Tank & his new family return to good ol’ St. Lawrence N’hood

We’re back in Toronto as the week comes to an end and Thanksgiving looms large. It’s good to be back in our St. Lawrence Neighbourhood. The Lake Erie cottage was a wonderful break and a time for us to create our own dog pack with Tank, Daisy, Paulette and Frank.

That succeeded, even though Tank was so focused on me I thought he might burn a hole in the back of my head from his gaze.

The Tank Report

On the return trip we thought of buying some turkey or something similarly Thanksgiving-esque for Daisy and Tank. Paulette and I are vegan.

However what they’ll get will come from a big bag of kibble that contains organic duck and non-GMO, non-wheat  grains, garlic and veggies.

Daisy thrives on it, Gracie did before her or on something similar, so did Harry and so did Lucy and so did Huebert before him…and you get the picture.

This will be a considerable difference from Tank’s usual fare under the loving ministrations of his recently deceased owner Danny and best-friend Kevin and Tank’s many admirers and friends who passed on morsels to his appreciative, handsome face.

But Tank is up to it, finishes his bowl and looks up with praise in his eyes, standing patiently while Daisy finishes her bowl and allows him a lick to make sure none was left.

He now jumps up not only when I move from one place to another in our home, but also when Paulette does. That happened rather quickly, considering his sole fascination with me just yesterday. We have become his pack. Paulette of course is a natural at that so it’s no surprise that Tank caught on so quickly.

Walking to the park at Sherbourne and The Esplanade was like an admiration society for Tank. Several times cars riding by stopped and hailed Tank or asked us, “Is that Tank?” before offering him a cheery greeting. A number of people walking by also asked after him.

Kevin was down the street when our new 4-member pack left our front door and discreetly nodded “hi” to us but made no motion to catch Tank eye. Kevin is a sophisticated dog owner and handler, often has a very happy pack on leashes with him (many belong to friends) and Kevin always has easy control over each individual dog.

In his pack, even when it’s just a visiting pooch, each dog knows and honours Kevin as the leader. So Kevin wasn’t going to interfere with his dear departed friend Danny’s treasured pet’s readjustment to a new home.

Mankind has always had an alliance with dogs and wolves because they are pack animals just as we are. We call ourselves “social beings,” but “pack animals” fits just as well.

We have learned from Kevin that Tank isn’t just a pretty face—and he definitely is that, with a sleek black coat that Pet Cuisine’s staff and wash facilities on Front keep sparkling—he’s also a bit of a judge and jury.

I learn from Kevin that Tank has a few things that get his “Irish” up. Perhaps that is inherited from Danny, an Irishman.

One thing that will set Tank off is the sight of a boxer, says Kevin. Another is a jogger running by. More about in a moment because we’re going to test Tank’s jogger tolerance in abundance on Oct. 19. Mark that date.

Now the sort of boxer that stiffens Tank’s collar is the 4-legged sort. The sort of jogger is the 2-legged sort. So Tank is a guest of honour on Oct. 19 as the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Assn. (SLNA) hosts its annual cheering section at the Flatiron Building as part of the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon.

Those cheering sections are competitive events as various neighbourhoods on the route of the famous marathon host their own sections and displays to cheer on the marathoners as they run the course.

Make sure you have a copy of The Bulletin’s October edition because Page 5 is a full pullout of the entire route map of this historic event.

Tank will be there. Daisy will be there. Paulette will be there. I’ll be there. You must be there.

See you there!