Our dog Barney probably sleeps when we’re away. When Ceil is gone he mopes. He likes to perch on the end of the downstairs bed, where he can look out the window for dogs and squirrels to bark at and to know when Ceil comes home. Other times he lays on the cool floor in the family room, head pointed toward the foyer so he can look out the windows for dogs/squirrels/Ceil. When he spies a dog being walked Barney will run to the window and bark.
If he knows Ceil is not with me sometimes Barney won’t even leave the bed to greet me. Usually when I come in the door from work he will walk across the room to greet me, but if Ceil is cooking in the kitchen he’s usually there checking the floor for scraps. Usually we’re pretty good about not feeding him from the table, though sometimes Ceil and Anna give in. Barn-o has gotten in the habit of taking long drinks from his water bowl, Lapping and lapping for what seems like an eternity, drinking up all the water in the bowl at one time.
When he eats Barney will take a bite and walk around the room, crunching all the way. Sometimes a kibble or bit will drop out of his mouth, making his territory. Later I’ll point out a piece of food to him. He’ll sniff around and sometimes lap it up, but just as often he’ll walk away.
As I’ve mentioned in the past, I’ve never seen a dog watch TV as much as Barney. He knows certain commercials just by the introductory music. He’s always on the lookout for dogs to protect us from. He also doesn’t like any kind of violence. He’ll growl and leap at the TV if we don’t restrain him. Good thing our new TV sits slightly further back. I’ve watched the movie “You’ve Got Mail” so much he knows to look for Joe Fox’s dog Brinkley.
Barney loves it when I go into the foyer pantry and emerge with my beloved hot air popcorn popper. He perks up and follows me to the kitchen, especially when I turn it on and the corn starts to pop. He positions himself in the best places to be able to catch the pieces of popcorn in his mouth in the air. When his hair is shaggy and blocking his view he has a harder time. Then he stands close and snaps at the popcorn as it passes his face, before it hits the ground. I also leave a handful of unsalted popped corn for the counter to toss to Barney. When I hit the couch to eat my share he keeps his eyes on me, lest I drop a piece for him to gobble up.
For control Ceil takes Barney outside using the gentle leader leash that wraps around his nose, which he detests. Once back inside with the leader removed Barney will rub his nose on the sofa, and roll around on the floor rubbing his nose with his front paws. When I’m home he only comes to me with his most forlorn look, the telltale sign he needs to go outside. He knows I don’t bother with the gentle leader, instead using a regular leash.
When I stand to walk to the door Barney obediently heels, following alongside and just behind me. I open the door and he’s out in a dash, with me in tow. Once outside he’s more calm. Usually I give him time to poke around to make sure he’s finished with his business. If we’re at the top of the driveway near the street I’ll run him down the driveway. As he makes his turn into the garage I’ll drop the leash and let him run to the back door. Then I’ll remove the leash before opening slowly opening the door. When it’s wide enough for his snout to peek in he’ll bolt in, opening the door the rest of the way with his body. He’s excited because he knows it’s time for a treat. Again he will heel as I walk to the kitchen. As I reach into the cupboard for his treats he’ll slowly approach. Usually he’ll sit without having to be asked, ready to shake hands to earn his treat. When he gets it he heads over to his bed and crunches it up there.
Barney dislikes the wood floor in our dining room. He’ll stand in the living room without crossing the threshold like Shoeless Joe Jackson in Field of Dreams. He sees us walk into the kitchen but instead of following takes the long way back through the foyer, where the wood floors have area rugs. He takes the steps upstairs three at a time, bounding up the stairs past any unfortunate soul in his path. He scrambles downstairs just as fast.
Sometimes at night after a long day Barney will decide it’s time for bed – and head upstairs by himself and jump into bed while we’re still downstairs. He will lay down facing the door, waiting for Ceil or me to join him. His favorite spot on the bed is at the foot of the bed on my side, directly under the cool ceiling fan. When we first got Barney I would come to bed and try to move him out of my spot. Every time I’d tug on my collar he would growl. We quickly corrected him of his behavior.
When the bed is unmade Barney will leap onto the high bed and roll around in the pillows and sheets, growling and barking to himself in joy. If I approach to rub his belly he’ll playfully snap at my hands – always gently. While we try to sleep Barney will lay at the end of the bed, on watch should any enemies attack. His heavy panting shakes the entire bed. Not sure he sleeps while we’re in bed. He wakes us up when he scratches, which also shakes the bed.
Sometimes at night Barney will quietly hop off the bed and sleep downstairs on the couch, mostly during the winter months. Maybe my snoring is too loud. Often he sleeps on his back with his feet in the air. When I come downstairs and he’s all snug on the couch, he often won’t move even when I turn on the light. Only after I rub his tummy and start poking around the kitchen will he quietly hop off the couch and stroll into the foyer, to bolt upstairs to take my place in bed next to Ceil. There he will grind his head into my pillow and make himself comfortable.
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