A month after I moved to back to NC, I took Abby on a shopping trip to Petsmart. The Petsmart I go to is located by the intersection of Capital Blvd. and Milbrook. The complex where it is located is a shrine to the big-box stores. I know a Lowe's is there but can't recall all of the stores in the complex. It takes me about 15-20min to get over there since I live a few miles away inside the Beltline.
I thought this would be a great opportunity to do some shopping for the babies, buy them some toys and tooties while spending time with my Baby Girl. Andy wasn't invited because at the time, I viewed him as my mom's dog. Andy wasn't that close to me at the time either so he often didn't care if I took Abby somewhere but left him behind. He was happy to hang around my mom, kick it by the pool or take a nap with her.
Abby enthusiastically climbed into my car since she loves going bye-bye so much. In the winter time when I shop, I'll often leave her in the car since the temperature isn't high and she won't overheat. On a trip like this in the middle of a hot late spring day, there was no way I'd leave her in the car. I was excited I could take my Baby Girl with me, and I thought she would be happy as well.
However, when I put the leash on Abby, led her out of the car and headed towards the store. We happened to see a Boxer leaving the store while we were still in the parking lot, but I didn't think much of it at the time. Abby sniffed around the grassy islands in the parking lot and lollygagged around. I didn't think much of her taking her time to go in. However, the closer to the door we got, the slower she went to the point that she was no longer in front of me as she usually is when walking but right beside me. When I crossed the threshold to the store, Abby outright balked at going in. I kept telling her to 'come on baby girl, Get in.' Finally, I had to tug on her leash to get her inside.
Abby did a hard left once we were inside towards the fish tanks. Again, this was odd behavior. I had taken her to this store a few years before and she loved the place. We walked down a few aisles when Abby did something completely out of character for her: she pointer her rear at me and let a few blobs of shit out. Abby knew going to the bathroom inside was a no-no. Abby also had excellent bowel/bladder control. I am speculating here, but she knew that going to the bathroom inside would lead to an immediate trip outside. She used the bathroom in that store so I would grow agitated with her and take her back out.
We didn't stay at the store long. We made a bee-line towards the exit, walked back to a grassy island so she could finish off what she had started. Nothing…. She didn't have to go. This was further evidence that her going to the bathroom inside was her way of communicating with me. Her message was : get me the hell out of here!
Later, I told my mom the whole story in even more detail described above. When I mentioned seeing the Boxer, my mom said 'Oh, the last time Abby was in that store, she saw a boxer in the check-out line. The boxer started growling and biting at her and Abby bit her back."
"I'll be damned," I thought "maybe she remembered that boxer from the previous time she was at Petsmart and was scared that she was going to have to get into another fight." I don't doubt Abby remembered that incident. I also think her using the bathroom inside in that manner was a message to me. She had her ways of communicating with me and was smart as a whip.
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