Day 3837

We've noticed that Dawn is more comfortable around women than men. I guess this is understandable. When she was used as a breeding dog, Dawn was owned by two men who didn't treat her very well. Dawn is friendly with me when Janet is home, but always seems a bit nervous when she and I are alone together. Usually she will just sit in the center of the bed until Janet returns. She will let me bring her a treat, but never follows me around the house or even goes outside. It's kind of sad. I'm good around dogs and have spend an enormous percentage of the past thirty years with a Dalmatian as my constant companion. I wonder how long it will take to win her trust?

I think we are doing all the right things. I'm the one who feeds her and gets her ready for walks in the morning. We're trying to get her to associate me with positive things. Dawn is eager to follow me to the kitchen and loves to be petted when Janet is home. She's certainly not unfriendly when we are alone, just wary, like she's waiting for the other shoe to drop. You never really know what a rescue dog's life was like before they enter the adoption program. Dawn clearly loves her new life. I've rarely seen a dog so happy to do simple basic things. She must have had some very bad experiences though when she was a puppy mill mom. Some memories never fade.

I'm a patient person, so hopefully I will win Dawn's trust over time. We are already starting to see some progress. It's something to work on. Janet loves to travel and if this coronavirus mess ever gets resolved, I'm sure there will be many times when Dawn and I will be alone together. It looks like we've got a lot of time to work on trust issues because the virus keeps getting worse in Texas. It doesn't look like either Janet or I is going anywhere soon.

It certainly doesn't look like I'll be going to Florida for the Mars 2020 launch. That state has turned into a disaster. Even Texas looks good compared to Florida. I don't think people in these Southern states are behaving much worse than people in other states. The virus is just slowly working its way from state to state. Nothing can stop it. Even the smallest rural areas will be hit sooner or later.

I wonder why it is such a human thing to want to gather together? Even when I am walking in the park, I notice that people tend to like to walk together in groups. I listen to birds. Everyone else chats. When I used to go out for breakfast on Friday mornings, I was always the only person eating alone. Walking alone is lovely. I even prefer going to a movie theater alone. This is why the solution to this virus problem seems so obvious to me.  If you catch the virus from other people, just stay away from them.

Why would you feel compelled to flock to a beach, hang out in a bar, or hit the streets marching or protesting right now? The virus doesn't care what you like to do. I think I'll postpone getting a haircut for a while longer. I've still got to get groceries tomorrow, but that feels pretty safe. I've been getting groceries for months now. Nobody talks or mingles. We just quickly push our buggies through the store like masked ghosts, all looking for Clorox Wipes.

When the definitive book about 2020 is written, I think the title will be "Unintended Consequences." I'm just waiting to see what happens next.

Derrick is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day