Be With Me

When I drink my early morning coffee, I watch my 2 dogs interact. They are more entertaining than any TV show I’ve ever seen. And I learn more about relationships than any psychology course I’ve ever taken.

Angelo the older one knows the house rules. Valentino the 13 week old puppy, doesn’t care about the rules. He just knows if he breaks them, he will get his big brother’s attention. Angelo is a rule follower and he wants Valentino to do the same.

The morning energy level is dictated by who gets up first. If the little one wakes up first, it means he is ready to start the day and it’s puppy playtime. If I wake up first, it means Valentino will be let out of his crate and he will go back to sleep on his pillow on the floor. He will want Angelo to be with him on the floor with him. The two of them are inseparable.

The funny part is watching the puppy manipulate the situation to get what he wants. In a perfect puppy world, Valentino would love to join his brother on the couch. But he can’t quite make that happen yet. Valentino has figured out, that Angelo will do whatever he wants to, just to get him to stop being naughty. When the little one claws at the couch, the big one will jump down to put an end to the mischievous behavior. Valentino instantly stops destroying the couch, snuggles up to his brother and they fall asleep together on the floor. Mission accomplished.

When my husband brought Valentino for his first day of puppy kindergarten. The field trip ended with a trip to the ice cream stand. Chris got Valentino a frosty dog treat. He told me he brought one home for Angelo. My obviously insightful husband said, he didn’t want Angelo to smell it on Valentino’s breath. It makes me laugh that we both try to be in tune with these 2 fuzzy creatures.

When we brought Angelo into our home 2 years ago it was instant connection and companionship, for us. I thought we did the same for him. “Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.—Roger Caras. Aparently that saying is true for both species.