After raising the little guy from five weeks old, my puppy Sherman has begun to rebel. Last week, I caught him drinking from the toilet bowl.
Yes, my dog Sherman has developed a taste for the toilet water. I can’t say this development surprised me. Every dog turns to the flushable water at some point in time, right? (Please say yes!)
At first, I was in denial mode. I tried to explain away the facts. Like a parent who thinks their high schooler is sneaking out at night, I refused to acknowledge his behavior.
His breath would always smell like a toilet. “He’s a dog.” I would say. “He can’t help dog-toilet-breath.” He’d go in and out of the bathroom on a regular basis. “It smells funny in there,” I would say, ignoring the fact that he can’t use a bathroom. “Dogs enjoy funny smells, right? That’s why he’s going in there, right?”
Then, last week, I caught him. Nose deep in toilet-aqua-love, lapping up every last drop. I was surprised, but it falls in line with his recent behavior. For about a month now, Sherman’s been acting more rambunctious. He barks, jumps up on strangers and seems to have energy even after ten-mile walks. I was at a loss. Then my roommate brought up an interesting question: “Have you had this dog-demon fixed?”
Good point. I’m surprised my vet didn’t point this out. I guess I need to look-up a good veterinarian on the List.
I can share your pain.
I caught Webster eating from the trashcan, not once, but several times. This must be what a father feels when he catches his son smoking. I tell myself it’s not a habit. I blame other dogs in the neighborhood. I ask myself, How could this happen? Didn’t I raise him better than that?
I’m praying it’s just a stage.
I think it’s the porcelain. Seriously. It keeps the water cooler than the water left in a plastic dog bowl. (don’t ask me how I know this) Maybe Sherman just has highly-evolved tastes and prefers his water to be chilled.