We have been traveling for weeks now, miles and miles in the car and miles on our feet. She loves to be outside, although it scares her. We camp in a tent in the desert. During the day it is 55 degrees, hot for Her and for me. At night it gets cold. 10 degrees. She put up the tent by herself. I tried to help. She didn’t want my help. She kept saying in her mad voice “Charlie GET OFF” Jeez! I just wanted to smell it. This is not a good smell!
Her arm muscles are shaking. It was hard for her paws to bend the poles. She is tired and a little *scared* (nervous) <excited> -determined- *proud* I want to play play play RUN! what’s that smell?
I follow my nose straight to the showers and bath house and there is the POLICE. He has a badge and a gun and he bends down and says “Come here buddy-boy, why aren’t you on a leash?” What a nice man petting me and looking at the tingling metal on my neck. I sit down, like I am supposed to when a person stands in front of me with their hands like that. “Good boy” the policeman says. “Whose dog is this?” he thinks and then he sees Her struggling with the stakes for the tent.
Her face is red and sweaty and She looks like she does when she is doing a puzzle *focused* (confused) <determined> .purposeful. and the POLICE man feels sorry for Her but knows he is going to yell at Her anyway. I MUST BE ON A LEASH - It is part of THE RULES, even though there is no one else around.
“I’m so sorry” She says, slightly annoyed and mildly embarrassed. She looks at me and says inside Her head “Charlie! You are supposed to stay close!!” and then she says in her nice, let’s be friends voice to the POLICE ….. “I am having a little trouble here, I can’t seem to get these stakes in the ground. I want to get set up before dark oh! I see you met Charlie, he really needed to stretch his legs”. Uh Oh Mr. POLICE … I know this trick, talk and talk and talk with words that make you confused about why you were mad to begin with. She learned this trick from working at The New York State Supreme Court. She talks about that sometimes too. Dogs don’t love something and hate something at the same time. She does. She did.
She re-directs the POLICE with Her words and Her smile that says “Thank you for helping me, for understanding.” That’s what She does when She wants me to do something else. Words and smiles and slight of hand. But She didn’t throw a ball for him to chase.
Amazing, no ball but he walks away from Her, from US, just like She wanted. “Oh, yeah” he turns around, remembering why he approached Her to begin with “You have to keep your dog on a leash. It’s THE RULE. Stay warm now, ya’ hear?” and he turned around and walked away from us, slightly confused, slightly sad, slightly smiling.
You keep walking ! I’ll keep her warm. You go away! GGGGGRRRRRR – ruff!
I love this. I love the POV. As an intense dog lover, I'm intrigued at the thought process of a dog. I like the way he knows her so well, knows her ways, ("I know this trick, talk and talk and talk with words that make you confused about why you were mad to begin with") and is so in tune with her personality. Very interesting. I've never read anything like this. Unique and a pleasure to read.
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