Our little bundle of love, Scamp (also known as Boo-boo, Peanut, Pork Chop, the Boss, and Mini the Moucher), turned thirteen yesterday, and he still makes me smile every, single day. One minute, he’s acting like a grumpy old man and the next he’s playing like a puppy.
Even though we got him from Poodle Rescue, Scamp’s not pure poodle. He’s a bichon/poodle mix or
“bichpoo”, which makes him smart, stubborn and cute as all get out. Sure, he understands what you want him to do. He just doesn’t always want to do it.
When he first arrived from Poodle Rescue, Scamp seemed like such a shy, little dog. Charlie and me found it kind of odd for a fifteen month old puppy to be so quiet, so well behaved: no accidents on the carpet, no chewing on the furniture. He just watched us from his bed, getting the lay of the land.
Poodle Rescue recommended I enroll him in a basic training class right away so I could establish my “alpha dog” status. What a joke! It’s clear who the alpha dog is, and it isn’t me. And the older Scamp gets, the more I spoil him. Now he rules the roost, and I am powerless to resist, especially if I make the mistake of looking him directly in the eye when he wants something.
Scamp’s a good boy, except when he’s not. Out on a walk, he tends to sniff and then lunge at other dogs in a “I’ll get you before you
get me” sort of way. Kids are fascinated with him, of course, but when they ask if they can pet him, I just say, “I’m sorry, dear. He’s not as nice as he looks.”
And Scamp’s a total pill in the car. He bangs on his crate and whines the entire time, especially when you put the blinker on. You don’t realize how often you use your turn signal until you’ve had the pleasure taking a ride with Scamp.
But these are small potatoes when it comes to the bigger picture. I just love coming in the door, and there’s Scamp almost turning himself inside out, he’s so happy to see me. And you know what? He greets me that same over-the-top way whether I’ve been at the A&P all day or I just went across the street to get the mail.
Warms my heart to hear Charlie talk to Scamp while he gives him a bath, or how Scamp can make Charlie chuckle after a hard day at the mill. And I love it when Charlie and me are sitting side by side in our Barcalounger love seat, and Scamp’s in between us, his head first on my lap, then Charlie’s.
Last week at the A&P, I overheard a teenager talking to a friend on her cell
phone about some boy they both have a crush on, and she said, “He just makes me melt from the inside out.” Well, Scamp does that to me, every day.
Happy birthday, little buddy!
That’s it for now. Catch you on the flip side!
Hear Ida Tell It: Happy Birthday, Scamp
Upcoming Virtual Event
March 8: Making the Invisible Visible: Bringing a Franco-American Perspective to the Stage & Page, Franco-American Collection, 4:00pm, This event is free. You just need to register in advance.
Click here to register