Part 6 In Support of the Muskoka SPCA

Contentment.

PART SIX -

A Series of Short Stories in Support of the Muskoka Animal Shelter

Learning to Live With Bosko, The Adopted Pet That Like to Throw Curves

     When we adopted Bosko, named after Office Boscorelli, from the television drama "Third Watch," we knew very little about its emotional constitution. We saw an advertisement for Bosko, that had been placed in the local weekly, in support of the Muskoka Animal Shelter, and the Ontario Society For Prevention Of Cruelty to Animals, otherwise the Humane Society, and we were immediately smitten by, of all things, her good looks. There was a notation included in the description that indicated her aggressive nature toward cats. At that time, we had three felines, all foundlings, and it did concern us. But regardless of this potential, we thought it worthwhile to call the Shelter and ask for a test-run. You know, taking her for a walk around the property of the former Shelter facility on old Highway 11 in Bracebridge. Seeing and touching is believing. So this is what we did!
     Bosko was a cross between a German Shepherd and a Collie, and probably a few more we weren't aware of, but it was a wonderfully gentle and good natured dog. We pursued the adoption with the Shelter, and upon introduction to our cats, nothing much happened unless you consider a "hissy" fit a problem. The cats hiss at me all the time, when I have to remove them from my favorite night-time chair. The cats kept their distance for that first week, and Bosko showed no real interest in pursuing them, other than if they got too close to her food dish at feeding time.
     Bosko was another dog that had been kept in isolation by a former owner, and denied much opportunity for outdoor excursions, as its owner was elderly, and the dog was without question, quite aggressive when it came to walking it on a leash. It could pull me in all directions, and at about two hundred and thirty pounds, I represented a pretty significant anchor. It was to be understood that it needed to be leash-trained, and in a short period, it became a tolerable experience, meaning I could actually stay on my feet during our outdoor recreation.
     We really didn't have too much experience, knowing how Bosko would react with other dogs. It had come close to numerous deer in our neighborhood, that borders a 20 acre wetland, and it seemed quite indifferent to all the other critters, from squirrels to raccoons, that make our balliwick home. So we decided, that year, to bring Bosko along to the annual Bracebridge Santa Clause Parade, on Manitoba Street. We thought it would be best if we could walk from the parking lot on Entrance Drive, by the Silver Bridge, and walk up to Memorial Park, about two big blocks north. Honest to God, as we passed hundreds of people lined-up to watch the parade, Bosko never reacted to any of the dogs sitting with owners, for whole length of that brisk walk to the park. When we got there, and found a good place to view the parade, we also offered a little silent prayer of thanks, about having been afforded such a gentle, non-reactive pet; considering that our two previous dogs would react violently to anything that looked like another animal, other than our cats, and would go nuts upon hearing a dog barking on a television show. We found out the audio-thing first, when Andrew played the Jingle Bells record, featuring the barking dogs, and all hell broke loose at the Currie homestead.
     It all unravelled, for Bosko, and for us as its keepers, after about the fourth float, and second band. An elderly couple came south on Manitoba Street, pushing through the crowd lining the sidewalk, with two large dogs on long leashes. I have can't explain why this triggered Bosko to react so badly, but it was the beginning of a lengthy anti "other" dog thing, that last for the rest of her life. On this day, it took a dramatic exit through the side-streets of my old hometown, to exit Bosko safely back to the car. It was then that we began to realize just how many dog there are in South Muskoka, making it incredibly precarious having a reactionary pet under your care and control. Keep in mind, Bosko was very powerful and the fact that she believed it was necessary to defend our honor against interlopers, she stepped-up her effort to keep us safe. It was embarrassing on that Sunday afternoon, but only because its violent reaction to other dogs had never shown itself before this occasion. Something about those two dogs on the long leashes, darting through the thick crowd must have reminder her of another experience from her past, that we had no prior knowledge about.
     In our lengthy relationship with Bosko, it was attacked by other neighbor dogs on six separate occasions, for doing nothing more provocative than standing on our lawn together, under leash and firmly and safely restrained. I have never figured this out, but Bosko seemed to draw negative attention from other dogs. There was no lead-up or antagonism, in any way, as a preamble to the attacks, or a single bark or growl in advance of these unprovoked attacks, but they happened none the less. All the offending dogs were untethered, and by golly, I didn't hold back chastising these neighbors for their neglect and inconsideration. Bosko could fight back, and would have inflicted some serious wounds on the other animals, but we were always able to fend them off with a walking stick or other hand-held device, in order to get Bosko into the car in the driveway, or safely up on the verandah. I would even have to warn other responsible dog-walkers, to please not approach Bosko while on a leash, for the safety of all parties. And yes, we got some angry retorts and frowns from these folks, which didn't bother me too much, as long as the critters were safe and injury free.
     As far as being a good house-pet, Bosko was a model pet. It was so faithful to owner and homestead, that if would have protected, at all cost, all under its watchful eye, should an intruder have made it past the threshold of either front or back door. Bosko did make us feel safe that's for sure. But we always knew that its well being depended on our ability to keep it out of harm's way, and keep the dog at safe distance when guests arrived. She actually growled at one of our friends, who was a regular dog walker with the Bracebridge Shelter; a kinder, gentler person, and major dog-lover, which seemed quite odd. But she assured us, that Bosko was simply protecting us, and over time of the visit, would ease to the situation, sensing there was no danger to the household.
     We had a situation with a nosey neighbor, that Bosko rectified rather abruptly one afternoon. Our backyard is off limits to door to door salespeople and others, and we have this clearly posted to avoid confusion. It doesn't work. This particular neighbor would bring us mail that was accidentally placed by the carrier in their box; which was nice of her, except that we have a mail box of our own for such things, at the front of the house. I had caught her numerous times snooping around our house, and looking in the windows at the back. I assumed her curiosity would be curbed after awhile, as she had just moved in with her family a few weeks earlier. One day she showed up at the back door, and I'm sure she thought I wasn't home, because she tried the door handle, which I had made sure to lock well in advance of her regular mail run, which was usually ten minutes after it was delivered to the super-box across the road.
     Bosko hated knocks on the door. She reacted violently to my own raps of the china cupboard or even the harvest table by mistake or when I was being emphatic in a discussion with the boys or Suzanne. The girl began by trying the door handle and then started to knock very aggressively. Bosko immediately charged the patio door, sliding on the kitchen floor right into the frame, knocking down the curtain. This exposed the girl, a supposed intruder, to Bosko. Well sir, that young lady saw the jaws of fate, as Bosko tried to get through the glass. There was nothing I could do at that point even if I'd wanted to, as Bosko didn't respond to my commands when it came to this level of over-reaction. The girl took off like the space shuttle, and I saw her flying down the driveway, looking behind as she ran, thinking the dog might be able to break through the glass. She was safely back at home while Bosko was still barking. Good news was, she never, ever came to our back door again. And she never passed our house to and from the mail box, without glancing in to see if Bosko was on the verandah. It's not that Bosko would have bitten her, because we never had such an incident during our relationship. She was just incredibly protective of us, and our property, which she seemed to know like a surveyor.  We didn't adopt Bosko to be a guard dog, but honestly, with the number of break-ins being reported in our neighborhood at this time, she gave us a little extra security, especially at night and with Andrew sleeping downstairs, quite a distance from our bedsteads on the opposite end of the house. She slept with him every night at his feet, and when he came upstairs in the morning, Bosko emerged and came right over to me, where she nuzzled into my knee as I rubbed her ears.
     The only time we had a serious problem with Bosko, was early on, when we were still learning the ropes as they say. We left in our new van than autumn afternoon, with water and treats, thinking our short twenty minute shopping visit would be fine for all parties. When we returned with our purchases, everything seemed fine, and Bosko was obviously pleased to have us back. I told Andrew to make sure he fastened his seat-belt for the ride home, at the same time as I was securing mine. "But dad, it's in two parts, and I can't lock it in." That's when I found out that I couldn't do it either, as my seat-belt had been severed. Bosko, as it turned out, didn't like being left alone in the car, and as a reaction to its isolation, even for a few minutes, took it out on the straps of our new van. I found this out too late, and to replace the belting on both sides, it cost cost to five hundred dollars. But I certainly couldn't blame the dog. She also ate shoes and leather belts if they were left exposed while she was home alone. This got better over time, but after this, we didn't leave her alone in the car.
     But as far as loving this adopted dog, well, that was never in question. But we did have a lot of learning to do, as did Bosko about her new digs, and the people who called it home. Bosko developed a warm relationship with our wee stray cat, Beasley, and right to the end of her days, they rubbed noses just about every day. Beasley of all the cats, at Birch Hollow, seemed to have a spiritual connection with Bosko, and we saw evidence of this for years, while the others kept their distance just in case. Beasley, by the way, is the smallest cat we've ever had as a house-mate, not measured from kitten-hood. Beasley was close to two years old when she came to live with us.
     Bosko, like our previous canines, Alf and Kramer, had unfortunate, neglectful relationships in their puppy months, and onward for up to seven years, meaning poor socialization with humans and other pets. It was not all that unusual then, when Bosko acted adversely to other dogs, and to some of our house-guests in those first few years at Birch Hollow. It did improve over time, but the biggest advancement, was her deep and loving relationship with her new family. This is what we will always remember of Bosko, and how could we be anything but thankful, we adopted her from the Shelter, despite the potential she might have eaten one of our cats. We would have denied ourselves one heck of an experience, and lost an amazing enrichment to our family life, if we hadn't trusted our instincts, and brought her home to see if we were right. The rest, as they say, is history.
     Please help the Muskoka Animal Shelter tend the homeless pets of our region, by offering a donation of either cash, or pet supplies. If you have time on your hands, possibly you would agree to volunteer at the Shelter. Please phone to find out what is most urgently needed. If you have some space at your place of residence, and some kindness to extend, please consider adopting one of these beautiful animals that just need a chance to blossom into wonderful pets that will make any house a home, any residence a sanctuary of goodwill.