There are many dull days at our house. Walks are my favorite part, but in between, I spend a lot of tedious time doing nothing.
Sometimes, however, a down day with little to do can be precisely what the doctor ordered. Today, I am not feeling so well. I am tired, my belly hurts, and I only want to curl up in a corner of the couch. Mommy and Daddy keep my favorite comfy blanket there—the soft white one with the little dog prints—and I retire to my spot.
Still, I’m not feeling so bad that it stops me from jumping up and barking the moment the doorbell rings. Or running to get my soccer ball the moment Liam enters the door. Liam is the oldest of the three boys who invaded my house last November (see my story, Thanksgiving With the Twins). This time, it’s just him and his Mom.
Hearing my barks and seeing my soccer ball, Liam engages and kicks the ball into the family room. I run after it and hit the ball with my head, then realize I’m feeling woozy and return to my spot on the couch.
Liam follows, ready for soccer, but turns when he sees me on the couch.
“Hey, Keke,” he says, sitting next to me and gently patting my head. “You okay?”
I appreciate his concern, and I rise to let him pet me.
Liam sucks in a breath and calls out. “Hey, Mom, I think something’s wrong with Keke.”
As Liam’s Mom and my Mommy come to the couch, Liam adds, “She’s bleeding.”
Shocked, I look behind me where I had lain, and sure enough, there is a dark spot on the white blanket.
It is Mommy’s turn for concern. She rolls me over, inspects my belly, and then says, “Keke’s okay, Liam. She’s just going through something called ‘heat,’ which is a normal part of being a girl dog.”
Liam still looks worried, so Mommy continues. She tells him female dogs go through heat cycles, during which they may feel tired and uncomfortable and have symptoms like bleeding.
Turning to me, she says, “You’ll be okay, Keke. It’s nothing to worry about. You’ll be back up and playing soccer in no time. Right now, if you don’t feel well, rest.”
Whew! I appreciate Mommy’s assurances. I let Liam pet me some more, and he spends most of the afternoon watching over me, even taking a nap next to me on the couch.
After Liam leaves, I lay on the couch, my mind racing. Was this what it was like to grow up? If so, what other mysteries await me on the road to becoming a dog? If “heat cycles” are part of being a big dog, what choice do I have?
I look down and spy a tissue on the floor. I remember a time last year when I couldn’t get down from the couch without my humans helping me because the couch was guarded by the “scary stairs.” Now, however, I am a big puppy and can climb the stairs by the couch with hardly a second thought.
I look at the floor again and marvel at how close the ground is and how far away it seemed when I first viewed it from this perch. I have grown larger since then, but not much. I mostly had to overcome my fears.
I quickly descend to the floor, grab the tissue with my teeth, and start to chew it. Piece by tiny piece, I shred the tissue until it is a pile of pulp.
Satisfied, I climb the steps and return to my favorite spot on the couch.
That will show them. Keke, the puppy, is still calling the shots!
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Part 1 of Dragontooth, Queen of the Un-mowed Jungle
Sounds as if Keke's puppyhood is over. But she'll doubtless continue to train her humans! She's doing a good job so far.