Just recently, someone asked if I was more of a dog person or a cat person and at that moment, I didn't have an answer. Can't a person be both a dog and cat lover?
I grew up with one of the most adorable and loyal hybrid dogs any human could ask for but after my dog passed away, I opted to get a pair of cats instead because my late dog was simply irreplaceable. Currently, I have three cats and a kitten as pets but that doesn't stop me from having fun with “vaccinated” dogs when I come across them.
One of my closest friends recently acquired a two months old rottweiler and this puppy has slowly become his new best friend. He hardly goes anywhere without the puppy; even when going on long distance journeys. My friend named the puppy “Ghost” and for over twenty minutes, I was trying to understand the reason behind the name. Is it just me or Ghost seems like a very extreme name for an already extreme breed of dog?
I live so many kilometres away from this friend but somehow, he, alongside his puppy, managed to pay me a visit yesterday and I can easily say I had fun spending time with the puppy.
The last time I spent over an hour with a dog or even a puppy was when my sister's puppies came over for a brief vacation. They were cuddle puppies(American Eskimos) not rottweilers and being around them was a lot easier–aside from the fact that I had to separate the cats and dogs every now and then.
However, I constantly had to stay on alert yesterday during my time with Ghost because on a few occasions, he tried to bite either my shoes or my legs off.
Rottweilers are one very interesting breed of dogs that operate differently. They can be your best friend or greatest enemy, depending on how they perceive you. Talking of perceiving, I remember my very first physical encounter with a rottweiler named Jessie.
Many years ago, one of the apartments close to my house had a tenant with two rottweilers; male(Mario) and female(Jessie). Their barking every now and then made it evident that they were still alive and well. On one of those days, I went to visit one of the tenants in the same compound and I remember almost crying that day.
I had totally forgotten that there were dogs in that compound when I opened the gate. My friend's room was the last room and so I began my journey. A few seconds in and I felt a presence behind me. It was Jessie stealthily pawing behind ready to pounce on the intruder.
Luckily, I had called the friend to inform her that I was walking in and so the friend stepped out and was waiting for me. Once she noticed the dog behind me, she hastily rushed up to me and ordered the dog to stop and it did. By this time, my heart was already in my mouth. Who knows, I probably would have been the perfect shish kebab for Jessie if my friend didn't intervene because Jessie is such a huge dog.
I ignored all the “don't run” warning my friend gave me and immediately sprinted to her apartment. I didn't relax until the doors were properly closed. Pro tip: if your friend tells you not to run, please don't run.
This happened because it was my first encounter with the dog and the dog still classified me as an intruder. Subsequent visits were different and now, Jessie and I are good friends. All I have to do now is win Ghost's heart over before he grows older ;)
All images used belong to me and were taken with my mobile device except stated otherwise.
Love🤍