I previously mentioned the fear Laska has instilled into the hearts of an unhappy few here in Sweden. He continues to be the cause of nightmares for our neighbor (whom we met- and its a HE! How very un-swedish of me to assume fear of dogs was a feminine trait. In Sweden all are equal! Men are just as likely to be afraid of dogs as woman are to, I don't know, go bear hunting... except, hunting is probably illegal here. Because that's not equal very equal to the bear.) ANYWAY! As always he is protective of Kitty, and growls and barks at suspicious looking passerbys. (namely bulky tattooed black men, and very old ladies).
Annoying and a bit alarming at times- however the strongest feelings our dog evokes out of the good people of Solna is sympathy.
Laska, an Australian Shepard born in America, does not have a tail. This is normal in America. And most everywhere else for that matter. It is the expectation that this breed has a docked tail. This is NOT normal in Sweden. It is illegal, in fact. Which Andrew and I are informed of every time we go out.
You see, there is a different standard for dogs here in Sweden. A higher standard. It does not matter that Andrew and I bought a a plane ticket for our dog to spend 6 months abroad. It is of little consequence that we drove 8 hours to an airport from which we could take a direct flight for Laska's comfort. Andrew and I are horrible dog owners.
First and foremost there is the fact of his tail. The conversation is always the same. Begins with the questions "where is his tail?" We are then informed that the practice of docking tails is outlawed in Sweden. Maybe they mentioned that Kitty is a sweet girl, and the conversation ends with "your dog should have a tail."
Secondly, we do not put Laska in day care. or "hunddagis" as it is called. And it isn't for lack of availability! In a twelve block radius around our apartment there are no less than six different doggy day care options. (it is also illegal to leave your dog at home alone for more than 6 hours, so most working Swedes (a bit of an oxy-moron, I know) utilize the hunddagis. Luckily for us, Laska is never alone for that long- he accompanies me and Kitty on multiple walks a day (many trips to the dog park too) and since dogs are allowed on all public transportation here, he comes on most of our family adventures as well. We'd better be careful though- I'm sure our neighbor is timing my "Laska free" outings, and would be all to eager to report doggy negligence)
Truth be told, our pup has had a bit of a rough time adjusting to apartment life- gave us a bit of a scare last week when he wouldn't stop shaking. We took him to the vet (where we learned that the use of crates is also illegal, after asking if maybe we should put him in his crate to help him feel secure) and he was diagnosed with "stress". (I know i am being sarcastic and playful here, but we really were worried about our pup!) We came home with an electric ferimone dispenser that sends calming scents into the air, supposedly similar to what a mamma doggy produces to help her liter get along. It seems to have done the trick, Laska is a lot calmer and no longer shakes. Thank goodness, because the next option ( I kid you not) that the vet suggested was taking him to a doggy psychiatrist.
In other news, Kitty Andrew and I are all getting along very well, and fonder than usual of cuddling. Also we all crave peanut butter.
Annoying and a bit alarming at times- however the strongest feelings our dog evokes out of the good people of Solna is sympathy.
Laska, an Australian Shepard born in America, does not have a tail. This is normal in America. And most everywhere else for that matter. It is the expectation that this breed has a docked tail. This is NOT normal in Sweden. It is illegal, in fact. Which Andrew and I are informed of every time we go out.
You see, there is a different standard for dogs here in Sweden. A higher standard. It does not matter that Andrew and I bought a a plane ticket for our dog to spend 6 months abroad. It is of little consequence that we drove 8 hours to an airport from which we could take a direct flight for Laska's comfort. Andrew and I are horrible dog owners.
First and foremost there is the fact of his tail. The conversation is always the same. Begins with the questions "where is his tail?" We are then informed that the practice of docking tails is outlawed in Sweden. Maybe they mentioned that Kitty is a sweet girl, and the conversation ends with "your dog should have a tail."
Secondly, we do not put Laska in day care. or "hunddagis" as it is called. And it isn't for lack of availability! In a twelve block radius around our apartment there are no less than six different doggy day care options. (it is also illegal to leave your dog at home alone for more than 6 hours, so most working Swedes (a bit of an oxy-moron, I know) utilize the hunddagis. Luckily for us, Laska is never alone for that long- he accompanies me and Kitty on multiple walks a day (many trips to the dog park too) and since dogs are allowed on all public transportation here, he comes on most of our family adventures as well. We'd better be careful though- I'm sure our neighbor is timing my "Laska free" outings, and would be all to eager to report doggy negligence)
Truth be told, our pup has had a bit of a rough time adjusting to apartment life- gave us a bit of a scare last week when he wouldn't stop shaking. We took him to the vet (where we learned that the use of crates is also illegal, after asking if maybe we should put him in his crate to help him feel secure) and he was diagnosed with "stress". (I know i am being sarcastic and playful here, but we really were worried about our pup!) We came home with an electric ferimone dispenser that sends calming scents into the air, supposedly similar to what a mamma doggy produces to help her liter get along. It seems to have done the trick, Laska is a lot calmer and no longer shakes. Thank goodness, because the next option ( I kid you not) that the vet suggested was taking him to a doggy psychiatrist.
In other news, Kitty Andrew and I are all getting along very well, and fonder than usual of cuddling. Also we all crave peanut butter.
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