Daffny has a regular evening time of frolicking in the lawn in front of our house. It is her routine for years now that we too enjoy her pursuit of fun and indulgence.
Th other day when the grass was cut, Daffny in the evening refused to return from the lawn. She remained at the edge between the cut and overgrown grass. I wondered whether it was a protest for the grass having been cut !
While she had a prolonged indulgence in her favourite body massage on the grass, a cat in the photo below, was watching this from near by. The cat which is a visitor to our garden, stays away from the viscinity of Daffny and Dulcie.
When we coerced Daffny to return to her kennel yard, the cat also moved away.
I found this interesting and intriguing.
Even a dog has her interests, choices and disappointments. How necessary it is to be mindful of them. Later I remembered that Daffny having noticed that the grass was being cut that morning, was barking continuously. I made an attempt to pacify her. She would yield to be quiet for a short while but would start again. Only in the evening, seeing her refusal to return the kennel yard, I realised that Daffny was emotionally disturbed that morning when the grass was cut. It looked as if she had a possessive attitude of the lawn being hers!.
While Anna was persuading her to return to the kennel yard, she licked Anna's hand and walked with her to her yard. It was her way of expressing gratitude for allowing her an extra time on the grass.
The other aspect of this event was Dulcie's behaviour from the house, while Daffny was rolling on the grass. She too barked. We usually let Dulcie too have her time on the lawn but avoid them being together as they can be rough toward each other after a while of pleasant play. Dulcie barked so much after Daffney returned to her yard that we let Dulcie have her time on the grass.
The canine behaviours reminded me of the way they communicate and reciprocate.
It is a challenge to know and feel the way how our pets behave. Often they behave corresponding to the way we regard and respond to them. I felt amazed the way both of them communicated their mood and feelings in a way that we could understand.
We had the above family of Magpie Robins take shelter in our rear veranda in the nights for about two weeks during the recent incessant rainy season. What was striking was that they stayed undisturbed when we moved about in that area to hang clothes to dry or iron clothes. In their desperate need for protection from rain, they adapted to stay instead of taking a flight in fear.
The canines with their communicating behaviour and the avians with their adapting behaviour! A lot to learn about them by observing and allowing them to be themselves!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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