Tuesday, February 17, 2010 - Tucker

So today I want to tell you about Tucker. Keep in mind as I write this that I DID NOT want a LAB...lol. Tucker was my niece Jaime's dog. She had adopted him when he was just a puppy and raised him in a loving home. However, sometimes things change that you just have no control over. In January of 2009, Jaime filed for divorce from her husband. Custody questions were, of course, over their 2 boys, Colten and Cayden. However, there was also the question of where to go with her two big labs since staying in the house was not an option. It was, shall we say, not a good idea for Jaime's estranged husband to take the dogs. So, they came to live with me. Tucker is a yellow lab and his brother, Max, a black lab. We tried them out in my house and it quickly became apparent that my yellow lab and Alpha male, Dawson, would have no part of it. He HATED Tucker with a passion and wasted no time in causing a need for a few stitches. Now, in Dawson's defense, let me explain a little bit about Tucker. He is...well...ummmmm...a little dense. That is not to say he isn't an intelligent dog, he is just a very focused one. You see, Tucker's passion in life is his tennis ball. The only time I see him without one in his mouth is when he is eating. So when Dawson could not garner the respect he demanded from Tucker as the alpha, he got frustrated and attacked. Tucker, blood dripping from his ear, looked at me as if to say, "Well, I don't know what THAT was about, but where is my tennis ball??"



When it became apparent that I could not keep Tucker safe, I sent him and Max back to my niece. Again, circumstances beyond our control landed the dogs back with me. This time, we were better set-up to keep the dogs separated so it made things a lot safer and easier for Tucker.



On a side note, it was with tremendous sadness that we suddenly and unexpectedly lost Max on May 18, 2009 to an undetected angiosarcoma (cancerous blood vessel) that burst. He was an awesome dog and we feel his loss every day...our 100 pound lap dog.



Tucker has adjusted well and has been with us almost a year now. He LOVES to play and can catch a tennis ball like no dog you have ever seen. If his tennis ball gets knocked under the bed or couch, he will bark and bark and bark at it as if to somehow will it to the edge where he can reach it. Charlie, the beagle, loves to steal Tucker's ball and run off with it to be chased. Tucker, however, is so non-confrontational that he just barks to get my attention in the hopes that I will rescue his beloved tennis balls from the jaws of the thieving beagle.

In order to achieve some sort of peace at night and get a few hours of sleep, we have to "say ni ni to the tennis ball." It is our goodnight ceremony in which Tucker watches me toss his tennis ball outside for him to retrieve in the morning. Otherwise, I will spend the night being stared at, a huge yellow head with big brown eyes just inches from my face and a tennis ball in between us, resting precariously on my pillow. Tucker is sure I am going to move eventually and, when I do, I will be happy to toss his tennis ball for him. Who cares if it is 2am and -20 degrees? Let's go! Woot! Woot!

So that is my Tucker Dog, my Tucka Bubba, my Tuck Man and Jaime's Tucker Joe and one of the great loves of my life. Stay tuned tomorrow to meet my sweet Barney.

Have a blessed day and thanks for reading.