Dr. Jasmine and Mrs. Hyde

Our Boxer, Jasmine, is just a wee bit on the crazy side.  She has two distinct personalities: inside dog and outside dog.

When Jasmine is inside the truck or house, she is the picture of sweetness.  She looks at me with love, waiting for the merest suggestion of command to do my bidding.  Words that come to mind are: calm, attentive, obedient, and good-natured.

Inside dog: "May I help you?"

When she is outside, Jasmine is the picture of demented craziness.  She pulls at the leash as if my very presence is toxic and also goes deaf the minute the door is opened.  Every sound, shadow, and smell is of the utmost importance to her and requires her immediate attention.  Words that come to mind are: spastic, psychotic, possessed, and attention deficit order.

Outside dog: "Chase all the things!!"

Jasmine will chase anything, including birds that are flying, the shadow of herself on the ground, and tree stumps that look threatening. In South Florida recently, she discovered lizards. They were everywhere; in fact, Florida may have almost as many lizards as old people. Walking down the sidewalks in Sarasota, she was more spastic than usual as lizards scurried about in front of her.  I'm surprised her little brain didn't explode with all the things that needed chasing.

She may not remember sit, stay or who I am while we're walking, but she knows where the lizards live and this bush will never be the same:

She attacked that bush every time she got near it after seeing lizards run into it once.  Twenty years from now, that bush will be gone and in its place will be a condominium for old people (Florida's largest commodity besides lizards) and Jasmine would still stare intently at that very spot where there was once a lizard. 

Hopefully the old people won't mind being stared at by a crazy Boxer.

If only Jasmine could use her laser-like focus for something other than chasing lizards, she could probably do great things, like fix the economy or make me a sandwich.

No matter what she does though,
that face is hard to resist.

But I *would* like a sandwich.