My husband doesn’t get out much, but he enjoys following Comet’s secret life
Our dog goes exploring, while Todd keeps track of him with a GPS device
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When we got our goldendoodle, Comet, as a puppy almost 13 years ago, my husband, Todd, walked him around our property line to train him to stay close to home.
After Todd became unsteady on his feet, he tooled around our yard on a scooter with Comet riding between his feet. And when Todd mowed grass, Comet rode between his legs on the mower deck. As Todd’s ALS progressed, he wasn’t able to get out of the house much, and Comet became his office companion for much of the day.
Comet is my husband’s buddy.
I usually let Comet out of the house before getting Todd out of bed with the overhead lift and he will come around the house and peer in through the bedroom window, or he will lie down in front of it, listening for us to finish.
When we leave the bedroom to roll down to the kitchen for breakfast, Comet comes to the patio door to be let in, and then takes his place next to Todd in the dining room. After breakfast, Todd tells Comet, “Let’s go,” and Comet trots down the hall to Todd’s office, stopping every 10 feet or so to look back and make sure we’re following behind.
Comet’s tale
Todd Neva mows the grass, while his goldendoodle, Comet, enjoys the ride. (Photo by Kristin Neva)
Several Christmases ago, I bought Todd a pet camera/treat dispenser. It’s designed for people who are at work to view their pets and remotely give them treats.
Todd will be in the room with Comet, but he uses the app on his phone, mirrored to his computer, to give Comet treats. After I set Todd up at his computer, Comet comes alongside him and stares at Todd while wagging his tail until he gives him a treat. They both seem to enjoy this.
Last Christmas, I got Todd another dog-related gift: a GPS tracking device for Comet’s collar.
Since we live in the country, Comet, along with a number of other dogs in the neighborhood, aren’t tied up when they are outside. For the most part, they stick close to home, but Comet’s territory is fairly large because between our property and my mom’s next door, we have more than 30 acres. Some of it is field and some of it is woods. We’ve often wondered where Comet goes when we let him out. We know he doesn’t usually go too far because he comes when I call, but sometimes we see him on the far side of my mother’s field.
Last week, the snow on Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula finally melted enough for Comet to wander, so I activated the GPS tracker. Todd logged in and we watched the screen with curiosity as Comet went exploring. The collar tracked him as he made his way through the stand of Christmas trees near our home. He stopped long enough in one place that I wondered what he had found, hopefully not something stinky. Then he made his way around the pond, past my mom’s house, and then looped back to our yard.
Todd is tethered to his computer most of the day, so tracking Comet is a way to expand his world just a bit. We’re both fascinated by watching the secret life of Comet.
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