Basil strikes again...
So I've been taking Basil to this great dogpark if Westerville, OH, called the Bark Park. Generally the people and animals are friendly and it's important for me to keep Basil social and well adjusted, especially now that he no longer has a playmate at home. I've taken him to this dog park twice so far, and he's been great. He enjoyed meeting new people and dogs and was very well behaved.
Of course, the third time is the charm, isn't it?
So Jen and I load Basil in the car and follow my friend Chris, who has her gargantuan Shepherd/Doberman puppy. We get to the Bark Park and both dogs are really excited. Basil is freaking out because he's so impatient and needs access to all those people and dogs immediately or else he's going to pop like a stinky balloon. I open the gate, unleash him and he starts running around sniffing butts. He makes some friends and plays chase and gets petted by lots of pet owners who think he's the cutest thing they've ever seen. He's really, really excited. In fact, he's so excited he runs up to Chris and pees on her leg.
That's right.
Pees on her.
We're shocked. He's never done anything like this before, and Jen and I are mortified. Chris isn't terribly happy either, as she just got urinated on. Basil runs off and periodically tries to pee on one of the people pictured on the right, who squeal and giggle and sidestep him. Thankfully they find it an amusing game more than an annoying dog trying to pee on them. Since he can't pee on them, he comes back and pees on Chris again. People squeal and laugh and I just turn red in the face. I'm so embarrassed. Before I can decide what I should do, he runs up to Jen and pees on her. More giggles from the peanut gallery, and now both the people I've come to the Bark Park with have been doused with his own special Basil cologne. Thankfully he now decides he's done and begins running and playing again. He pees on a tree for good measure, but at least it's a tree.
It's very cold outside and people have been peed on. I'm debating whether this trip to the Bark Park has been a good idea or not.
My nerves let up a bit as he seems to be avoiding public urination pretty well. This is, of course, when I look away in time for him to run up to some guy I don't know and cock a leg.
Everything moves in slow motion. My eyes slowly grow to the size of saucers. I say in a deep, faraway voice, "Nooooooooooooooooooo!!" Jen turns in slow motion. a stream or urine creeps out, it's target locked. It's like that scene from the Matrix, only Neo doesn't dodge.
It is done. I can't make it stop now. There is urine in a wide arc across the back of this guy's leg. He's not sure what happened, and only knows that Basil is doing something behind him. He shakes his foot a little. Then the pee soaks in. The man begins furiously shaking his leg now. He looks mortified. Disgusted.
Not amused.
I grab Basil and say loudly, "Time to go home!" I leash him and quickly drag him to the car.
I think if we're going to keep bringing him to the dog park, he's going to have to wear diapers.