A Weekend With Dogs

Sophie

I spent the weekend with my sisters, all of whom have dogs as pets. Coming from my home where cats rule, it takes a little getting used to having dogs around me again.  

First there is the welcoming process. Unlike my cats that will raise their heads to check out who has walked into the room, and then return to the task for which they were rudely interrupted, Sophie & Bixby greet me at the door, barking and circling around my feet.  Bix, the older of the two, barks at me warily. Somewhere in our past interactions, I have offended the little guy and he has not yet forgiven me.  Then there is Sophie. She is a squirming ball of gray curls that has endless energy and affection for all.  Unlike Bixby, her bark is more of where have you been, I’ve missed you. Her over the top welcome will continue until I finally pick her up and allow her to smother me with doggie kisses.

A home with dogs always has a feel of perpetual motion. There is the constant going in and out of the house; always on the pretense of relieving themselves although I secretly think that it is a dogs' way to monitor their territory more than emptying a full bladder. My cats have a morning burst of energy that gives way to hours of sleep. Dogs seem to live in reverse, hours of play with short burst of naps.

Then there is the noise. Those two dogs make more racket than all eleven of my cats together on a bad day. Dogs bark when they’re happy, sad, lonely, and contemplative, the pitch may change but the sounds are always the same. I admit that I am overly sensitive to barking but when I think about how dogs use their voice as a way of socializing, I have to admit that it a much better alternative to the butt-sniffing, yowling ways of my cats.

Dogs make you feel like their world revolves around you contrary to cats who think the world revolves around them. I cannot take the cats for a walk outside; much less get them to wear a harness and leash. A car ride with cats is a form of masochism and not for the faint of heart.

Would I trade in my cats for dogs? Not on your life. I rather like their independence. I suspect that their loyalties are sometimes based on who provides them with the best living arrangements and given the right conditions, they would abandon me in an instance. They might not jump for joy when I walk into the house, but they let me know in their own feline way, that I am part of their world.