Bear's Story

Bear's Story June 1, 2009 It was about 1 o'clock in the afternoon on June 1st, 2009. I was at work where I control access at the main gate of a corporate business/distribution center in the Los Angeles area of Southern California. Just as I was about to be relieved for a break I notice this full grown rotty coming in the driveway like he owned the place! I stepped out to stop him and turn him around, but he walked right up to me and gave me a cursory sniff. I held out my hand, palm up, to let him see I wasn't a threat. He seemed indifferent, did an about face and went on his merry way. My relief showed up at that moment, so I didn't give the dog a second thought. We get strays all the time and it's a shame but nothing new. As I was on my break I did give it a quick thought because I had just put down both of my furkids within the previous 8-12 months, and one of them was a 13 year old rott I raised from a pup, named Max. I swore I would never have any more dogs because it was too hard to loose them. After my lunch break I went back to work and my relief said that the dog had got in past him at some point while I was gone, and was now roaming the property somewhere. I went for a walk looking for the dog but to no avail. An hour and a half later or so an associate of the company came to the gate leading the dog buy the collar. That's right, he had this big black leather spike-studded harness collar on. The associate said he found him in the parking lot and after seeing that the dog appeared friendly, he approached it and made friends. I accepted the dog from the associate and called my supervisor to let him know the dog was found and no longer running loose on the property. He said he would notify the animal control to come and get the dog.
I spent the next hour or so with him and found him to be so well tempered and lovable, that I made the decision that this animal was not going to the pound! I called my wife, who was on her way home from work already, to tell her. Well, her day had not gone well at work, and she would have nothing to do with hearing that I was bringing home a stray dog! Especially a rottweiler!! We had agreed that if we ever did get another dog it would be a puppy that we would raise together, so we would know how it was raised. I tried to talk to her but she would not give in.

In the meantime there were people coming and going through my gate and seeing the dog they would stop to see what was going on. I told them all about the wonderful temperment of the dog and tried to get someone to give it a good home. Some people were dog people and some weren't, but no-one would take him. One of the maintenance guys that had stopped and talked to me asked why I didn't keep him. He knew that I had recently lost Max. I explained that the wife was having nothing to do with the idea and I was disappointed, but what could I do? He gave me a ragging about being the "Man" of the house, and who wears the pants, etc. That got me going!

Another hour or so and naturally the animal control had not arrived, and it was nearing my quitting time. I made another phone call to the wife and she remained adamant about the situation, but I told her (in no uncertain terms) that I was a 49 year old man and if I wanted a dog, I would have a dog!! Well ladies, I'm sure you all know how stupid that was! I tried to explain that I would attempt to find the dog a good home but I refused to let him go to the pound that night. Needless to say, I spent that night in the dog house myself.

The next day at work I get this email from my wife, (which surprised the hell out of me because I didn't think she was talking to me) saying that she hoped I was happy, but she only got about 3 hours sleep because she was worried about the dog all night, and "at least she should get to name him!" That was it... he was mine! She named him "Bear"!

Is that an amazing wife or what?!!