RW and their Pets

[Gator]

Question for married men and married RW in the category of what should I do?

My Moscow woman wants a dog when (I no longer say if) she moves to America. 

Okay, I love dogs, and thank God she does not want a cat. 

She explains that she wants an Old English Dog.  I have no idea what the breed is.  She shows me one.  It is a Great Dane!!!   

So I make my objection known.  She lets me know that she is serious.  She later shows me her photos from her childhood, and there she is at 6-yo with a Great Dane towering above her.

After researching the breed, I learn that they make excellent house pets.   Never knew that.  Maybe for a castle, but she and her grandmother (who raised her) had a Great Dane for several years in a Soviet apartment.  Even took the dog on the train to their dacha, and he sat on the wooden benches like a human, albeit a rather big human.

Dogs have been in my life since time began.  Yet, I like the kind which do not need a front-end loader to pick up their droppings.  What to do? 

So far I have diverted a confrontation by convincing her the children should take full responsibility for the care of the dog, and thus they get to choose the dog.  Something tells me the kids will be imprinted with the idea of having a Great Dane, pardon me, Old English Dog.  This "battle" is far from over.

I am thinking about saying, "Choose: Porsche or Great Dane".  But I know that answer.  "You can afford a Porsche!  Good, now we can have both.  You make me so happy." 

[KenC]

Gator!
Man, I gotta teach you everything!?  First off, you do not want a dog at all.  Got it?  But you are willing to compromise as long as it is a small dog.  Great Dane?  You gotta be nuts to have a dog that big!  Or just buy a saddle.
KenC

[neo]

Gator

Labrador puppy

Never met a woman who could resist a golden lab puppy.

[catzenmouse]

I don't know, maybe we should all chip in and buy her that Great Dane! Would be quite funny to see that big dog running down the street with Gator flying like a kite behind it...

[KenC]

Gator,
Here you go.  Tell your sweetie that it is a miniture long haired Great Dane.
KenC

[Vaughn]

Yet, I like the kind which do not need a front-end loader to pick up their droppings.  What to do? 

Make her happy. The SnuggEase™ dog diaper is our highest quality pet diaper, featuring the Cinch-Lock Tail Anchoring system which prevents the diaper from leaking around the dog's tail and also gently locks the diaper on the dog.  Four layers of absorbent protection will keep your pet and your floors ultra-dry! If you are looking for the best quality diaper, here it is.  Colors Available:  Navy Blue.

Gator, it's available in XXX-L @ 26.95, washable. Who'll be doing the laundry
in your household?

[Turboguy]

Maybe get a Pekingese and a set of coke bottle eyeglasses that make it look immense. 

[jb]

OMG~!   I gotta teach you guys about dogs too?  Unbelievable~!!!

Dog lessons tomorrow guys.

[Vaughn]

My dog days are history - for Elvira, the best dog is the
one someone else owns. Terribly allergic to them.

[Gator]

Yes, a Lab would be a great dog.  Does she know a black lab?  Yes, this is her mother's lab, Lada.  Babushka paid $1000 for the dog (it has won several blue ribbins in moscow shows).  Actually, I am amazed at the quality purebred dogs that I see parading around apartments.

However, a Black Lab will not do it for her.  And a Westie will not do it for her either.  She wants a Great Dane.  And when watching TV or reading the paper, I do not want a dog looking down at me.

The issue:  your wife wants something, the price is affordable, but you do not want it.  I did not see this covered in KenC's successful marriage thread.  There is some psychological connection to her happy little girl days.   She is not as stubborn as some RW are described, and she likely will compromise in some way.

My strategy is to hold off on the dog for a while and then start bribing the children to choose something more acceptable.  A dog does become a part of the family and we all should be happy with it.

[Gator]

Vaughn,

That would be some sight.  When in Iran in the 70s the nomads would bring their camels to the city with diapers.  Were they concerned about decorum?  No.  They sold the dung to homeowners for ther rose gardens. 

Not much later, the horses in NYC and New Orleans had diapers.  When I was a little kid I recall being fascinated by steaming "road apples" on a cold winter's day.  So maybe a Great Dane would also take me back to my youth.

[BillyB]

Gator,

If you want to talk your lady out of a Great Dane, send her these articles.

One Great Dane kills a woman.

http://www.chako.org/dogblog/forums/257/ShowPost.aspx

Another Great Dane shoots his owner in the back.

http://pets.netscape.com/story/2007/08/07/great-dane-accidentally-shoots-owner-in-back/

Using Google and media articles found there, you could get people paranoid about anything.

[Rvrwind]

Dogs have been in my life since time began.  Yet, I like the kind which do not need a front-end loader to pick up their droppings.  What to do?

This is the one thing you should make her most aware of & she may change he tune & accept a more resaonable sized mutt.
I don't know about where you live but where I live if you walk your dog & he takes a dump you are required by law to clean it up, if not you can bet you will be reported by a passer by, hence carrying a plastic bag in your pocket becomes routine. In Russia they do not do this. They dump where they please & the owners do not clean up after them.
Myself I would stress that if she wants this "horse" she will be responsible for it & she will clean up after it, whether that be at home or out for a walk. I think a vision of carry 5 kilos of crap around in her pocket while walking the dog will conjure up visions she won't want todeal with.
In the west we take responsibility for or pets, at least the majority do. In Russia its a free for all & this change of events may be enough to persuade her that following her dog around in high heels & a wheelbarrow & shovel isn't as much fun as she pictures at present.
Just MHO.

[wxman]

Get her this dog. No longer will people make insulting comments about being a MOB in front of her, or other comments about where she is from. Instead all comments will be about Fluffy, your new dog.

[acrzybear]

Only a 150lbs?  My guy weighed 185lbs with minimal fat   I could leave the doors unlocked all day long knowing that nothing would be taken

[Shadow]

Don't get any ideas looking at my avatar. 

If you want a dog, a Great Dane at least can be called a dog. If you really have a problem with it she might settle for an Irish Wolfhound.

Combining a Rottweiler and a RW is not a good idea. Either they will spend all day looking at each other with a fierce look, or they will unite and send you out of the house.   

[Mir]

If she was Ukrainian maybe  she would have settled for a pig

An Extraordinary Event for Charity Pig Parade

 
Pig Parade is an annual charity arts festival organised by Kyiv socialite, restauranteur and wife of star Dynamo player Vladislav Vashchuk, Margarita Sichkar, which raises money for disabled and homeless children through the auction of ceramic pigs illustrated by celebrities. Now in its third year, the idea for the event first came to Margarita after witnessing similar parades abroad such as the International Cow Parade. After a little research she found out that various countries have similar parades which include animals as diverse as bears, camels, kangaroos and many more. Margarita thought the idea would do well in Ukraine and found the choice of subject animal easy as Ukrainian’s have always had a fascination for the pig.
 

 
“The pig is the most symbolic of animals for Ukrainians,” she explains. “Salo is our pride and it is impossible to have it without pigs. In many cultures the pig symbolises wealth and prosperity and the Ukrainian people have always had a deep fascination with the animal.”
Margo has developed something of a reputation for her charity work, and the Pig Parade is her most successful project to date. Starting out in 2005, when she did all the work herself, the Pig Parade proved very popular amongst Kyiv celebrities. “The pigs we received for auction illustrated the life and nature of the people who donated them, and this is what gives them their value at auction. The value of each individual pig depends on who donates it, the signature and the way it is dressed or painted. In that first year we helped paralysed children by providing them with special beds for swimming pools,” she says.
The following year, the Pig Parade had a subheading, “Dreams of Childhood’, where artists from the Art Blues gallery such as Medvedev, Shereshevsky and many others attempted to illustrate the childhood dreams of celebrities on pigs. “This project was a lot of fun and proved very successful. Oleg Blokhin was dreaming to be the driver of a bread truck, Masha Efrosinina wanted to be a figure skater and Assia Akhat dreamed of being a ballerina. The money we raised this time went to building playgrounds for children’s homes,” Margo comments.
When auctioned, the pigs can raise substantial sums of money. Margo An Extraordinary Event for Charity Pig Parade says: “The price for our pigs at auction start around $700, and the most expensive pig so far has sold for a staggering $50,000. In total we have raised more than $180,000 for underprivileged children.”
This year the idea is to create an open air festival where everyone can participate. The pigs, which will eventually be auctioned, can be bought for $2,000 and then the individual can do whatever they want with them to create their own individual art item. “All the pigs will take part in the competition and the ten best will be chosen. If collecting your pig proves difficult don’t worry, we will bring it to you. Whether your win or not, everyone’s pig will be shown in Arena Entertainment and all visitors will be able to view your masterpiece for one month,” says Margo.
Margo believes that this years event is going to be more massive than the others, and she is ready and willing to involve as many people as possible. To make it all inclusive, there will be special internet voting on the Pig Parade website, and one pig will win the Internet Prize. “I have so many ideas! I’ve already created images for my friends who will buy the pigs. Some of them don’t know what to do when they’ve got their pig, but I will help them with ideas. I would love it for everyone sinvolved to be as creative as possible so we can make some true works of art.”


Natalia Marianchyk

RE: http://www.whatson-kiev.com/index.php?go=News&in=view&id=2907
 

[wxman]

Don't forget, pigs taste good too. Nothing like a fresh ham!

[Shadow]

If she was Ukrainian maybe  she would have settled for a pig

Crazy Bear you have a mission 

[aikorob]

Gator,
At least yours wants a real dog---N. has been making it pretty plain that she wants a Chihuahua

[jb]

My wife's baby is a toy poodle.  She spends more on dog grooming than on herself.  Big mistake.  The only saving grace is that poodles don't shed hair on everything.  My gun dog, a lab, sheds so much hair that every time I empty the vacuum cleaner I have enough fur to build another dog.

[Gator]

Aikorob,

You have my sympathy.  Shadow will now come after you for that comment.  However, after insulting Crazybear, the police will not be on his side.

When checking in for a flight from Moscow, one teenage fiancee had her "rat" with her in a cage.  She had tears from saying goodbye to her mama, and I suppose the rat would help her forthcoming adjustment.  I did not know one could take a small animal onto a plane.

It could be even worse.  A UW I dated had both a cat and a rat.  The rat ruled the roost (see below).

JB,
Toy poodle, eh.  That is my general impression of RW pets, something prissy.  Why a Great Dane?  I need to spend some time around one I guess and not hold any prejudices.  Do they slobber? 

[Admin]

My wife had a German Shepherd while in Ukraine for many years. She left him behind when she came here, and we 'replaced' (as much as it is possible) with a black lab puppy. The lab was a great dog for her - energetic and playful and loving. Sadly, he died abruptly one night when I was on travel. He was 1.5 years old at the time, and it is surmised he had some kind of genetic heart defect. He never once showed any sign of any problems - and the day he died, he had been vigorously swimming in a nearby pond.

An interesting note - there is a smallish dog which Olya has wanted for a long time - a French Bulldog. It seems they are frequently bred in Ukraine and then shipped to the US. The cost for this breed in the US is pretty steep - maybe $1500 - but in Ukraine, they are (of course) much less. Since the baby (Katya - who is turning 4 soon and no longer much of a 'baby'), the motivation to get a puppy has diminished - although it seems to be returning a bit - this time, so that Katya will have a puppy playmate.

- Dan

[Gator]

Mir,

Surely you jest about the pig.  Pigs would not do.  Nevertheless, she has also said that we need to buy a goat because "American milk is not good".  Although she is a trueblooded Muscovite, she claims to know how to milk a goat from summers at a "country house".

I explain that our homeowners association probably forbids a goat.

"But you have pigs." 

"Those are wild pigs and some are boar".

"So".

"Anyway, a goat may graze too close to the water and a gator eats him." (actually my pond is small and large gators move on after a few hours, leaving it to the 4-footers).

"That is why we need a large Old English Dog (Great Dane)."

Dumbfounded, I wonder if she had scripted this, knowing I would be led into a corner.  I hope she is not that clever.


"My Golden Retriever 'Ben' was never attacked by gators."

"Then why did you lie to me about the goat."

......I did not remind her that I have not yet filed the K-1 petition.  Do RW rationalize for fun?  Is it their culture?   Or do they really believe it works?

[Gator]

Should I send her this photo of my mixed Golden Retriever Ben?  He was a real weenie:  one day while digging after a mole, the mole bit him on his snout.  He immediately "submitted".  Maybe another photo of Ben would be better.

Ben is my image of a dog.  Not for protection or show, just a good companion and a gentle member of the family.  Shedding is a problem, but I have the same affliction.