LIVING LIFE

I would like to think that I am smarter than my dog. I can accept the fact that Bella can outrun me, outstare me, and that she can grab a sock and hide it before I even realize it is missing.

Our dog initially learned that if she tapped the string of bells on our back door, we would take her outside to “do her business”. Bella quickly began refusing to go outside unless she was given a treat. So basically we became “treat hostages” in order to prevent her from having an accident inside our home.

It did not take long before anything made of paper in our home became her property. Bella learned to stare directly in our eyes, giving us her unmistakable “take no prisoners” look when we attempted to retrieve these items. As a result, we learned to offer a highly valued snack and say “Want to trade?” in an attempt to demonstrate our willingness to negotiate.

The evidence shows that I am not smarter than my dog, but at least I am intelligent enough to know who is in charge.

And that it is clearly not me.