Sunday was a bad day...

For our little dog that is. We have a miniature pinscher or min pin named Chico (which in Spanish means small) and on Sunday he managed to get into all sorts of trouble. He tends to make some bad choices sometimes just like people. He doesn’t always remember the consequences of his choices and he has a very short attention span (just like children and some adults). He is also camera shy and it was hard to get a photo of him.


Chico loves to be outside and usually is content to go out in the backyard or take a walk around the block. On this day he decided he wanted more. I let him out to do his business and meanwhile I went out front to tend to plants. I went over to the side of the house and after a little bit I heard some rustling. I looked up and there was our little Chico walking through the ivy and brush in between the fences separating the yards. “chico, bad dog!” He knew he was in trouble and rushed to a part of the fence that wasn’t quite all the way to the ground, but had just enough of an opening for him to get through by plopping down on his side and scooching under the fence! How smart is he to figure that out and so quickly too! I immediately put a brick there and thought that was that.

A couple of hours later Chico decides he wants to go out again. Since I had plugged up the opening in the fence I thought no problem. A little bit later I go out back to look for him and he’s gone again! I whistle and call his name but I can’t see or hear him. I go out to the alley, the front and nothing. Great! I know my daughter is going to kill me if I can’t find him. I’m alone at the house, it’s super hot and humid and I really do not want to go running all over the neighborhood looking for the dog because even if I find him I won’t be able to catch him. And I’ve not been able to train him to ‘come’ when called. So frustrating! I decide to wait a little while and see if he comes back on his own. After about 15 minutes or so I hear him in the alley. I go out there and call him and this time he runs into the yard all hot and bothered from his little jaunt to who knows where.

By now he stinks and I stink but before I go take a shower I figure might as well give him a bath since he’s been through ivy, weeds and Lord knows what else. So I give him a cold bath there in the backyard. The cool water feels great to me but he didn’t like it so much even though I could tell he was super hot. Once bathed he shook himself off and nosed around the patio. Meanwhile I watered some plants before going back in for my ‘hose down’. All of a sudden he yelped and as I looked up I saw there were a few wasps flying around looking pretty upset. He must have made them nervous and they got him. He was ready to go in after that. We went in the house and I did a search on the internet on bee stings and dogs. Luckily he did not appear to have any reaction to the sting other than some soreness and “having been put in his place.” The internet said to apply a cold compress but Chico preferred to stay under bed rather than come out and face any more ‘torture.’

What an exhausting and trying day. And don’t you know on Monday evening when Chico went out to explore the backyard, once again he got stung by a wasp when he went to the exact same spot as on Sunday! He must have thought the sting on Sunday was a one time thing. Hubs finally had a chance yesterday to get rid of those pests.