Growing Responsible

The Sentry

I've gotten brave recently and have been allowing Reacher and Vega to roam the house when I leave. It used to be that I'd have to crate them lest they destroy one thing or another while unattended.

All I have to say is: so far, so good. I'm not sure why I decided to throw caution to the wind and give this plan another whirl. I've tried it before on several occasions .... with poor results.

Not so long ago, Vega chewed an impressive hole in my new duvet cover and the down comforter underneath. I knew something was up when I came home and saw tiny white feathers sticking to her lips. She's also eaten a 30-year-old starfish that was a momento from my honeymoon in Cozumel, Mexico.

She's been fond of books as well. The incident that disappointed me the most was when she devoured an old copy of "A Child's Garden of Verses" that belonged to my mother. I'm pretty sure Vega didn't appreciate the illustrations or the poetry.

Then there's Reacher. In the past, he hasn't necessarily waited until I've left the house to do some damage. He would just slip into an unoccupied room and help himself to a pillow, sock, roll of toilet paper, a flip-flop or two, you name it. And like Vega, he was a book lover, too. 

I started by leaving them uncrated for just 30 minutes to an hour at a time. They are slowly earning my trust. Maybe it's because they're maturing: Reacher is about to turn two and Vega is two-and-a-half. Who knows.

In any case, I'm glad I've got Vega patroling the premises. (Let's face it, Reacher is just there to keep her company). In the past, I've been tempted to post a sign: "A protection-trained German Shepherd guards this property. Please let her out of the crate upon breaking and entering."