The Call of the Wild Part 2

Chloe, my dog is on heat again. Thank God this happens only twice a year. What it means is two weeks of disrupted sleep for us human beings. Her scent is so strong, the neighbourhood Romeos will be at our gate at all odd hours - more often than not in the early hours of the morning - when sleep is the sweetest and the call of the wild is strongest!

So there I am all bleary eyed at 2 in the morning letting my whinny little girl out, thinking she had to answer the call of nature only to see her dash to the gate, answering the call of big, brown Bobby! Bobby is a persistent, large, free-roaming, unsterilized mongrel who drools, whines and pees at our gate. Yep, he does this coincidentally twice a year! His whole intent is to get Chloe's attention and judging from my week-long pre-dawn wake up calls, he is succeeding rather well.

On mornings when he catches us on our walks, I have a hard time juggling between dragging Chloe (who is happy to walk backwards so she can eye Bobby), throwing small stones at Bobby, picking up her poo and fiercely encouraging her to ignore him ... all to no avail. The Call is too strong and obedience training is totally forgotten. In my last blog about this, I had thoughts of shooting the guy! Alternatively, I should sterilize Chloe if we are sure we will not be breeding her. I have mad a date with the vet for February.

Chloe has another two "boyfriends" in the neighbourhood - One Patch ( a mongrel/Dalmatian mix) and Rockey (a pure bred white Shitzu). They are all ignored at other times of the year, but become Chloe's objects of adoration when she is on heat. She will cleverly, during her morning and evening walks, carve her way to lead to their gates. Rocky's owner tells me that he will refuse his food and will be out waiting at the gate the whole night! One Patch's owner shared her worry over his sudden whining and howling habits usually occurring in the pre-dawn hours. I didn't say anything, but I try to avoid passing their gates too early in the mornings.

The Call of the Wild is an interesting phenomenon

Affects all animals but not us humans (I think!)

Hormones block out the brain

Drives these animals quite insane

When on these "dates"

They crave for a mate

And somehow just can't find one

Whether on a walk or a run

Their whining can drive one mad

Think about it, it's quite sad

To have these urges

That come in surges

And not be able to meet them

Have to suppress or pretend

Well, all these are natural

But do they have to be nocturnal?