No, I don’t have a pet anymore.

I used to have a Royal Standard poodle.  But, Robespierre du Bellmore (his AKC pedigree, but we knew him as Robby) never had those poodle haircuts.  And, when he stood up on his hind legs, sporting a nearly 6 foot height against the door and barking away, he’d scare away anyone.

Anyone who didn’t realize that under all that messy hair, Robby barely weighed 58 pounds.  Or, that he’d be more likely to lick you to death.

Robby was a smart dog, though.  He’d been trained to never step off onto the rug.  (Which my mother had chosen to be celery green!)  Unless, of course, it was just he and my mother in the house.  (When the cats away, the mouse will play?)

But, that wasn’t the indication that he was smart.  It was when he was about a year old.  And, I was watching tv with my brother in the den.  And, Robby kept marching in and barking.

To which, I responded by letting Robby go out to the side yard.  (He had his own little play park on the side of the house.)  And, when immediately Robby barked hysterically,  I brought him back in.

Which led Robby to march into the den and bark again.  And, when I was going to let him out, he ran into the kitchen barking.  I looked around and saw nothing.   And, settled in to watch the rest of my program.  But, this time Robby came into the den- and had the water dish in his mouth.  Which he ceremoniously dumped in my lap.

Yes, I was the dummy.  Robby wanted water.  He asked nicely, he pointed me in the right direction, and then he made it perfectly clear.

And, Robby knew that was going to be the way he’d get water from that day forward.  He would bring his water dish to us, drop it in our laps, and be rewarded with fresh water to quench his thirst.

Hope you make some great memories with your pet today.

Share this: