Prepping for Our New Arrival

Durant’s dirty bowl came in the mail from Alaska ahead of his arrival on September 3rd.

We were told that smelling his dirty bowl here would help him relax, so we shouldn’t wash it, at least not until he’s settled in. We were also told that he likes to carry his dirty bowl around and we can see from the many dents and teeth marks that the dirty bowl has deep meaning for Durant.

Durant is ten. He’s a newly retired sled dog. He’s run the Iditarod twice, so he is a hearty dog, but also one used to carrying his dirty bowl in wide circles where he was tethered to his doghouse. Right away, now, there will be folks who think tethering a dog is cruel and it might be in some circumstances. But it’s not with most sled dogs. They’re regarded as elite athletes with a lot of physical and psychological needs. Hence the whole dirty bowl thing. Tethering them protects their own space, makes for equals among dogs of various levels of dominance. Durant might be able to impose himself on another dog, but he’s learned to mind his own business, his own dirty bowl, if you will.

And so, we wait until after Labor Day when Durant will arrive in Milwaukee after a two-day journey, Anchorage to Seattle/Seattle to Milwaukee. He’ll come in a crate with a bagful of his food taped to the top (the same food that’s been in his dirty bowl) and we’ve been cautioned to transition him to our food slowly. He’s accustomed to frozen beef, chicken, and fish as well. This feels feral to me. Like too big a set of teeth.

The current canine resident, Tempest, doesn’t know about the dirty bowl and I don’t know how to explain it to her. She does know Durant, has been on the same dog sled team with him. So maybe Durant will be her dirty bowl. I’m just sorting all this out.

Meanwhile, Herc, the cat, is unaware and unconcerned. He’s above all this scrummy talk about dirty bowls. Plus, he’s on steroids which has exaggerated his core belief that he is superior to all creatures he has or may encounter.

We debate whether we are too old to have two big dogs. Or to adopt older dogs and then have them die on us. It is rough holding a beloved dog’s head in your hands while he dies so having many years between those episodes would be appreciated. But we are old people with old dogs with their dirty bowls and frozen fish and other things we have no idea about. We can’t be too cautious.

That wouldn’t be any fun.