Friday, April 17, 2015

The Attack Of The Goat-Dog

All of the sudden...


OOF!


Rack, the faithful McNab Superdog decided that he wanted UP!

It wasn't a case of gimme that iced tea, he never even sniffed the glass.  I think he just wanted a bit of attention.

That's a good thing.  He's a beta-dog, toward the back of the pack.  If I laugh too loudly, grumble at someone, boom too loudly - you get the picture - he's off and hiding somewhere.

I'm loud, grew up in an Italian family.  It's part of that.  I'm also tall, as you can see, so there's a Boom or a resonant ring to the voice.  I've been told I have a command presence, and that has served me well.

So Rack, the meek and quiet, follows me around.  Good!  I'm glad for it.  Happy to oblige.  In fact when he's not nearby things don't feel quite as good.  We've bonded, and as such, I do make an effort not to boom as much.

The phrase Moose Walking On Eggshells comes to mind.

It's a new thing for us.  He's not really a lap-dog, McNabs aren't known for that.  As a rule, they are affectionate and gentle creatures.  He will go and say hello to people, and especially other dogs.  But after the meet and greet is over, he'll curl up nearest to the highest ranking dog in the pack.

Beta-dogs, especially fearful ones, don't climb on their alphas.  It's unseemly.  So this is a new quirk.  Normally he will drape himself over a leg and look up at you with twin brown soulful eyes and let you know that it is your place to make things right simply by being there and accepting him.  No matter how you feel, that melts your heart, and your hand goes over to his head and gently pets him.

After that, if there is room, he may pull himself beside you.  Never overstaying his welcome, he'll be there for a couple minutes as if to check to see if he's welcome, making sure his place is secure.  He will later go to one of the mats for a nice lie down, usually right next to my chair.

Of course this is where my hand will usually drop down and find a warm belly that needs a good rub.

The Cycle of Dog repeats itself, hopefully for a very long time.

No comments:

Post a Comment