egbert + ripi: a pet’s eye view

perspective from a pigeon and a dog

Archive for living with people

being an urban dog

July 28, 2007 at 9:02 pm · Filed under urban life, environment, living with people, dog's eye view, out and about

i love being an urban dog.

yes i enjoy running around in the mountains, swimming in the lake or rolling in a field as much as the next dog. but i have a great time in the city. the best thing is seeing so many different people and getting so much love. people stop to talk and pet me all the time. if they drive by me in my car, they almost always try to bark or howl or make faces at me to get my attention. people are really goofy that way.

a typical day goes like this.

the alarm clock goes off and the people keep hitting the alarm clock to make it quiet for a few minutes.
finally, my dad wakes up. my mom is not a morning person so sometimes i have to lick her eyelids and put my paw on her forehead.
my dad and i head out for coffee. at the coffee shop they have clips attached to the wall so i have a place to hang the end of my leash. this allows me to be right out front where i can be noticed. everyone that goes in or comes out gives me some love. sometimes i get a little croissant or bagel. don’t tell my people.
then it is back home where i see all of my neighbors as i head back.
we live and work at the same place. i go back there and hang out. sometimes neighbors give some love as they pass by on the way about their business.
there are the people at the business next door. they come out for a few minutes several times a day to get some fresh air and see me. they all know my perfect places to scratch.
of course, you know about my postman. his visit is definitely one of my favorite points in the day.
depending on the day, our ups guy will come by too. he is an animated guy with lots of good stories and lots of love for dogs. sometimes if we are out driving and i see him, i bark out the window to say hello.
park time! depending on the day and weather my typical choices are my old duboce, mccovey cove park, esprit park, chrissy field, fort funston or sometimes golden gate park. this is where you network with other dogs. some younger dogs run around like nuts, but i prefer to make my rounds in my own way. sometimes i might play with someone my size. here all the people carry treats. i always sniff their pockets.
then we go back for more work, the shop next door closes and the neighborhood is hopping again. people coming and going everywhere so of course i get some more love.
when we finish working we get some dinner. almost every day we go to the corner store. i can’t go in because it is too busy, but i wait right out front by the door. this way i don’t miss any love from people going in or out. in some of my other neighborhoods i used to go inside the corner store. they almost always give me some beef jerky. oh yeah.
then i play with my people a little and chill.
and then i get to go for a walk. if it isn’t raining we check out the shop windows and walk around the neighborhood. i can take stock of the comings and goings of the day. this is one of the perks of being an urban dog. i know what’s going on in the big world.
then i come home and rest up for the next big day.

so see? it is actually pretty fun to be an urban dog.

hoover dam

July 21, 2007 at 1:42 am · Filed under pet travel, living with people, dog's eye view, out and about

summer always reminds me of vacations and road trips, which reminds me of visiting places dogs aren’t always supposed to go.

we moved to san francisco about 14 years ago near the end of summer. we moved in a u-haul truck pulling my first car. honestly, i would have rather been riding in the car, but i was really glad to be with my stuff and not be left behind.

my people made a bit of a vacation out of the whole thing and stopped in many places along the way. one of those places was the hoover dam. if you have never been there, i highly recommend it, although i really shouldn’t as they don’t take dogs.

when we got there there were signs posted that said that had a picture of a dog with a line through it. i have since learned in my life that this means they don’t take dogs. so, my people parked the truck and my dad went to look at the dam. my mom waited with me in the truck. when he finished walking on the dam he came back so that we could go. they saw the signs, but it was hot and i needed to stretch my legs, so my mom and i decided to make it a quick walk on the dam. my dad would meet us in the truck at the other end.

i was so happy to hear the water and walk on the dam. it is very, very, very big. as we were walking briskly a big voice came over a loudspeaker and said, ‘you with the dog on the dam.’ then the big voice said it again. only this time he said, ‘you with the dog on the dam, get the dog off the dam.’ we started walking faster. and the voice said again, ‘get the dog off the dam.’

we had to turn and walk quickly to my dad in the u-haul truck which was driving by to pick us up. my dad was laughing so hard he almost couldn’t drive. my mom was laughing too, although she was a little embarrassed because everyone on the dam was looking at us.

i still can’t believe they noticed my on that big dam.

4th of july

July 5, 2007 at 6:52 am · Filed under living with people, dog's eye view, out and about

ah, it’ that time again - the 4th of july.

ripi spends the day giving off his one time warnings when he hears the little stuff go off. but i know what today is. i am no fool.

today is the day when i hear the booms and hisses around my block. tonight i will see the crazy fireworks show. some of it on my block, and some from the show on the bay. i like the homey feel of the local show, but the one on the bay is the one to see.

my favorite part, of course, is the people. i have noticed that not many dogs go, so i get more of the love. i like the fireworks fine, as i have been going since i was little, except for the ones that come down over your head and spread out. when those happen, my people cover my eyes. thank you people.

when we lived near duboce park and in the western addition, my people used to take me on the 22 fillmore to the marina. yes, dogs can ride the bus if they have a muzzle. i wear it to get on, but i move it to the side when i am in my seat and riding. i am very chill, so of course, i get lots of love from the people around me.

after the show, we would walk through north beach and i would in sit with my people and get a late night dinner, as there are are lots of tables outside. then we might walk to market and take the underground or walk home.

it’s a long night, but always a good adventure.

some dogs like the 4th of july.