Can You Hear This?

As a kid, I always heard jokes being made about “so and so” getting in the dog house with his wife because of some “unfortunate” behavior or event. I even remember people having these little wooden placks that had an empty dog house with a hook and the names of the people that lived in the house on hooks. So those that got in trouble with the lady of the house could actually be put in the dog house.

I guess it also served as an “early warning” system. If you came home and your name was in the dog house, then it was a safe bet something was up and Mom was mad.

Today, I don’t think the threat of “getting put in the dog house” carries as much weight as it used to. Doggies are members of the family and if, by some misfortune, they should find themselves outside of their families’ home, they are provided “deluxe” alternate accommodations.

Sometime back, my S.O., Darlin’ Boy, being the sweetheart that he is, just insisted that the cat, Kitty, have a little hard vinyl box sitting on the patio to “get out of the weather” if he was outside and we weren’t home. He purely dotes on that cat, although he swears he is a “dog” person, not a “cat” person. Yeah, right! While other kitties get by on Little Friskies, our fur-ball dines on roasted oysters, tuna, salmon and, if I’m not around to smell them, sardines.

Recently, when my parents relocated, we got to adopt their dog of several years. (Whether this is a permanent adoption or temporary foster care remains to be seen.) He’s a really sweet dog and he’s a really big dog! (A small child can go for a ride on his back.)

Needless to say, once acquired, Darlin’ Boy’s first concern was proper housing for the dog. Off to PetSmart he goes, anxious to ensure that doggie doesn’t suffer any trauma from being outside. (The dog has lived outside his whole life, but whatever!) He returns shortly, somewhat dejected. They have no houses big enough for our pooch.

Now, I didn’t think anymore about it ’cause I happen know that the folks already have a house for doggie and were planning to transport it to doggie’s location soon, certainly before snow starts falling on doggie’s head. Well, unbeknown to me, Darlin’ Boy has worried himself so that he’s done the only rational thing he can think of, he’s pursued his search for housing online.

Imagine my surprise when I get an email picture of a small “log” cabin that is expected to arrive by the end of the week. Email reads, “Doggie’s new vacation home.” I’ve seen vacation homes that weren’t as big.

When I questioned the necessity of these “lux” accommodations, I was told that a nicer one could have been purchased for several hundred more dollars, but since it was just a vacation home, Darlin’ Boy thought this one would do just fine. (I didn’t dare ask how many hundred dollars had already been invested into this one. If I knew, I would probably faint dead away and we haven’t kept smelling salts in the house regularly since Aunt Pearl died, don’t you know!)

As luck would have it, I just happened to be home when the new house arrived. It came in a box. For the price of that log cabin dog house, it should have come with it’s own construction crew! I had the good sense to leave home before the assembly process began! Hopefully, when I do eventually return, doggie will be comfortably ensconced in his small palace.

Darlin’ Boy, on the other hand, will just have to make do with his current digs, unless, of course, the dog is accepting reservations.