'When Mall Cop is There'

There he stood in his black regalia, overlooking the crowd, watching out for ‘him’, his adoring fan, his overbearing, annoying, 55-pound cousin: our 6-month-old 'infant' male retriever! He was never quite sure what to expect from this newest member of the family. ...  At 3 years old, standing 10 inches tall and weighing 20 pounds, this diminutive apparition - Mall Cop - knew and understood his mandate: to protect his baby sister, also, a 6 month old 'infant' but weighing only 12 pounds, from this lovable 55 pound menace of the ‘yard’. He is Mall Cop, after all, a name coined by his doting parents!

Mall cop, my 3 year old ‘grandson’, a Pomeranian/Terrier mix, is a force to reckon with, a solitary man, whose view of the world is simple: "Mess with me, squirt, you mess with me". ... Any attempt to thwart his authority will be meted out by a growl, a chase, a few well placed nibbles, in rapid succession. In his world, size does not matter. He is, after all, Mall Cop, a security unit of one. My husband and I have been the owners to a host of retrievers for over 40 years. Our pet family has now grown to include Mall cop, and his sister -Miss E.- a mini schnauzer, the other 'infant' in our family. ... (10 year old kitty cat just sits, watches and waits for the energy to dissipate knowing Mall Cop is there.)

Babysitting all four dogs brings new meaning to chaos. With a mix of genders, breeds, sizes, ages and personalities, every day is a chaotic reminder that Mall cop is near to help ‘mind the pen’. My initial fear has now been replaced by mind numbing fatigue! Each pup brings new meaning to love, warmth, humour and a strict adherence to protocol. ... Our 6-month-old male retriever spends his waking hours, walking and licking, in air-biting play, while wiggling to the absurd. He is our Mr. Wiggles. His playmate, his petite 6-month-old mini schnauzer cousin, engages with him in seeming mindless play, every which way, with the many rubber toys/ squeaky balls that lie in wait for their playing enjoyment in the yard. She snaps at her cousin's attention- if taken too far. What lady wouldn’t? Then enters, Mall cop, her brother, a lovable man of mystery, reason and action. “Enough, already” he seems to say. “Unhand her, sir”, he continues, as our 6-month-old retriever touches his little cousin, momentarily, in biting play. The animation stops, suddenly, when ‘The Law’ appears reminding all that the final decree rests with me! ... As night time approaches, however, quiet time is announced. Exhaustion has arrived for animal and human alike. Morning will soon be here and the mayhem of a another day will begin, with Mall cop on duty, once more. (The oldest, the 74 pound, 5 year old female retriever, is disinterested with all she sees and leaves all to their own personal trials and daily dilemmas.)

It is chewing time, now, a moment replayed over and over again. It is a time of co-opertive play and teeth cleaning/gum massaging. ... All were busy. Suddenly two new tapered antler bones, of different sizes, were introduced into play. ... These objects of chewing delight became the most sought after instruments of chewing 'candy' and desired by all. ... (These elk and deer antlers are well known today for their chewing safety and health benefits, with added minerals.) . ... Four dogs, two bones, made the next scene rather challenging. Brother was paired with sister to help diffuse the tension, while waiting in line! ... With a room full of objects to chew, it was a crisis for these furry little creatures when only two 'choice' antlers were available. Eventually, each duo  had their allotted chewing time with the gum massaging, non-splintering, mineral based delights. A quiet time unlike any other! ... I was witness to an amazing feat of self control from the doggy world! Not a growl, toothy grin, snap or gnashing of teeth from any of these energetic, bone loving creatures, as each waited for their turn at the chewing carousal. Give them what they need! ... They will give you what you want!


Knowing and understanding the quirks of my furry children and grandchildren helps in my role as doggy day care provider. Insecurities and uncertainties help create the doggy dilemmas we encounter. In working with dogs, consistency and boundaries are imperatives in helping them develop into well adjusted lovable family companions. In our case, no matter what, Mall Cop is there!