Bon Voyage, Sir
After much worst-case scenario creation in my mind, I gave in to my tender, heedless heart and got a dog. My courage has been rewarded with Sir Good Bonkers, the best dog in the world. He has been my loyal companion, and cuddle-bug for 17 months now.
This morning, like most mornings in Korea, we woke up together, and Sir rolled over to have his belly scratched. Later, we had a long walk in the park. We've looped Namsan Botanical Gardens many times, but this was our last, because late this afternoon, I sent him to the quarantine office, in the care of a pet shipping professional, in preparation for his 11 am departure to Washington D.C. tomorrow morning.
My tears elicited a promise from the pet care professional, Jina, that she would treat him, "so very very excellent well tonight." So I watched him closed inside a kennel, and then inside of a van. After the van pulled away, I stood on the street crying. I was in front of a bar, and I considered going in to cry in a beer. It was only 4:30 pm, so I sat in the sun and ate an ice-cream bar instead.
After 12 hours in the belly of a plane, he will be met by my young sister, Christa, who will take him to my mother’s home in Virginia. There, Sir will meet and join her 4 dogs, Sandy, Seven, Lilly, and Bagel. I hope he will be happy for the company, and I hope all those who meet him will be kind. For those of you who will do me the great service of caring for him in my place, here are a few tips:
Sir loves you, so when you return home he gets very excited. Unfortunately, his squeaky voice doesn’t reflect his manly heart, and his squealing can be painful to the ears.
you're home!!
If you want him to stop, pick him up and return the love. He will calm down quickly.
most effective position
Sir will eat anything you give him, but I only give him dry dog food and dog treats. If you feed him from the table, he'll just come to the table more often. I'll admit, I do throw him a scrap now and then, but never from the table.
He'll go to the bathroom where you want him too. You just have to let him know where once or twice. He's a smarty, so a firm "no," two or three times, will suffice.
He understands "sit," and "stand," especially if you have a snack in your hand.
When you walk him, he gets excited and tugs on the leash. If you give the leash a slight jerk and say, "heel," he will stop pulling, at least until he picks up another intrguing scent.
He loves sleeping with people, beneath the blankets if it's cold, and above if it's hot. This is the favored position for an afternoon nap. Maybe if you find some other dogs for him to cuddle he'll like that too.
note the hands, very important
It was such a pleasure spending three days with Sir back in my life; he's bright and bouncy and full of love and trust and curiosity, and now he's gone and all I can do is hope that all will be well until we meet again.
So, those of you who meet him, be gentle, be kind, bring treats, and enjoy him as much as I do. I know I can count on Christa for cuddling, Mom and Paul for feeding and tolerating the everyday work of a dog, Carmen for vigorous walks, and Ian for tricks, treats, and jokes. Thank you in advance.
Mary and Kevin, thank you for keeping him safe and entertained, and thanks for the video. Sir will miss you, and so will I.
Sir Good Bonkers, best of luck on your adventure, I'll see you soon, and thank you for being the best.
This morning, like most mornings in Korea, we woke up together, and Sir rolled over to have his belly scratched. Later, we had a long walk in the park. We've looped Namsan Botanical Gardens many times, but this was our last, because late this afternoon, I sent him to the quarantine office, in the care of a pet shipping professional, in preparation for his 11 am departure to Washington D.C. tomorrow morning.
My tears elicited a promise from the pet care professional, Jina, that she would treat him, "so very very excellent well tonight." So I watched him closed inside a kennel, and then inside of a van. After the van pulled away, I stood on the street crying. I was in front of a bar, and I considered going in to cry in a beer. It was only 4:30 pm, so I sat in the sun and ate an ice-cream bar instead.
After 12 hours in the belly of a plane, he will be met by my young sister, Christa, who will take him to my mother’s home in Virginia. There, Sir will meet and join her 4 dogs, Sandy, Seven, Lilly, and Bagel. I hope he will be happy for the company, and I hope all those who meet him will be kind. For those of you who will do me the great service of caring for him in my place, here are a few tips:
Sir loves you, so when you return home he gets very excited. Unfortunately, his squeaky voice doesn’t reflect his manly heart, and his squealing can be painful to the ears.
you're home!!If you want him to stop, pick him up and return the love. He will calm down quickly.
most effective positionSir will eat anything you give him, but I only give him dry dog food and dog treats. If you feed him from the table, he'll just come to the table more often. I'll admit, I do throw him a scrap now and then, but never from the table.
He'll go to the bathroom where you want him too. You just have to let him know where once or twice. He's a smarty, so a firm "no," two or three times, will suffice.
He understands "sit," and "stand," especially if you have a snack in your hand.
When you walk him, he gets excited and tugs on the leash. If you give the leash a slight jerk and say, "heel," he will stop pulling, at least until he picks up another intrguing scent.
He loves sleeping with people, beneath the blankets if it's cold, and above if it's hot. This is the favored position for an afternoon nap. Maybe if you find some other dogs for him to cuddle he'll like that too.
note the hands, very importantIt was such a pleasure spending three days with Sir back in my life; he's bright and bouncy and full of love and trust and curiosity, and now he's gone and all I can do is hope that all will be well until we meet again.
So, those of you who meet him, be gentle, be kind, bring treats, and enjoy him as much as I do. I know I can count on Christa for cuddling, Mom and Paul for feeding and tolerating the everyday work of a dog, Carmen for vigorous walks, and Ian for tricks, treats, and jokes. Thank you in advance.
Mary and Kevin, thank you for keeping him safe and entertained, and thanks for the video. Sir will miss you, and so will I.
Sir Good Bonkers, best of luck on your adventure, I'll see you soon, and thank you for being the best.
posted by Desiree Byker at 4:33 AM
6 Comments:
Well Sir made it to America and is now the subject of much attention from one Italian Greyhound, much barking from one K C Spaniel, much curiosity from the Dox/Spaniel and total indifference from the Beagle. He's drinking eating and processing it all. The nervous energy of Sir and Seven will probably drive me to Prozac, but I'll give it a few days.
I think Sir is a fine addition to America, but his odor indicates he probably ate too much kim-chee. - will be bathed soon!
Sir Good is really cute (and lucky to be on his way to Virginia!).
Where are you off to next?
i love dog cuddling, too.
Okay is this some kind of childhood revenge being perpetrated on your mother? Not only do you send me a dog, but you send me a dog who will not leave my side. Paul - yea, okay, but me? no, I now have a cute wiry little something looking up at me with soulful eyes, jumping on me if the other dogs get too aggresive, curling under my blankets, and crying while I'm gone. I guess I'll get the "I'm really needed" feeling all over again - I thought it was all over when the kids turned teenagers! (Sir is doing great - survived his first night just fine - is eating and drinking)
Aw, that's so sweet! Sir is the lovemobile, bringing it to all who really need it. Maybe my mom's animal ambivalance will finally be penetrated... I'm in Malaysia, and I'll try to post an update after I find accomodation and food.
-Desiree
Sir has officially encircled our backyard, back, forth, up, down, and dutifully marking 1101 Estevan with his scent. He has made a stand-off peace with Seven and Sandy - the two males, and Bagel and Lily are warming up to this new skinny boyfriend. I'm sure by December all territories will be marked and peace amongst the brethren and sisters will be reached. The upstairs hallway is his abode when locked up, so he has a hallway and guest bedroom to himself when necessary. The rest of the time he's busy throughout the whole house - grabbing a bite of food here, and a bit more of exploration of something foreign. Maybe I should take a piece of clothing from your box - he'd probably break down and cry himself to sleep -
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