Dog Morning

I woke up today with the warm weight of a Chihuahua dog on my chest, moving up and down with my breath. She moved slightly as I opened my eyes, positioning her butt onto my side, like she was attaching herself to my side with a USB, downloading all sorts of important dog documents into my hard drive.

Gudrun, the mighty leader of the house, with all of 7 lbs to enforce her will and way, is very calm in the mornings. She’s usually the first thing I see, her shiny black eyes like buttons on me, fixating on my face, willing me to wake so I can pet her. Sometimes she will sit on my slumbering figure like a succubus in a Victorian horror novel, which sounds much more ominous than it actually is. Other mornings I will find her in a tight curl next to my cheek, wet nose daubing my ear, snout trying to tuck into my neck, as its warmer there, she knows.

Bronwyn, my blonde macadamia white chocolate chunk cookie beauty, with her mysterious canine lineage, which we think is Australian cattle dog and something else shepardy, no one knows for sure, usually won’t get on the bed unless it’s the morning and I am alone or it’s just me and Gudrun. Bronwyn, even though she’s about 6 or 8 times gudrun’s size, will still bow to the wishes of the smaller dog. She knows she might get bit on the haunches if the Chihuahua is disobeyed.

Gudrun sits on me, to be close to her dog mother, and also at the same time to make a barrier of her body so that her sister can’t get as close. I must reach over the white dog to get to the blond dog.

How I love the soft flicks of their ears, deepening pink of the dog skin underneath the short straight lines of downy fur, how the fur elegantly splits to make ruffs at the back of the neck, laying flat behind the head and then laying flat the other direction on the face, so on the head you pet backwards but on the face you pet forwards, being very careful to pet the snout as you don’t want to catch any whiskers in your display of affection – better to go under the snout and scratch the chin where they like it best and lean their chins into you as you get in there, bony tangles of legs and paws, dog belly to human belly which are warm as hot tea on my lips, 4 eyes looking pleading me at me to get up and play.

gudrun bronwyn

7 thoughts on “Dog Morning

  1. As I live in an apartment, no place for a dog in my opinion b/c they have nowhere to romp and be a dog, I have a cat who thinks he’s a dog. He chases his tail, circles a spot 3-4 times before laying down and loves to have his belly rubbed.

    My mornings begin much the same as yours, with Boo (he’s a black cat) sitting on my chest waiting for me to wake up and fill his bowl with dry food. THen and ONLY then, will he allow me to rub his face and his belly and say good morning.

    Occasionally, I’ll wake with him sitting on the edge of my bed watching Akasha, my ball python, doing her morning stretches, thinking probably murderous thoughts.

    B@Peace!

  2. Mona, my rescue cat does much the same as your little CheeWhoAhWhoAh 🙂

    My eldest cat Ki-ten passed and I couldn’t bare to come home to an empty house. The very next day I went to my local shelter and adopted Mona. If I hadn’t adopted her she would have been destroyed the next day.

    I can’t imagine life without her. I do however know that some day another pure and unconditionally loving soul will come to share their love with me as Mona did when it is her time to rest.

  3. I loved your story. There’s something so special about living with a dog. My wife, my aging dog, and I just moved to Manhattan after a gizzilian years commuting from the suburbs. I was really worried that Willie wouldn’t become a city dog, but he’s taken to it wel. Thought you dog lovers may enjoy the story I wrote about how some kind New Yorkers came to our rescue when Willie couldn’t make it home on his own steam. http://www.michaelsinkindds.com/blog/a-dog-day-afternoon-in-nyc/

  4. Aren’t pets wonderful!!!
    No judgement, just love. You mean everything to your dogs, just as I’m sure they mean everything to you,

    Sometimes it is easy for me to forget how important I am to my cat. He values the time he gets to spend on my lap, or when I just pet, caress, and talk to him. Sometimes we chase each other around the apartment. Cats always love to chase and attack.

    Your dogs are very lucky to have you! Your post brightened up an otherwise dismal day. Thanks

Leave a Reply to Traci Ford Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *