2004-03-25 1:31 p.m.

Stuff is starting to happen on the Job Front, so it's now gone from an Idea that I'll move back to the East Coast to a Possibility. Nothing concrete, but the leanings are towards the DC/southern Maryland area. Possibly even Baltimore. So we'll see how that goes.

Saturday I bought 2 Buffy books. One was "Tales of the Slayer, Vol.3." I haven't started that one yet. The other was "Seven Seasons of Buffy: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Discuss Their Favorite Television Show". That one's cool. I bought it initially because the forward is by the Man I Worship - The Ultimate Drew, more commonly known as Drew Goddard. {have I mentioned how I love that man?} So of course the Forward was wonderful, but I've also enjoyed the rest of the book as well. It was a nice break from the more strain-on-my-brain reading of "Fear and Trembling" I like reading Philosophy, but I have to be in the frame of mind.

On the home front, Randy is driving me nuts. About 3 weeks ago he began the habit of "Scent Marking". Inside. Yeah, not fun. He's always done it outside, because he's a boy dog and that's what they do. But for reasons I can't fathom, he's now doing it inside. A lot. In many fun and exciting places.

Of course the first plan of attack was to take him to the vet to make sure everything is ok medically. There, he's fine. Very Healthy. My next step? I don't know. A doggie shrink maybe? I've done a lot of reading about it and there are a couple of reasons most experts put forth. Here's the Personalized to My Situation Tonya-Speak Translation:

1) He, as the only male of the Pack (the pack being me, him, & girly-girl Roshi), has assumed the responsibility of warning off possible attackers or preditors. Kinda nice of him when you think about it, just not nice that "warning off" is done with urine.

2) He's insecure with his role in the Pack since Roshi was there first and obviously holds a place of great effection with the Pack Leader (me).

3) The apartment is more exposed to outside air lately - it's spring now so I open the balcony door all day & the windows when I'm home. This openness of air allows Randy to hear & smell the vast number of dogs in the complex and increases his feeling of needing to "protect" our den by, you guessed it, marking.

{sigh} So those are the possible "why's" but I can't seem to find a solution. And it's getting annoying spending an hour or so every night cleaning the carpet. And occassionaly the walls.

I can't fuss at him for being insecure because that'll just make him feel more insecure & I certainly can't fuss at him for acting on his inborne primal doggie instincts. On the occassions that I catch him either in the act or even starting to lift the leg, I tell him "NO" and he puts the leg down. Then he just looks at me all confused. He really is a good dog. He learned all the usual commands very quickly and obeys them when he hears them and he's just so feakin' happy all the time. The tail's always a-waggin'.