Adventures in Dog Sitting: So Long, Mickey (Part 4)

Amy Tokic
by Amy Tokic
All good things must come to an end. Mickey takes his leave, but leaves behind a little something to remember him by!


Mickey has been our house guest for four days, and now it’s time for his dad to come pick him up. I’m going to miss the little stinker… but not manly bathroom habits. He’s a lovely little derp and one can’t help but become attached to him. The house just won’t be the same without his snorts, snores and farts.


Related: Let The Fun Begin


Mickey says:


Oscar and I are now bound together. No two dogs could be closer than me and my BFF. When he barks at an ominous baby carriage across the street, so do I. When he runs under the couch (I’m guessing, to hide from those evil baby carriages), I follow. And when he cowers in the corner of the couch (Damn you, you four-wheeled, diaper-smelling harbinger of hell!), I protect him with my body.



Because we are so close, I feel comfortable decorating my fort with all of Oscar’s toys. One by one, I take them out of the bin and arrange them according to the ancient art of Fung Shui. Ah, I can feel the good vibes all around me.


As for the Amy lady, I am so happy I got the chance to let her rub by belly. Man, is she ever good. She must have a lot of practice. You know, I’m pretty sure she’s going to miss me. Like, a lot. So I’m going to leave her something that will always remind her of me. But I’m not going to say what… or where… it is. That would ruin the surprise!


Related: Mickey Makeover!


Oscar says:


Don’t let the door hit your furry butt on the way out. Wait… where did he go? Mickey? Come back! Was it something I said? (*Sniff.)

Amy says:


With Mickey gone, a massive clean-up had to be undertaken. There was white fur on every surface, and I wanted to do a thorough cleaning of the floor. Since Mickey left late on Friday evening, post-puppy cleaning had to wait until the next day.


I awoke with the morning sun, ready to get my Mr. Clean on. There’s not much natural light in my place after 4 p.m., so I leave the shades drawn most days while I’m away at work. This morning, I opened the curtains and let the sun flood in… to reveal the true level of Mickey destruction.


As per Mickey’s modus operandi, he has piddled in places I hadn’t noticed, due to lack of sunlight. Mirrored bar: pee around the legs. Hallway: pee on the closet doors. Spare bedroom: more pee in the far left corner. Not a huge concern – that’s why I have hardwood flooring.


Before Oscar came to live with me, I was the proud owner of a cream-colored sectional. That didn’t last long A.O. (After Oscar), so I invested in a dark gray custom slipcover, which happens to be one of the smartest buys I’ve ever made. When I took off the slipcover to wash and rid it from its layer of white fur, I noticed another of Mickey’s parting gifts for me – he had peed on my couch. No wonder Oscar refused to sit in that spot! Since I have no idea how long it had been there, I’m not sure if it had soaked into the cushions (which don’t come off – damn you, modern design!). But I scrubbed it with Borax to get as much as the smell and stain out.


The last surprising pee stain I found blew my mind. Mickey had actually peed on my TV speaker! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not surprised that he marked something on a cabinet – it’s the location of said ruined speaker. Mickey must have shimmed up the edge of the IKEA Billy bookcase with all the inner-thigh strength and stamina of a 50-year-old stripper in order to mark the TV speaker. It boggles my mind how: a) He got up that high to reach it; and b) Was able to simultaneously lift his leg to pee on it. Seriously, Cirque du Soleil needs to hire this dog immediately.


Now that my house is clean (to my knowledge), I’m second-guessing the addition of a new dog. I still browse my local shelters, looking at all the super-adorbs pups, but now that I’ve seen what an extra set of paws is capable of – and Oscar’s obvious dog snobbery – I’m not 100 percent positive that a second dog would be a good move for us.


Hey, Oscar… how do you feel about a kitty sister or brother? Just a thought…

Amy Tokic
Amy Tokic

Amy Tokic, Editor of PetGuide.com, is a passionate animal lover and proud pet parent of Oscar, a Shih Tzu/Chihuahua cross, and Zed, a Japanese Chin. Her love of animals began in kindergarten, when she brought her stuffed dog Snoopy into class with her every day. Now, she writes about her adventures in pet ownership and tirelessly researches products, news and health related issues she can share with other animal enthusiasts. In her free time, Amy loves perusing used book and record stores, obsessing over the latest pet products available and chasing squirrels with wild abandon (a habit attributed to spending too much time with her pooches).

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