Dog Blog: The life of a Fuzz Man, aka Fuzzy

Our neighbors Gary and Stacy Kummer have a 10-year-old apricot toy poodle. He is true to the toy portion of his breed — he weighs 7 pounds and likes to be held like a baby tucked in your arm, on his back, face-up, head dangling down over your arm. The head dangling calms him; looking at the ceiling instead of the floor is very relaxing. His size lends itself to that all too familiar doggy Napolean “little dog complex,” growling and barking furiously at other dogs.

From Chihuahuas to great Danes, no dog is granted immunity from this little big guy’s wrath. He does, however, love people and is very friendly around them. So if you are visiting the Kummers with a dog, dress it like a person.

This little big pooch’s name is Fuzzy. He received his name as a result of all the indecision and analysis going on as to why to give him a certain name.

Stacy thought a name “should mean something,” but Gary became impatient and named him liked he looked. Stacy wanted to name him Theo because she thought he looked like the original teddy bear popularized during Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency. Roosevelt gave the Teddy Bear its name. On Nov. 14, 1902, Roosevelt was helping settle a border dispute between Mississippi and Louisiana. During his spare time he attended a bear hunt in Mississippi. During the hunt, Roosevelt came upon a wounded young bear and ordered the mercy killing of the animal. The Washington Post ran an editorial cartoon created by the political cartoonist Clifford K. Berryman that illustrated the event. Berryman’s original cartoon depicted the bear as a fierce bear that had just eaten a hunting dog but had to change it to the tiny cub it actually was.

It is obvious that the dog would become Fuzzy and not Theo. He did, however hang on the furiousness of the original Berryman cartoon.

He has several call names all of which he recognizes: The Fuzz Man or BoBo are Gary’s call signs, Fuzz Butt or Fubu are Stacy’s call signs. Their daughter, 5 at the time of his acquisition, to this day wonders why she didn’t get a say in his naming.

We are all concerned about our pooches’ nocturnal habits. One of Fuzzy’s is romancing his stuff toy Elle. Elle is twice as long as Fuzzy so he has quite a job to do before going to sleep. He is also quite a dreamer. The Kummer’s assume he is a dog rock star with all of his paws waving around as if playing a guitar while he is asleep.

He has his own attitude and a lot of it — such as the sideways look that clearly says, “I am mad at you.” Or the raised eye brow glare that says “I am getting ready to go on the floor take me out now.” The whole family knows his looks and what they mean.

Like many families, they have become somewhat transient in these tough economic times, and have had several housing changes, so when they get out suitcases for whatever reason he assumes there is a move coming and he lies in them, sleeps in them, and sits in them until they are put away. If they try to take him out of the suitcase he growls at them that “I am not moving again,” and thinks, “If I stay in here they can’t move.”

He is getting old and cranky. When he is comfortable, he does not want to be bothered, but when comfort time is finished and petting time begins, he must be constantly petted. When he wants attention he will sit next to one of the Kummers and nudge them to pet or touch him. Often, they get tired of petting. If they stop, he just nudges again and again. As long as they are touching him, he’s satisfied.