past lives - it's just classic rock star attitude! Thank you!

It raises the possibility that it might be impossible to train away. Yikes. But then, Jon Bon Jovi is no Keith Richards so that gives me some hope.
nerd cred
July 09, 2010 12:17 PM
Being a dog lover, I can relate completely. If you read my latest post you'll see why. Rated
Christine Geery
July 17, 2010 11:05 AM
Because I have raised 5 children, I've experienced (read 'paid for') every kind of pet from white mice up to and including horses. (not counting schools of fish) and my absolute favorite were the dogs. Except for the poodles, none were smarter than me, albeit most were more devious. The smartest, cleanest, best-smelling (under all conditions) were two black standard poodles. [We were living in Germany and so they were termed Koenig's poodles]. They both, unfortunately were killed in an auto accident and the family mourned for quite a while. I am convinced that, with a couple more months of schooling, they would have been doing my childrens' homework and playing the piano.
the traveler
August 13, 2010 07:24 PM
traveler, I fear my boy, much as I adore him, missed that poodle (in your case, pudel?) smart gene. It may be there but hidden by a much stronger excitement trait so I'll keep looking for it! Jovi's mom was black, his dad white. Thanks for visiting.
nerd cred
August 13, 2010 10:59 PM