Our two dogs and both Anna and I are senior citizens, living with good deal of understanding and support to each other.
Daphne behaves temperamentally like a senior citizen with subdued agitation or discomfort, unlike her youthful days when she would protest loudly and sometimes defiantly.
During her morning walk this morning, she quietly slipped to drink water from the bird bath when may attention turned to the bird movements in the adjacent bush. I said, 'no' to stop her from lapping water. She moved away. Her body movements with the tail, down gave me a signal that she did not like my interference to stop her from drinking from the bird bath.
Daphne slowly walked towards the front door and sat there with a glum look. When I said, 'go in to her kennel yard', she turned her face away from me and kept sitting without her usual gestures of communication. I got the message that it was her reaction for being asked to move away from the bird bath.
I let her sit, while I continued by tracking of the bird movements. After about three minutes or so, she got into the kennel yard and whimpered a bit to let me know that she was inside her yard.
I get amused and touched by her silent protest, strong enough to convey her displeasure and disapproval of my behaviour towards her!
I feel Daphne is more civil than me, when she is upset !
When I went towards her after a few minutes, she wanted to be stroked and stay near me!
There are times such as this, when the canine behaviour is an example to emulate!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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