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(above) Tyler knew trains went through town all the time, but had
never seen the cabose in the park before.
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Rusty got the scooter ready
Leash, water bottle, MP3 player, camera, hat, sunglasses...
Rusty admired the
Pride Celebrity X
from Modesto Mobility. It was
like a sports car for old fat guys with bad backs and torn knees. To
Tyler it was a gift from Heaven. It made Rusty feel like he was 10
years old once more.
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"Hey Tyler!"
Rusty called. Wanna
go for a electric scooter adventure?
Tyler was always ready to go scootering with his master Rusty. As
soon as Rusty got out the special retractable leash the young
shepherd was excited.
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Rusty went to get Tyler.
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As soon as they started to move Tyler
was a happy dog. Trotting next to his master was the high point of
his day.
Rusty was proud of him, too.
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Tyler's most important job
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Marking territory
On the way off the property Tyler had
to stop to perform his daily job. This was serious business so
let's take a moment to understand it.
Living in the country meant that wild animals prowled about day and
night. There was a fox, raccoons, possums, feral cats, hawks, and of course
rats & gophers.
When the pasture was lush hawks patrolled it to grab up rodents for
tasty meals. They even eyed Rusty's cats when they were young
kittens--but they'd never dare to attack one when it was grown.
Feral cats were a serious problem
Un-neutered
male cats living wild became large, powerful, and
desperate hunters. Year after year they snuck around outside the
house at night trying to steal food from his cats. The cats
protected their home but suffered bites that became infected.
April-May 2023
Rusty paid $600 in vet bills when an aggressive
feral cat bit each one of his 3-cats. Dusty ran up a $300 bill
because her wound required an overnight stay with surgery to debride
the infected area. In July Tyler joined the family to protect the cats.
That truly was his job, the reason God sent him to live with Rusty.
The German Shepherd peed and pooped the length of the driveway each
day.
No feral cat had been seen near the house since Tyler came to live at Cat & Cactus
Heaven. All the wild animals were too scared of the droppings from
this great canine warrior.
They did not want to meet that dog!
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(above) Tyler leaves a message outside the old kennel that now had a
fox living inside. His message was
"I'm Tyler and I own this
territory. I am the protector of Racoony, Dustball, and Bobcat."
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The scooter drove OK on the orchard
path
It was with great relief that they discovered the orchard path was
packed smoothly and firmly enough to support the electric scooter
so Rusty could take Tyler to his favorite place to watch the
sunset.
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Practicing dog commands
"Sit"
"Stay"
"Down"
"Stay"
And then the release command "OK!"
Rusty was beginning to wonder if Tyler was simply learning to pose
for photos.
He certainly was well behaved when the camera was on
him.
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They scootered to a park where kids
practiced soccer.
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Tyler wished he could be released from
the leash
He'd run like the wind to show those little kids
how to play with that ball! "
Oh yes! Bouncy ball!"
he thought
to his dog self.
But Rusty shook his head and mumbled
"Unh - unh".
Tyler would
require months of training before he could be allowed off leash.
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The Oakdale Santa Fe park
Tyler saw a big, noisy fire engine
roaring away from the Fire Station.
The firemen waved to him.
Tyler didn't know what to think because he didn't know what fireman
did or what fire was.
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Tyler did know what grass was!
Grass was one of Tyler's favorite
things. He'd roll around on it until he was in a dog state of bliss.
Most of all he enjoyed thick, cool grass.
Soon enough it was time to head back to Cat & Cactus Heaven.
Tyler was well exercised; so he was happy. Rusty was delighted that
the new electric scooter was so much fun for both of them.
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More adventures of
Tyler the Wonder Dog...
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