There's nothing better then laying on the floor and being greeted by a cold nose and droopy eyes in your face. Having their wet tongue lick your cheek as you look up at them. When they lay down next to you and rest their head on your shoulder. Their soft and warm fur up against your body. Their sweet puppy dog eyes looking at you and then away, as if they're afraid that they had just upset you.
These sweet puppy dog eyes are a weakness of mine. I cannot fight it, no matter how hard I try. Putting them to bed is the most difficult. My dog gets put away in a little room between the house and the garage at night. He has his big pillow of a dog bed, food and water in there, so it's a cozy little set up, however it does isolate him from everyone else. My dog is a curious one, he's always in the middle of everything- rarely does he go off by himself. It's as if he's afraid he'll miss something by being away from the action. And he knows being put to bed does exactly that. Each night, as I open the door and gesture to go in his little room, he just stands there. Looking at me. With the big puppy dog eyes. Head slightly cocked to the side. Him and I both knowing he really doesn't want to be put to bed. He makes me feel as if I'm banishing him away from the rest of us, like I'm trying to be rid of him, even though he gets let out immediately the following morning. He just stands there, looking at me. I heighten my tone to call him in, "come on boy! come here!" as if what I'm attempting, is exciting, like he'll enjoy it. He trusts me and quickly he comes up and sits, right at my feet, tail wagging with enthusiasm, looking up at me. Sincerely he believes that he's in for a treat. I can't do it, I can't trick this innocent mind into thinking we're really going to play, but I have to. Disregarding the fact that I had just done the act of a criminal and used his utter trust towards me against him. He doesn't even know it yet. Keeping the door open, I run into the room, and as anticipated, he follows. Of course he follows, he respects me, his reliance on my integrity is abundant. Shortly after, I turn around and the door shuts, catching a glimpse of his dejected and disenchanted eyes, just a moment before.
I know it's only part of routine. He has to be put to bed every night. He knows that. So why does he put up the struggle each night? Eventually he will catch on, and acknowledge the fact that I really am doing the dirty deed of putting him away. Away in his little room where no one else will be, where he'll be alone. For the entire night. But he's a dog. Why should I feel the self guilt of doing what I, as his owner is supposed to do? Why is it so difficult for me to be disciplined in keeping him disciplined? It surely isn't animal abuse. He has a nice set up if you ask me. He should love the fact of having his own space. His own territory that won't be disrupted by anyone else.
Making my way to my bed, I say these things to make me feel better about myself. He'll love me in the morning, he always does. Dogs don't hold grudges. But yet, his sad puppy dog eyes are a vision, burned into my skull that I can't seem to shake from my conscience. I love him, I really do. Can he comprehend the fact that I do care for him, even though I shut him away in the evening? It's not like I'm having a party, and blatantly not inviting him. I'm going to bed as well. We are both going to bed, just in different spaces.
Lying in bed, it dawned on me that the longer I dwell on the fact that I had tricked my dog into going to bed, the more I question as to why exactly is he put away in his own room anyway? Why do people do that with their dogs. Is it because they are dogs that one decides they need to have them sleep, pinned up? I know people who put their dogs in kennels at night. But why?
I then realize that I am being ridiculous. My dog doesn't take the fact that I have tricked him into consideration. He still loves me, and he always will. He doesn't take it offensively, and certainly doesn't interpret my acts as being criminal. It's simply a small duty that I have, and he respects that. Soon enough the morning will come and he will see me again and realize that he wasn't banned to such an awful place, but just a temporary living quarters during the evening. He'll still love me in the morning. And with that final thought, I drift to sleep.
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