Dogs Love the Bakery

Who are you fooling?

In July 2011, I wrote a poignant observational post for my other blog about Dogs and the Bakery. Rather, how taking your dog for a walk was equivalent to an early morning stroll through the bakery. Since I have decided to shutter the blog and start fresh again; I thought I would rehash the untold story here.

For the rest of month of July and until the middle of August, my wife and I are dog sitting Jeb or Jebi, heck I don’t know how to spell his name but to me it sounds like it is short for Jebidiah. So, Jeb is a Golden Doodle, which other than his size and his golden tail, he hardly resembles a golden or a doodle. Like most doodle mixes, his hair is a thick oatmeal color and the top of his head is crowned with an Afro. Additionally, his eyes appear to be outlined with rock star eyeliner, and his big floppy poodle looking ears are a yeast infection breeding ground of problems. He enjoys the water, other animals (especially cats), and all people. which makes him an easy mark for teddy bear comparisons. Jebi is quite the opposite of the other dog in our family- Louie as in Louie Vuitton–> which makes him an automatic mark for a diva. Loui is an alpha male Schnoodle, whom can look like a schnauzer if groomed properly but looks more poodle with his oatmeal coat and curly nappy hair. Now when you put these two dogs together, you have one that just wants to kiss you like Joe Namath and another that is fiercely possessive of balls, food,  Frisbees,  and slightly alpha given his small demeanor.

I decided to take this motley duo to a local park for some much-needed exercise. Step away for a second, and imagine yourself on a brisk walk and you have been lured by the savory aromas of the local bakery, like a tractor beam you are pulled into a Great Harvest Breadery, Panera, Via da France, or my favorite, any German Bäckerei. You are bombarded with the delicate buttery smell of Croissants, the sweet delicious scent of thickly frosted Cinnamon Buns, and the savory aroma of bread rising for the dawn of the day. Fresh percolating coffee entrances you and the intoxicating robust Colombian scent snaps your eyelids open like rubber bands erasing the crusty remnants of sleep. Okay, okay, this is starting to get silly here, let’s get back to the park.

So, here we are, pulling into the park, 2 dogs romping around in the back seat, slobbering in the wind, panting heavily in my ear. Doors open, leashes on …3…2….1….Bam, and they are off, Louie speeds off in one direction and Jeb is inspecting a “delicate” clump of grass, while Louie is sniffing a “savory” tree to death. Jeb is quickly distracted by the delectable aroma of a poop pyramid. Dogs are engrossed in the gross. Meanwhile, Louie writhes on his back as if “intoxicated” by the grass itself, in a trance of ecstasy, as if he has found his karma, like that point on the ground is the most amazing place in the world. Grass is to dogs, what coffee is to humans. They go nuts for that stuff. Suddenly, Louie puts his nose to the wind and tears off down the path like a crazed Schnoodle, as Jeb and I round the bend, Louie’s leash of infinite length has found its end and Louie has thrust himself maniacally into a thorny patch of shrubbery and sniffing for invisible perpetrators with impressive vigor. Jeb has joined him and the two of them have seemed to have found the Cinnamon Bun bird’s nest. Jebi has given up on the Cinnamon Bun bird’s  nest and is now trying to sloppily lick Loui. This is a mess and exactly how human’s react when overcome with the wiles of the bakery.

So, next time, you’re at the park with an overzealous dog, and growing weary of their endless enthusiasm for all things green and brown, think of the bakery in the morning, warm delicious bread, delicate buttery croissants, and savor the experience.