Girl, Rottweiler x 2

Treat? Treat?

As I am well aware, but the reader may not be, there is nothing as lovable, cuddly, patient, and sweet as a Rottweiler puppy. No other breed is as well behaved, quiet, and easy going as a singular Rottweiler. Due to this jaded opinion, I have also developed an overprotective mommy streak. A mommy streak which breaks through the coffee shop window and prances around outside just to say, “Look how amazing my dog is!” Now I am under the firm impression that Moses, while being capable of much curiosity is never outright evil unless certain criteria are met. The criterion for being hell spawn includes only one variable; is his brother at the coffee shop?

Vahan 

My day at the coffee shop starts out at 6:30 am, where I open doors, clean tables, brew the house and French roasts, boil water, and do simple math equations. On a normal day, Moses looks at me with sleepy eyes, hops up on the red chair and sleeps. Or he runs over to where the treats are kept, steals one, looks up at me with sleepy eyes, races to the chair, begins to munch, then sleeps. These are regular occurrences.

Though on very special days at the coffee shop, there are two Rottweiler puppies, the hounds of hell have been unleashed. Vahan, is Moses’ litter mate and is the bigger, slinkier, thinner dog owned by the coffee shop’s owner (peer pressure is another story).  Working with them in the coffee house becomes a battle to stay aloft as puppy bodies slam into legs, chairs, couches, and whatever else they can bounce off.

This day was no exception.

It started out normal – ish, well not many customers were in that day, and it was nice not to feel hurried. Moses and I were doing what we do best; chill, while waiting for a customer. It was almost the end of my shift and I was ready to go home (my. The next shift was the owner’s and I figured, the puppies would get to play for ten minutes and I could go home and do the homework that I may have been procrastinating on.

I didn’t know a puppy marathon was about to occur.

Vahan turned the corner and Moses ran to the door, tail wagging, he looked at me, Do you see whose here? It’s bro! Can we play? Can we play?

The owner opened the door and the MMA puppy tournament had commenced. Now, when both of them weighed twenty pounds and looked like balls of fur it was fun to watch because not much damage had occurred. Seeing a puppy everyday while it grows makes one forget that they are no longer twenty pounds. Two forty to fifty pound pups slammed into each other, pushing the couch a good six to seven inches. The scrape of wood on concrete echoed painfully.

The owner grinned, “He needed this.”
 I agree that they both needed the play time together, but every time they do I get demoted from barista to puppy wrangler.

I've got your foot! 

I stood in the gap that would allow them behind the counter. When one of them was there it was ok because both of them were easy going, kind of lazy, dogs who liked to chew on toys and sleep on chairs. Now, with them both there, they had become furies.  Biting, bowing, barking, bashing, snarling, snapping, sneaking, you name it they were doing it. Rolling, racing, pause … drinking… drinking …. Drinking …. Un-pause… howling, yipping, kicking, etc. It was impressive how bossy Moses could be, while Vahan just took the complaints in stride. I could hear Moses snarl, get off! Get off! Get off! Get off! Ill bite! Get off!

And Vahan’s silent answer back was to grab Moses’ leg with his teeth.
The owner looked at them, “They’re getting too big.”

“Yep.”

I watched the spectacle. Believing that both we owners were glad there was no customers there. When they crashed into something, the owner looked at me, “I think it’s time they were done.”

“Yeah.” I nodded grabbing the leash, “Moses c’mere!”

Moses tried, I could see the visible effort, then a puppy mouth closed on his leg and the wrestling started again.

“Mo!” I called and walked out the door. Moses came, so did Vahan. Dodging one puppy while getting the other puppy out the door is a challenge. Opening the door I pushed Moses outside while using my body as a barrier to keep Vahan inside. I squished myself out the door, closing it as I did. Vahan sat on one side of the door, Moses on the other. Vahan scratched at the door, begging to go with his brother.

“No, you stay here.” I heard the owner say. Vahan went over to him tail wagging.

Moses pranced right out to the car. Wagging his tail, acting as if he hadn’t been a child of Satan a few minutes before.  I opened the door and he jumped in and scooted over to what was now his seat (it had been my ex’s). He curled up and rested his head on the divider between the two front seats and let out a sigh.

That was fun! Why’d stop? Wanna play more!

I got in turned the car key and drove.

I realized when I got home, I had forgotten my tip.