Ok, I admit it, I don’t think of my dog as a canine. I think of him as a person. To me he is another one of my children. MumblesMom introduced you to my little guy, Riley Roo, earlier this year.
Much to the chagrin of my significant other I let my black lab sleep on the couches or wherever he is inclined to lay his head at any moment. (If you interpreted this as “she lets him sleep on the bed” you are correct.) I allow this even though I spend a fortune every few months having my furniture professionally steamed cleaned. I just don’t think that because he is a dog, and sometimes stinky in a way that only dogs can be, he should be relegated to the floor. I don’t understand why his comfort should be considered less important than mine or anyone else’s. My conscious mind knows that he is a dog, but my heart says something different.
Riley looks at me when I talk to him. Yes, I talk to my dog. He cocks his head to the side as though he is thinking about what I am saying and I swear he answers me. He rarely barks, but he makes a string of noises in response to my words. When I am having a bad day, he senses it and he will rub his head against my hand. His eyes take on a soulful look as if he is offering sympathy.
I find myself trying to interpret his doggy dreams. You dog owners know what I am talking about. Legs moving as if they are running, little whimpers or growls escaping from their throat, eyes twitching. I wonder if he is running with the other dogs in the neighborhood or chasing a squirrel.
I find a ridiculous amount of pleasure watching him play with his bone (He flings it around, then “stalks” it as if it’s prey.) Riley can bring the whole house to fits or laughter to the point of tears when he gets a hold of a simple cardboard box. He gets his head stuck in it, shakes it off and throws it around, then tears it apart. The night he found bubble wrap was particularly hilarious. He would step on it and then look around trying to understand where the popping sounds were coming from. This provided us all 20 minutes of side-splitting laughter.
Although I don’t carry pictures of him in my wallet, I do occasionally forward emails of his pictures to friends and family. To all of you who have received such emails, I hope you don’t mind.
So I love my dog. I find comfort and humor having him in our home.
I do draw the line at one thing.
I do not kiss my dog on the lips.
Dog-themed Gifts at Whales & Friends
Tags: black lab, dog, pet
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I loved this story because I finally found someone like me.lol My dog is a black cocker spaniel named Brody and is very calm and doesn’t take up with people very quickly, especially men. I have had him from birth(Nov. 8, 2001) and I don’t consider him as anything but my friend and companion. He gets all the attention from my roommate and misses both of us until we are both home safe and sound. He is my life as I am almost 65. I do have children, grandchildren and other family and we are all very close, but they have their and I have mine, so brody gets anything he needs or wants within reason(health). I lost a dog comapnion of 12 years not too long after Brody was born. Had it not been for having Brody, I would have been depressed a lot longer than I was, which was quite a while. And yes, I let him lick me on the face and I do kiss on the mouth, nose and head. I love him so much and can’t imagine life without him.
Thanks for your story. I am glad you shared it, because it makes me feel a little more normal.lololol