A Pet Owner's Journey (P.12)

As I said in my last entry, Roxy is rather smitten with my partner. She has taken to him almost to the point of ignoring me completely. I have almost been replaced, but the key word there is "almost."

Regardless of how Roxy's loyalties pan out, I am happy that she's taken so well to him. She has actually developed an adorable coming home routine for him.

She is devastated when he leaves for work in the morning. She lays on the couch with me like her world has ended and mopes around the house. You would think she'd lost her best friend.

He could be gone for an hour or eight hours and the reaction is the same. It is the end of the world for her.

However, the moment he comes home she knows. She knows the sound of his car pulling into the lot. She knows the sound of his footsteps coming up the walkway. She sits eagerly at the edge of the living room carpet and waits for him to open the door.

She will walk to the door to greet him. She won't jump on him like she does with me. She doesn't run in circles and try to trip him in her excitement. She doesn't crowd him at the door.

No, she goes to say hello and let him know that she still exists and then returns to the living room carpet to wait patiently for him to get his stuff off. She won't come back to the door. She won't crowd him as he takes off his stuff. She simply waits.

When he comes into the living room the first thing that starts is her tail. She sits patiently but her tail begins to wag in excitement. Just the tip of it though as if she is cautiously excited, as if she is still trying to prove to him that she can be patient.

And the minute he actually acknowledges her with a word or a head pat she is done. She just flops over onto her back so that she can have her belly rubbed. The tail wags full force and she is all but vibrating with excitement.

Their coming home cuddle lasts for five to ten minutes. It goes from belly rubs to full out cuddles. Roxy eventually just falls asleep in his lap as she gets rubs and cuddles. She is so happy that he is home, she gets so worked up that she actually just falls asleep in contentment.

This happens every day when he comes home. And sometimes on the days when he just gets out of bed. Roxy has just become a bit of an attention hound.

I'm not sure what she would do without her daily cuddles, but she will have to find out soon. We'll be saying goodbye to Roxy for a few weeks over the holidays and this will be the first time I've been without her for this long.

It will be a transition for both of us, but I'm hopeful that it will go well. Roxy will stay with friends, a place where she is comfortable and familiar. But hopefully, she won't miss us too much. And I imagine that the welcome home cuddle will be at least an hour when we return.

Roxy is an interesting dog. She has a unique personality and loves attention. I hope she will be fine in our absence. I hope she won't miss us too much. I have no doubt that she will receive both while we're gone.

Dogs are strange. They can develop strange habits over time. Whether it's waking up at the same time every single day for their morning bathroom break or waiting for you to come home. They like routine. They like consistency. And, most of all, they like to know where they stand with you in life.

Roxy may not have the same relationship with me as she has with him, but she is still my dog. At least for now.

And, as always, thanks for stopping by for another Roxy adventure. Hope you will find us again as we continue "A Pet Owner's Journey."