Duke is a very self-confident dog. What do I mean by that? I mean that he owns the house and usually, he thinks it’s okay if we live here too. It is a most generous attitude, though I suspect much of it is concerned with making sure he gets fed. No matter how high his confidence, he still lacks thumbs.

The other morning, I felt a firm kick to my shoulder. The Duke had moved up to the top of the bed and was doing his best to move Garry and I out of it. He apparently needed to stretch out. He could have easily done that at the bottom of the bed which was unoccupied since Garry and I are short. I suppose he felt he should be able to sleep at the top of the bed because that was where we were sleeping. If it was good enough for us, it would be good for him.

Or, maybe he just likes pushing us out of bed. For a medium-sized dog, he’s got some serious power in those pointy paws.

He has no hesitation about pushing us out of the bed, making sure there’s more than enough room for him to have the middle of the sofa, or knocking my hands off the computer — which my computer doesn’t like at all. He objects to my using the computer because it takes up too much room which otherwise he could use for his afternoon nap. This would be the nap following his long night of sleep and his other naps.

Around noon — give or take an hour — he gets up and heads for the kitchen. He jumps up and down and begs for cookies. Then, if he sees me going out to feed the birds, he pushes past me in the hopes of getting to chase a squirrel. The squirrels are nowhere near when he comes out. They hear him and jump off into the trees, but he loves running around the deck, sniffing squirrel scent. I think it’s his version of perfume. He wouldn’t know what to do with a squirrel anyway but oh, that smell!

After this, it’s time for another nap — rapidly followed by the high point of his day, supper!

Sometimes, he brings us toys and balls to throw, but he only brings them back when he feels like it. He expects us to throw it and if he doesn’t feel like running after it, we should go get it and throw it again. Maybe he’ll go after it. Maybe not. You’d have to ask him why he brings us toys, waits for us to throw them, then just sits there and laughs at us.

I’m sure he has a reason. We just have no idea what it is.

Categories: #Photography, Anecdote, dogs, Humor

Tags: #Photography, Duke the Dog, humor, Marilyn Armstrong