My Dog and His 'Wife'

I live in a semi rural area with rules against large dogs running loose and I don't have a fence. I own a male Rottweiler. At night when others could let their dogs out to 'commune with nature'. I'd put mine on a large chain that allowed him the 'run' of the yard. The people around the corner from me couldn't afford to keep their dog any more. They turned her loose and refused to feed her anymore. She ran loose for months, then she found her way into my yard. She had barked at me when ever I entered the block she lived on before she became a stray but, now, she was an unwanted 'guest' in my yard. She did not know how to act, so, she ran every time I came outside. I didn't know she was a 'stray' at first and would say, 'go home', when I saw her. Thinking I had learned a 'way with dogs' that were not mine, I stopped worrying about her.

One day, I noticed that she was pregnant. She kept running all over town. One might see her any where. But, she no longer barked at me so, I was feeling my 'way' was working. She was in the yard every evening now, when it snowed, she was in my dog's house with him. She missed about a week and I thought the dog catcher had her … at last. But, one evening, she was back. She'd had the puppies. It was like the homecoming of a long lost loved one for my dog, Samson, he made more noise than he had ever made barking and making a sound that was like 'talking'. She didn't stay long … I thought she had found a home somewhere.

Was I wrong. I went out to remove the snow from the porch and heard a sound. I stood and listened trying to determine where it came from and what it made it. I heard it again. It sounded like a baby crying … outside … in my car port. I went around the house to see if it was really in my yard. Next to the step that led to the patio doors, there was a cluster of puppies. They were so close together I could not count them because they were on top of each other. They were all different colors and cute. I went back to removing snow and went inside when I was done. Later I came back out and the puppies were gone.

Off and on during the winter, I'd hear and/or see the puppies near the step on the side of the house. In the spring, the puppies were large enough to move around on their own so they went around back to their daddy. There were six puppies (I finally got a chance to count them). They were all over him. He would let them walk on him until he got tired. Then he would stand up and shake them off. The stray came and went. The puppies seemed to be visiting their father. It reminded me of the service they had at the place where I worked … the custodial parent would bring the children to visit with the non custodial parent for a set period of time. They called it supervised visits.

The 'stray' been moving the puppies one at a time in her mouth. She would walk them across the street. For a while, I did not know where they went then one day, I was on my way to the store and saw that she had an alternative 'home' very near where she used to live. The original couple had moved and the new residents were afraid of her … she has a loud bark and can look vicious if she wants to … where she would make a great watch dog, as a 'stray' she was scary. But, with a puppy in her mouth, looking across the street to make sure the others were not following her, she was not scary at all. One day, the puppies must have sent their father to a new place. He jumped on top of the dog house and barked. He looked as if he barked to the four winds. In a short while, the 'stray' came and took the puppies away. They were old enough to follow her and the 'pack' that the family made moved all over the town as she had done when she was alone. I am not financially able to take on seven more dogs (and its probably against some law here … everything else is regulated.)

I started to ask kids if they wanted a puppy. Some wanted them right away but, I made them go ask their parents if they could have one. The 'stray' was gone most of the day, then she would come and lie around in my yard (as if she was home) until she felt like leaving. When she left and was not taking the puppies with her, she'd take them to the back and leave them with their daddy. I thought it that life would be better all over if people could get along the way these dogs were getting along 'for the children'. Parents started to come with their children to get the puppies, I would catch one and give it to them. "You have to keep them in the house or something until they get used to you because their mother is all over town. She will lead them away if you just put them in the yard. They will dig a hole under the gate or something and be gone … so, if you really want the puppy, keep it in an enclosed place until it knows you". Five of those puppies stayed away, but the fifth one came right back. He and his mother became a 'pack' of two. They wouldn't let you touch them (I guess they remembered the ones that were gone), and they wouldn't stay away. They visited Samson, lay around in the yard and left whenever they wanted … to come back whenever they wanted. Samson still 'sat' the one pup until he needed a rest … then he would hop on top of the dog house and 'call' for her. She would show up and take the pup away. I heard snarling and snapping, the puppy was old enough to be weaned but, he had tried to nurse his mother. She was treating him as if he belonged to somebody else and when it looked as if she would rip through his throat, he lay on his back and put up all four of his paws. He never tried to nurse again and he still runs with her. Their 'pack' of two got some new members … when other dog owners in the neighborhood let their dogs out (or maybe released them for good) they found the 'stray' she apparently thought I was running a 'flophouse' for dogs … because she brought them here and they'd lay around the yard until I went outside, they they would leave. There was once a 'pack' of four. The dog catcher came around.. I had to explain the situation to him. He must have watched long enough to see that I'd told him the truth and when he saw strays in the yard … they didn't come back anymore … except for the original and her lone pup.

One day, Samson leaped to the top of the doghouse to 'call' the 'stray' and it collapsed under him. I ran to see what the commotion was and there he stood on the roof of the collapsed doghouse looking as surprised as I was. When the 'stray' showed up this time … she was pregnant again.