I can’t control much, but I love it when doors feel me coming, and without a hitch or hesitation, they open wide with welcome.
I’m usually extremely well-behaved but not much different from other hounds, so there are exceptions to the norm.
I took matters into my paws on three different occasions and had an adventure.
The first time was in Iowa. Mom decided it was time to check out the local library. The air in the auto was warm, so Mom, being a good pet owner, left the sunroof open.
Mom waltzed into the library, content and at peace, surrounded by millions of books = her happy place. As Mom perused the shelves, she felt a commotion behind her. Much to my glee and My Mama’s shock and fear, she spies my back end, running away from her. My tail is high and waving like a flag in the wind. I ran right past Mom, past the checkout desk, and proceeded to the end of the long aisle, straight to a startled man whose eyes did a double wide when he saw my hugeness, toenails clicking on the ceramic, barreling his way.
I didn’t want to cause Mr. Man a heart attack, so I immediately swung my butt around, changed course, and again ran past Mom, around the corner and into the children’s section.
Even as a mutt, I know “quiet” is the uniform libraries wear. Yet, my mom is screeching my name, flapping her arms, and running in circles, trying to corral me. She looked like a chicken being chased by an axe.
Mom heard a collective intake of breath when the Saturday morning parents and toddlers saw what was headed their way. I don’t think they expected an “Otis” show and tell.
Again, I felt their fight-or-flight response, so I turned and headed for Mom. She immediately rushed me outta the building and marched me straight back to the car, NOT giving me the slightest opportunity to sniff or pee on anything.
Even though Mom was embarrassed, she quietly returned to the library to find some good reads. Those automatic doors worked just as well for her as they did for me. 😊
The second time those cool doors welcomed me in was in South Dakota.
Last January, we stayed at a hotel while visiting family in Brookings.
This was a great hotel; the side entrance had a large vacant area for me to sniff around and do my business.
I opened the door one evening and took off chasing a rodent in the underbrush.
Mom thought I’d be busy for a tiny bit (her bad), so she quickly ran to the auto to grab a few things, like Christmas presents.
Mom was surprised when I didn’t come on command and worried when I was nowhere to be found. Just as Mom was getting quite concerned, the hotel’s main doors opened, and her favorite companion came bounding out. Yup, I was smiling the whole way.
The front desk lady told Mom that I walked in with a confident stride, went right past the desk, and headed down the hallway looking for my huuman. When I didn’t find what I was looking for, I turned around and went back outside.
Mom was embarrassed again and apologized profusely. The clerk lady said, “He is a great dog, and it wasn’t an issue.” While I was in there, the workers loved on me. Really, I think the staff liked me better than My Mom! Nobody hugged Mom and told her how cute she was… just say’ n.’
The last time I caused a major ruckus was in Minnesota. Mom and her friend LeAnn decided to find lunch at this little mom-and-pop café in the countryside. The place was packed. Mom wanted to park out of the direct sun, so she found a spot behind a row of trees. Naturally, Mom left the windows open far enough that I wouldn’t die of heat stroke and closed enough that I couldn’t escape. Then Mom and her friend trotted off to laugh, eat, and have a grand old time in the air-conditioned food place.
As you can imagine, I was having none of that! I left some hair and skin on the window seal as I painfully squirmed and wiggled my way out of the auto. This place didn’t have automatic doors, but that’s no problem for me; I still found a way in.
Mom and LeAnn were eating and chatting when a hush came over the crowd. Sure enough, Mom got a glimpse of my golden-colored back weaving in between the tables; diners were stunned into silence. She swore and jumped up to corral me. As Mom ran through the restaurant looking for me, I gleefully ran to LeAnn. She was laughing and thought we were having a fun game, so I wanted to stick with her and stay away from my crazed Mom.
All fun must end. Mom finally caught up with me. She, not gently, grabbed my scruff and scolded me the entire way back to the auto. She shut the windows and the sunroof as tight as they would go. Then she turned the air conditioning on high. I curled up on my bed, comfortable and with a smile.
My Mom has never met a rule she didn’t feel compelled to bend, so I don’t know why she’s so spastic when chaos follows my jump off the straight and narrow. Also, my Mom loves stories! My antics have given many people in three different states stories they can retell and laugh about. I do not see any wrongness in my actions.
Luv, Otis❤️
PS: Due to the nature of these adventures, Mom didn’t feel it was appropriate to take pictures. However, she asked the librarian if she could bring me back in (on a leash) to take photos for the blog, and Mom got an answer of absolutely NOT.