A Dog's Love

Our Husky, Simba, is confirming something that I had suspected but perhaps didn't want to admit.

Lately, he's taken to following me just about everywhere and laying down near wherever I end up.  And if I can't find him near me, I can usually find him near my bed.  When he needs something, he comes and "tells" me, usually by barking and then looking in the general direction of what it is he's "talking" about.  Typically there are 4 things he's trying to convey:

1. The dog food bowl is empty.

2. The water bowl is empty.

3. I want to go outside.

4. There are dishes that I can lick in the kitchen and you know it.

All of these behaviors point to something I'm kind of shocked by.

I'm the grown up.

You know what I mean, right?  When we were kids, and we had dogs, they enjoyed playing with us or going for "walkies" with us, but the truth is they knew where their bread and butter came from -- our parents.  It was my parents who held the real responsibilities and could be counted on for consistently meeting their needs, and they KNEW it.  They liked us kids, but they loved my mom and dad.

So now I'm the one that is trusted and looked to and, in a way, beloved.  I've never truly had that with a dog until now.  Interestingly it endears him to me more, and I find I like having him around more than I used to.  Just tonight I was getting some work done on my laptop in the bathroom -- Noelle made me keep her company while she bathed -- and in came Simba.  He curled up on the floor between me and the tub, which is something I never could have predicted.  He was just happier because I was here.

You know what this means, though, right?  Now I have to deserve his love and respect.  A little less mocking, a little more walking -- I need to become the person he might actually think I am.

No pressure.