Family Routines Have Gone To The Dogs

Well, just one dog, and she’s smart

Back before the pandemic lockdowns, I thought I knew the family dog pretty well. She has only one squeaky toy that she will retrieve for treats. She retreats into her kennel whenever I enter my bedroom. She has a disdain for the delivery people and the mailman in particular! This seemed like pretty standard behavior based on my experience with four-legged friends during my lifetime.

These two years have given me an advanced degree in canine psychology! I’ve discovered how much smarter my dog is than I’ve given her credit for. This has been expressed by her non-verbal communication that I’ve recognized in moments that are more significant than they used to be for either of us.

First off, I’ve discovered her distaste for unfamiliar dry dog food. I switched brands on her at random. I thought she could use a change in flavor. As time progressed, I realized a collection of a particular piece of dog food was forming around the perimeter of her bowl. These bits were consistent and told me that she wanted no parts of them in her meals. Once she ate enough of the wholesale-sized bag which didn’t meet her approval, we went right back to her old-reliable brand of dry dog food that met her refined tastes.

My next canine lesson was when I noticed that my dog would get excited when she noticed her family putting on coats and shoes. This has become her cue that we are leaving the house, which we hadn’t done as a routine since we started working from home, or in the case of our daughter, participated in remote learning. My furkid will “tap dance” with her paws to let us know she knows what’s up. I try to share with her that she can’t travel with us…this time. With the weather warming up, she will probably be a passenger on rides to the dog park in the near future.

The final lesson I have learned about my dog’s intelligence regards a change in her behavior when our family is in the kitchen. Typically, she would show up if we’re already eating, but the lockdown has presented something new. She has become a looming shadow whenever I or another family member opens the refrigerator doors. Before the pandemic, I didn’t really notice if she recognized that the doors held the key to human food. However, since we’ve made it through lockdown, my dog has learned to register the sound of the fridge doors like a bat with echolocation! I’ll close the doors, and she’ll be sweetly glaring at me from the floor to cough up the goods! I was initially astounded by this wisdom. “A snack stalker. Cool. Cool.” Eventually, though, I got to the point where I gladly dropped her off at the doggie daycare once or twice a week so that I can get some peace at the kitchen table! She gets to kick it outside of the house and I can have a snack without eyes penetrating my skull.

This awkward lockdown period of the pandemic has given us many enlightening moments regarding our personal lives. We’ve all gotten to know each other for the better…or for the worse…during this time. That includes our four-legged friends whose mental acuity seems to have evolved in their responses to the cues that their families give to them when we’re around *-all the time-*. Maybe I’ll subscribe to the Dog Channel to distract her while we go about our daily routine.

Enjoy another story of my fine furkid: