Weekends are Shiloh Time

Shiloh the Wonder Schnauser loves the weekends.

You see, that's the time this furry little dog has me practically all to herself. Unlike our weekday mornings, which are frenzied, our weekends are more leisurely and carefree.

Weekends are Shiloh Time.

We usually start out our lazy Saturday mornings with a nice walk around the block or so and play a little fetch. We catch up on all of her favorite play activities I didn't have time for during the work week. Then we run errands around town, dropping off bills, picking up dry cleaning--the usual weekend chores.

Now, I admit it, I'm one of those people who takes their dog with them everywhere in the car, so long as it's a nice enough day that she won't be too hot or too cold. It's just the way our family does things. When my dad was still ranching he always had a border collie tagging along in the pickup. Once I left for college, my folks got a black and white long-haired chihuahua named Oreo to fill their empty nest, and she now has more drive-time than a long-distance trucker. A pet who can't handle car rides doesn't have much of a chance in our little clan.

So, it's no wonder that Shiloh is my co-pilot running errands around town.

She's a regular at all the drive-in stops here in Dodge City. A quick jaunt to the local fast food restaurant for a breakfast on the go nets her an extra french fry and a pat on the head from the drive-through window jockey. I don't know what it says about my eating habits, but I honestly think she'd press the button at Sonic and order if she could only talk "human." And, you really ought to see her nose go into overdrive at the drive-thru coffee bar while we wait for my weekly coffee treat.

Another stop to pay the phone bill may leave her sitting forelornly in the car for a few minutes, but everyone inside the store has to peek out the big picture window to coo over Shiloh's wet noseprints all over my car windows. One time I caught her in the driver's seat, paws on the wheel, ready to chauffeur me to my next stop if only she could figure out how to turn the key. Patience is not on Shiloh's list of virtues.

A trip to the bank is perhaps the most important on Shiloh's list of Saturday morning errands, though. Along with the fact that it means I have money to buy kibble, doggie treats and chew toys for her for another month or so--the essentials of course--it also means she gets to make a withdrawal from her personal doggie bone supply. From her expression as the teller passes along two Milkbones with my deposit slip, it's almost as if in Shiloh's furry little brain she thinks she's got a treasure chest of a Milkbone savings account waiting for her every week. I wonder if she thinks she gets a salary with direct deposit for putting up with my silly human behavior? How would the IRS withhold her social security payments though?

There's just one thing that Shiloh hates on our weekend excursions--the drive-through car wash. The noise of the water and the movement of the machinery just terrify the poor girl. But, she hangs in there like a trooper. And, just for her, I leave the noseprints on my windows. Afterall, they'll just be replaced with fresh ones the next weekend.

If you're in agriculture and you aren't an "animal person," then you're in the wrong business. My Dad taught his children that every animal has a purpose on this earth. Our cows and livestock are sources of income and food. Our pets are sources of entertainment and unconditional loving acceptance--and on most farms they also ease the workload. We know the difference between the two types and we treat them with equal care and concern.

So, what's Shiloh's purpose--besides serving as navigator on my weekend runs? Hers is to remind me of my priorities in life every time she wakes me up for our lazy weekends together. No matter how worn out and beat down I may get during the week, Shiloh the Wonder Schnauser reminds me that I'm the center of her little doggie world. And that, my friends, is why weekends are Shiloh Time.

Jennifer Latzke can be reached by phone at 620-227-1807, or by e-mail at jlatzke@hpj.com.

Date: 2/14/06