“So our apartment will turn into a p*ss pad?” My husband exclaimed after Curly took his third wee inside his our home. First, it was in front of his living room bed, next inside his crate. This time on his work backpack that he placed on the floor (Thankfully work laptop was on the desk. There was no harm done.)
I exhaled in resignation. This came with the very handsome, tricolor furball package.
After our meet cute with Curly, my heart bursting, taken aback by his lovability that did not initially resonate through his photos, Kim, the breeder, made a segue to his deal breaker. “He pees and marks on every thing and every one.” We couldn’t turn back now. We drove three hours to get there and would we simply refuse the dog because of one wee problem?
Curly never left the little patch of Central Texas heaven in the entirety of his five years of life. He was used to having fellow corgis, farm cats and lots of chickens surrounding him in the quiet, under the star stricken sky. He was used to the open space where he could run and play (and pee.) While he did enjoy creature comforts of heated/chilled environments in a corgi condo, he never experienced what actual city life is like.
I carried him out of the backseat of the car after the three hour drive. I walked along side him, showing him the front door, removed the leash then wiped his biggie corgi feet before entering our humble abode. We passed a full-length mirror as we entered the living room space. Curly stopped in his tiny tracks and stared at the mirror. His head tilted left, then right. He stared at himself for a good five minutes.
“He’s never seen himself in the mirror! How cute!”
I wanted to make this transition easier for him. With the help of insight from a friend, who told me that Curly would be interested in Obi’s old things and toys, I pulled out Obi’s old blanket. He showed no interest in the toys, but took to the blanket, sat himself on it. Still whenever we approached and entered each new space, his hind legs shook, his heart thundered through his chest.
Curly needed work. But I then remembered when we first got Obi, he was a lot of work too.
I thought of the Eight of Pentacles card, the let’s-put-our-heads-down-and-do-the-work card of the tarot. Being part of the suit of Pentacles or coin, this relates to that of this earth - finances, career and health, or just good ol’ roll up your sleeves work. A person seated on a work bench with his apron on, hammer lifted up, ready to strike the head of the chisel that’s angled on a pentacle. The rest of his work either hung up on a tree trunk or on the floor beside him. He’s done a lot, but there still is work to do.
Whenever one pulls this card, it is a call to continue to work at it. To not despair that you’re not yet there. You are getting there, but, patience, my little one. Wipe off the sweat from your brow, breathe and continue to dig deep again to work.
Each day, we observe Curly and his habits, quirks. I learned how he is the lap dog I always wished I had, requiring skin to skin proximity to humans at all times if possible. We learned how he responds to crying puppy sounds, like the caring dog daddy that he is. I learned how he enjoys mac and cheese and other cheese with so much gusto above any other food. Hence, one of his new nicknames - “cheese dog.” I learned how he is such a lazy dog that I am the one waking him up and dragging him out of bed in the mornings.
One day, one learning and more to come.
Curly now wears a belly band or a doggy diaper when indoors and is taken out on regular intervals to help curb his wee habits and drill that peeing is only for outside. I check his diaper from time to time, seeing whether the method actually works. Thirteen days into his stay with us, I think he’s done well. But this doesn’t mean we are in the clear completely. There is still much work to be done.
What I’m reading:
Is it fair to say that I’ve reread the recent two articles of mine? If you want to know a broad overview of what Filipino food here, read my piece on Thrillist here. And if you want to know what and where to eat this Lunar New Year in the DFW area, head over to my piece on Eater Dallas here.
I also finished reading Malaka Gharib’s “I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir” and in the middle of Kate Gavino’s “A Career in Books: A Novel about Friends, Money, and the Occasional Duck Bun” Plus, I am rereading Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear” for good measure.
Maybe I will be reading more this year. Who knows? But I am enjoying the more frequent TV screen separation.
What I’m watching:
TBH, I have not been watching a lot of television. I have yet to catch up on shows, but somehow I feel that I never would do so. The only show I’ve finished as of late is the second season of “The White Lotus” on HBO Max. I do enjoy the tension between the haves and have nots and the grating soundtrack against the Italian art and landscape backdrop.
Want to know more about tarot, read up on more reflections here:
Major Arcana
Minor Arcana
Wands
Cups
Swords
Pentacles