You might think that Shadow was a particularly bright dog, or you might think she was a few chocolates short of a box. She is housetrained, well sort of. She has understood that there are a limited number of places that it is acceptable to go to the toilet, but she hasn’t understood that as a dog these do not include the bathroom. It may be that she has joined in with the plea for an inside toilet for the dogs of the house and in the face of refusal is simply using her power to force the issue. The Mickey Mouse bath mat is less than happy with the current arrangement. Poor Mickey has, on many occasions found himself with a dog squatting somewhere about his person. It’s ok if the back door is open and Shadow is downstairs and the weather is fine. However, rather than asking for the door to be opened, every so often my Mistress catches Shadow trotting off upstairs. It’s ok when she hears her bound up stairs. They are the times she can call her back and force her out into the back garden. It’s the times that she doesn’t hear that are the problem for the poor mouse. Shadow has even worked out how to push the bathroom door open if my Mistress has carefully closed it, such is her desire for privacy and comfort.
My maternal grandparents are coming to see us later, so I’ve told Shadow that she must be on her best behaviour. I think they’re really coming to see how our building work is progressing, but getting to see us is obviously a bonus for all concerned. I just hope Shadow remembers not to share the bathroom with them while they’re here. That could be a bit disconcerting for all parties!