Dog Beds in the Dog World

The world of dogs is rather simple when it comes to manners. Actually, there are very few manners as things are just said straight out. If I was a dog and was snoozing on one of my dog beds and didn’t fancy sharing it with anybody else, I would simply tell others what I thought. I big growl would be my method if anybody tried to even THINK they could come and share. None of all this “Ehm, well, nice to see you. Oh yeeees, you are more than welcome” and then swallowing your anger and irritation.

I see it all the time with my canines, of which I have five. Especially my ancient Labrador, who simply cannot be bothered with the inconvenience of companions. If anybody wants to come in on her space, she growls, then growls louder, then snarls. When I got the most recent little pup, it got so bad with the growling and snarling that she made herself cough. The little puppy didn’t really get the whole doggy-lingo and ignored the warning growls, and then the old one bit her. These sort of lost communications can then result in fights, but then it’s all sorted. Now puppy does know about the not-so-polite ways of telling her to stay away and doesn’t go near the Labrador when she sleeps. If she would like to get on, she gets the one warning and stays off.

On the other hand she is a bit of a bully herself. My friend looked after her while I was on holiday and she kennelled her with a very young, submissive yellow Labrador. Then the boot was on the other foot and my young pointer was very happy to keep the Labrador out of the kennel and take over all the dog beds. The nice host was sitting outside in the cold. Manners are hard to come by. A dog would not think it was a bit rude. It just does the selfish thing all the time.

It is in fact interesting to watch the dogs as the move in life. Mine have several kennels outside and it varies a lot how many dogs are in one kennel. Sometimes they simply can’t stand each other, so there will be no more than ONE dog in each kennel, but sometimes they seem to get on very well and I find four of them in one tiny kennel. They are like wrens in the cold winter nights, huddled up together for warmth. Warmth indeed, it’s roasting inside if I put my hand in.

The same is the case for food as it is for dog beds: no nice manners, just a case of F*** off, this is mine. Next minute, however, they are lying in a heap, cleaning each others’ ears. The thing is that when they are nice to each other it’s because they want to be nice, not out of human-like “good artificial behaviour”.