Aristotle Looking For Cuddles
I thought I’d start today with a flashback to Aristotle looking for cuddles. This was terribly sweet from 2015. He’s still very cuddly, but doesn’t make the mistake of trying to get into bed with Shadow now.
Exclusion Zones – 2015
When it comes to other dogs I need my space. To be fair I need my space with pretty much everyone except our Mistress and I can’t get close enough to her. I’d cuddle her all day if she’d let me. Shadow is more aloof than I am. She gives out a whole aura of needing space. Mostly she sends out a message of a meter wide exclusion zone that it is not permitted to enter – except by our Master or Mistress and then only on her terms and at times she allows.
Ari needs to be close. He needs to be close to other dogs, he needs to be close to humans… all the time. He does not have an exclusion zone. Every so often his need for closeness can cause serious problems. If he tries cuddling up to me I tend to move, unless I’m feeling really sorry for him.
Aristotle Looking for Cuddles from his Mum
Yesterday morning things went a bit wrong for him. He wanted to cuddle one of us; I’d said no, our Mistress was working, so he went to try to get into bed with his mother. Shadow was having a nap and was a little out of it. She didn’t realise he was just going to have a cuddle and flew at him in quite an aggressive manner. Ari was mortified.
It isn’t nice when anyone launches a flying attack on you, but when it’s your mother and all you were trying to do was snuggle up to her it is particularly upsetting. When she realised her error apologised and gave his ears a special wash before moving to the settee so they could snuggle up and go back to sleep. It’s funny how such an undemonstrative dog as Shadow can have children that are so cuddly and loving. It’s times like this that I think he misses Megan the most.
Having started looking back on Aristotle I also liked this from when he was just a youngster. He would have been 5 months old in 2012 when Alfie write this.
Aristotle’s New Collar – 2012
Ari is feeling very pleased with himself and to be fair I do have some sympathy. He has his first brand new collar. Until now he’s had my puppy collar as a paw-me-down. It has already been mine and Shadow’s so by the time it got to Ari it was a little worn and the bone pattern had faded from going through the wash.
My Mistress said he was old enough to go to choose his own brand new collar so they went to the pet shop. He’d never been to the big pet shop before. He was so excited. When he got out of the car he barked at all the cars and my Mistress was starting to wonder whether it was such a good idea. She sat him down and explained that wasn’t how to behave and to be fair he took it on board and walked demurely by her side until they got into the store.
Then he discovered just how wonderful the pet store is. A lady came to stroke him and say how beautiful he was and one of the lovely men serving in the shop came and brought him a biscuit. He was beside himself with delight. That was before he even got to the stand with all the collars on.
Trip to the Pet Shop
Unfortunately the collar stand is right next to a toy stand. How do you get a puppy to concentrate on choosing a new collar when he is faced with rubber chickens, fluffy ducks, pretend bones , Frisbees and bones? He kept tugging at the lead saying ‘Can I have this one?’ pointing to a pig that reminded me of my old favourite pink squeaky pig. In the end my Mistress got his attention for the collars. He chose the purple spotted one. It was very diplomatic of him to choose on in my Mistress’s favourite colour. That puppy will go far. He put it on as soon as he got home and I have to say it really does look very smart.
That’s more than enough for one Friday. Have a lovely day.
Love
Wilma