Anxiety and Hats

Having a number of dogs in the home is an ongoing adventure in my life. They are always happy to see me come home and are a well-behaved lot in general.

However, once in a while something goes wrong and one of them gets it in their head to have at some object that belongs to its humans. Sometimes it’s a sock or a shoe other times its something a little more significant.

For instance — another of my cowboy hats became fodder for the dogs. I still don’t know it came off the hat-rack, but what I do know is it ended up in the back yard — ripped to shreds.

I also lost a Marine Corps cover I had managed to hold on to since before leaving the service.

Often when something like this happens, people will say, “Well, one of them must be mad at you.” But I don’t think this is the case.

It’s more like an anxiety attack on the part of the animals if they are left alone too long. A good example of this is Roxy, our pit-bull, who was locked in an apartment bedroom for hours on end as a puppy.

When I leave the house, I believe she recalls this situation and responds by stealing something and using it to relieve her sense of frustration. And that’s how my hat ended up in the back yard.

In the end I forgave her for chewing up yet a third hat. It was either that or turn her into a floor mat for my pick-up truck.

Jus’ kidding — this time.