Sometimes it’s hard being a dog in a human world. The rules are all so different to our natural situation and some of that is a good thing and some of it is very confusing. It only really works if humans take the time and have the patience to work with us so we do understand what is ok and what is not ok. There are four of us at home and we all do our best to fit in but some things are instinctive and they aren’t always the good things. I know when I squeal because something hurts that Ari doesn’t pounce on me because he doesn’t like me specifically. It’s just that deep down his brain is programmed that way. It’s one of the things that our Mistress is going to discuss with the behaviourist who is coming to see us on Saturday. I have a ‘victim complex’. I don’t mean to, but somehow I give off signals of being weak and it just becomes cyclical. I like spending time with Wilma because she simply takes care of me and is rather like my girlfriend Bella in that regard. We are creatures of habit too. I know that the alarm goes off at 7am and that the first thing in the day is that I get taken out and fed. The problem now is that if our Mistress wants a lie in I just start barking in her ear until it’s impossible for her to do anything but get up. She’s pretty annoyed when she does, but that doesn’t stop me. Even though I am bottom of the pack I still see it as my job to cover the scent of where Shadow pees and take care of her. She was the first one I was responsible for looking after and I’ve always taken that duty very seriously, even though in the event of a problem she is way more scary than the rest of us put together. I’m struggling to understand why I can’t sleep on our Master and Mistress’s bed at the moment as I usually do. Apparently it’s because our Master has had an operation on his foot, but I find it all very confusing. I need the rules to be the same all the time really, otherwise I get disorientated. I did have a lovely swim yesterday. It’s funny when you think back to how much I used to hate water, now I feel safer there than I do going for a walk. I get spoilt too, which is always good. Wilma loves coming to watch too, which is fun.
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Hi Alfie
I take my job of being Kathryn’s alarm clock seriously too.
She doesn’t seem to like that I bark at her until she’s made it down to the kitchen to get me and Sasha’s breakfast.
She especially doesn’t like it on the weekends for some reason. I don’t know why she doesn’t want to get up at 5.30am everyday.
Love,
Addie
I had to start barking in preparation really early today as well. I was hungry. You know what it’s like. Your Mum and brother say hi too.
Alfie