Catherine has developed a new behavior.
Begging at the table
We do feed Catherine dog-appropriate human food from the table. A surprising number of things are okay: Pineapple, banana (she loves it!), mango… (mango?), and, of course, peanut butter, when I make my daily PB&J.
She does beg for food, dog-appropriate or not. I don't mind discreet begging, but I've been dissuading her from growling or whining, with a stern "No!" and further words to the same effect, in a slightly milder tone. She's been listening, too. This dog either understands my words or is preternaturally attuned to my tone and focus.
Something different
Lately she's been behaving. She'll sit up and look at us, in the pitiable way that says she's being starved, and can I please, sir, have more? Then she lies down at our (my, usually) feet.
Today, after a bit she went to her bed behind me at the dining table and sat. (She has two beds. She is a czarina, after all—in her own right, mind, not as second fiddle to a male.)
She started growling again, looking at me. She wasn't growling for food—I could tell. So, what for? What about? I turned around and petted her, stroking the fur behind her ear. She didn't pull away from me, and started sighing. When she wants something specific, she'll pull away from me when I try to pet her. (Unless I start massaging her neck. Then she waits a moment.)
I stroked her head for a moment, then turned back to the table.
A few minutes later, I heard snoring behind me. She was stretched out on her bed, sound asleep. She was still there, in the same position, an hour later.
She popped up a minute or two ago. She growled, I petted her, she sighed, I turned back to this post, and, no more growling. More or less the same behavior. And, once again, asleep.
What am I to make of this?
I have thoughts, opinions. But in adopting Catherine, a seven-year-old bulldog big for her her breed (allowing her to adopt me, really; all I did was treat her in the style to which she was entitled)—I went way past beginner dog owner, through intermediate, advanced, and into expert. I get by by consulting her fan club—a Facebook Messenger group of selected, tolerant dog-forward friends, and by paying very close attention to her wonderful veterinarian. (Her vet, despite some worrying recent lab tests, has been happy with how she's doing.)
Anyway, I have my opinons, about what she's begging for, why she's begging.
But I'd love to hear from my more dog-forward friends.
Please post comments! (Log in—I really want to know who you are!)
Thanks for reading!
