Every few years, I invite readers and colleagues to contribute guest columns in the series Technology and my Hobby/Passion. Over a hundred contributed in the last decade on their birding, charities, cooking, music, sports and every other passion, and how it keeps evolving with technology. Click here and scroll down to read them all.
Kicking off this decade's series is Bonnie Tinder. Bonnie is the Founder & CEO of Raven Intel, a peer review site (similar to Yelp! or Glassdoor) for Enterprise Software Consulting. After spending the past 2 decades in the HR Technology space, she started her business in 2018 to give software customers a way to a well-informed decision in an implementation partner. Her hobbies include figure-skating, traveling and music. She lives in Chicago with her husband, 14-year-old son and dog, Grommet, who she writes about in this post.
Dogs have always been a part of my life and have brought much joy and adventure, especially our current dog, Grommet. Our last dog was my husband’s. He was a sweet, shepherd-coonhound mix rescue pup that looked like he belonged in the back of a pickup truck. He adored my husband, and well-- tolerated me. Several months after he died, it was my turn to pick the next family pet. As luck would have it, this was right around the time of the Super Bowl, when Budweiser released this ad:
That commercial was the beginning and end of my dog research (not just a little ironic given that the company I founded is all about informed-decision making and peer reviews!) But that commercial pulled at my heartstrings and it was settled—we were going to get a white Labrador retriever and I would train him to be just like the service dogs I had always known labs to be and name him Grommet (a perfect companion name as my son’s name is Wallace. BTW, Brits would spell him Gromit) Little did I know the adventures we would have in store, and what having this dog would teach us now 6 years later. Here they are the day we got him.
From the day that Grommet bounded on the scene in June, 2014, things haven’t been the same—quite literally. The day we brought him home, Grommet’s first order of business was to find a tiny tear in our wallpaper and rip the whole panel down, because, who needs wallpaper? Then there were shoes, and remote controls and just about anything that could be reached at dog-eye level. We promptly enrolled in puppy training, then obedience classes, then repeat obedience classes. I was told by the experts that Grommet was a tough training case that would require a lot of ‘consistency and direction’. (That is a gross understatement--I think Cesar Millan himself would struggle with Grommet.)
Technology & Training. We sought technology to aid in training, and purchased the “SportDOG”, an electronic dog collar and remote, which essentially allows you to send a vibration or electronic beep for a correction in addition to a command. This worked especially well at first, when we remembered to charge the device and when he was wearing it, or when we were at the lake and wanted him to have a greater range of freedom. We also found a lot of helpful training tips online—and the dog health forums have been especially helpful to make sure we know what to look out for when Grommet has eaten something (for instance, Googling "Is hair wax harmful to dogs?” and search results have been especially helpful recently.)
He helps remind us that stuff…is just stuff. Like many dogs, Grommet loves to counter surf for food, chew shoes, leather belts and leashes. If that were the extent of his appetites, Grommet-proofing our home would be easy. But with his astute nose and spirited curiosity, pretty much nothing is off limits. This summer before a birthday party, he found a wrapped children’s gift of Play-Doh I had placed by the door and ate 3 of the 4 containers. A few weeks ago, I had left a package of 8 candles on the dining room table—and came home to find only 4 ½ of them. I am no detective, but.....
He’s devoured Christmas stockings (full of candy), a teeth whitening kit (including the blue light contraption) and more shoes than I can count. Originally gift-wrapped for a kid’s birthday party—but Grommet found it first. Notice 3 of the 4 Playdohs were untouched, but the purple was a no-go. Every time (after we are mostly sure he is okay) we get upset, but his big, sad black eyes and remorseful act make it hard to stay angry for too long. In the end, we’ve realized that the ‘stuff’ is all replaceable.
Having Grommet has helped us expand our "network". In addition to his other talents, Grommet figured a way to break through our fence into our neighbor’s yard, then into their house via their dog door. There was nothing like getting a ring at the door from my neighbor bringing him home after he had eaten their dog’s food--in their house! (When we were telling that story at our neighborhood Christmas party this year, another neighbor told us that Grommet had also made his way into their home as well!) Since then, we’ve gotten a new wrought iron fence and he hasn’t escaped since (fingers crossed.)
Grommet is a curious and energetic animal. In his first 2 years, I never saw him sleep. Add to that, his insatiable love of carbs and wanting to retrieve everything--and it’s about like having a pet racoon in the house. We hoped that his ‘puppy’ stage would end at age 2, or when he was neutered. Not so. At 6, he’s just as crazy. But, his antics provide an endless supply of entertainment for our neighborhood and my Facebook feed, and as my husband always says—‘he keeps us grounded.’ Anytime we start to take ourselves too seriously, his unrelenting, magnetic white dog hair all over our clothes helps us keep any ego in check.
He’s taught us to take a break from working. A year and a half ago I started my own business, which meant many hours working from my office in the guest room, and the local cable provider as my IT Department. When the internet inexplicably went down and no amount of resetting the router would restore the connection, we were stumped. The mystery was quickly solved after a trip outside and seeing the series of muddy holes in the backyard. Grommet had decided to dig up the buried cable and chew through it, which left us off-the-grid for a week. (It is bad enough getting Comcast out when it’s their issue, much less when your dog has chewed through the wires!) Between needing regular walks and attention, he makes sure that we don’t sit for too long (or spend too much time on the internet.)
He’s taught us that the small things are the big things. Grommet has been an expensive dog, but has taught us that the best parts of our lives don’t cost anything. It’s the simple dinners at home (reminding him not to beg at the table), and the car rides with the top down, and trips to the lakefront--even the daily walks around the block in the Chicago winter that have you complaining the whole time--that make up the best part of our lives.
Having a dog like Grommet reminds us that despite the frustrations (and chewed up shoes and internet cables) that we need to be loyal to our family and friends, forgive-and-forget and enjoy their company for all the time we have. (And, maybe that we need to re-enroll in dog obedience classes.)
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