Woofling my human friends,
it has been a while... but both my hooman and I had to rebury our bones after the festive holildays...
So by this time in my tale I already learnt quite a few lessons in my puppyhood training, but my next lesson was a pivotal one to ensure my successful integration into the human world.
Around the time when my eyes opened and I started to see the world around me, while I still lived with my furry mum, I realized I could make noises, whenever I made a little noise, my furry mum magically appeared to enable me to get some food, warmth or comfort.
As you can imagine, it didn’t take long for me to slightly abuse my new found gift, but my furry mum must have been wiser and somehow instinctively knew when I really needed something or when I was pulling her tail. As time progressed, my grunts developed in tiny yips… especially while playing with my siblings.
Confident in my abilities I continued to vocalize; but it took me completely by surprise when once, while engaged in one of those wonderfully careless moment of pure fun with one of my little furry brothers, one of my little yips seemingly took on a life of its own and came out much rougher, (and louder), than expected.
It was such a shock that I found myself propelled back by the sound… my young back legs kind of gave way and I found myself sitting, wondering what had just happened.
As if by magic my furry mum appeared and explained me that I just barked for the first time.
“we dogs have many types of barks, we communicate anything from happiness, fear, excitement, to worry, warning and rage; but humans sometimes have difficulties understanding why we bark, their hearing is not as sharp as ours, you will need to learn when it is good to bark and when it is better to keep quiet, you will do this by observing your human closely ”
I was not sure I understood that then and I have to admit that after this incident I had very little need to do my barking… until one particular evening.
I was already living with my hooman, and my eye caught something moving outside the big windows that led onto the terrace.
The strange creature made an appearance and then disappeared… appeared and disappeared.
I could see it every time I went to investigate it, but as I hid to catch it… nothing!!!
I observed this creature behaviour for a while and convinced it was suspicious I decided to alert my hooman mum. Hoping I could produce the right kind of alarm bark, I began vocalizing my warning.
As it happened in the past with my furry mum, my hooman mum immediately appeared in answer to my call.
“What is the matter my Biscuit?”
Revived by her interest I began barking again, and trying to explain what was happening I kept running to the intruder and back to my hooman mum.
“Ohhh I see” she said and sat on the sofa.
“NO NO WAIT” I kept barking “INTRUDER YOU SEE…. THERE”
“Ssssh, quiet my little Biscuit, everything is ok” she said very very quietly.
I was still barking in the grip of alarm and I don’t mind admitting, a little fear… but looking at my hooman mum calm demeanour, calmed me down a little, that until my furry mum picked up my favourite toy and threw it toward the area where the intruderkept appearing, now my bark slowly became a small grunt of disapproval to my favourite toy’s fate.
“What are you doing my hoo-mum?” I kept moaning quietly.
That was my best toy, why would my sweet hooman mum give it to the intruder… why?
“Go get it” she said…
WHAT??? THE INTRUDER IS THERE…!!!
“Go on, I’ll come with you”
After a couple of hesitant tries, feeling a little braver with my mum at my side, I decided to go and get my toy back before the intruder would take it away forever… but as soon as I got a little closer, there it was again… spooked I run back to my hooman mum and started barking again…
“Sssh, it’s ok littlun.. let’s try again”
It took a few more goes before I realized that the intruder was only appearing when I got close, so my toy was safe as long as I kept away, but then I would never be able to play with it again.
That thought filled me with sadness and bravely, I decided to get back what was mine.
Slowly I got closer and there it was again.. one more step, then another… and it did the same… I sniffed the air but could not pick up any scents… I growled a little to warn him off my toy, got closer and this is when I realized that things were not as they appeared.. I pulled my toy away from it with my paw and it tried to do the same… only difference was that I got the toy, it didn’t.
Puzzled, after checking my toy was ok, and my mum was still close, I went to investigate closer… I sniffed the intruder and picked up nothing, I wiggled my tail and it copied me…
“You see my little Biscuit, that isn’t an intruder, that is your reflection on the French windows”
I am not sure what she meant with this, but I have since learnt not to fear the scentless intruder, it was and still is harmless, I also learnt to follow my hooman mum advice about barking, I still raise alarms at times, then look at how she reacts, and if she remains calm I know there is no reason to make a noise and I will keep quiet.
Till our next woofling,
Lots of licks,
Biscuit
If you would like to look at some of my hooman's pastel portraits and shop go to:
... and don't forget to spread the scent and leave a nice licky like!!!
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