A Dog's Purpose

October 19, 2020

Life in the Pandemic according to Blanka

Dear Readers of Mommy's Blog:

When this lockdown started in March, I was so happy. I had mom all to myself without her leaving me home everyday. She talked so sweetly, "Telling me that she didn't know what she would do without me. We went on walks and she fed me delicious food. Every night I got a little bit of people food. A bite or two of steak, a wedge of cheese, leftover chicken, etc. My favorites were pizza and cheeseburgers. Everything was going swimmingly until she stepped on a square white thing in the bathroom on the floor. She cried, "No, that can't be right. I can't weigh this much." I had no idea what the white thing was but I was immediately scared to stand on it.

Mom changed her behavior and our habits after that. We started going on long walks. I mean L-O-N-G walks, she'd call out numbers after looking at the thing she wears strapped to her wrist and smile. I soon came to know that the number 10,000 was what she was aiming for. At first I thought this would pass but it's been going on for over a month already (that's 1 year in a dog's life). A dog gets tired; my job is to protect, eat and sleep, this walking is really cutting in on my sleep time. I thought that all this walking meant she wanted me to poop more. I started pooping twice, I really had to strain on that second one. After pooping twice we're still walking. Doesn't she know that "I have no more crap to give?" I've been trying everything to get her to go home. I'll sit on the sidewalk and not move, she doesn't care and pulls on my leash until I start moving again. Every time we pass our street I let her know where we live in case she forgot. I just don't understand. At least in the afternoon the trip is shorter but just yesterday she said, "Wait until winter, we are really going to walk then." I don't know what winter means but it can't be good. Sometimes she walks around the kitchen island into the living room, to the dining room and back in a big circle, I follow her cause that's what dogs do. She even acts like she's happy, as if all this walking is better than sleeping. Don't get me started on the dancing. I thought this meant she wanted to play with me, she grabs my front paws and starts swaying to the music. Apparently it's what humans call dancing.

There is no more steak treats at dinner and very little people food for me. She tried to give me something orange that she called a carrot. Yuck. Then there was some green stuff, that I nearly threw up trying to eat. She did buy me some special treats that are organic and made with whole wheat and oatmeal. The only redeeming value is that they're flavored with peanut butter. I sure do miss my steak.

I'm the one that loves her more than anything. I protect her from all threats. If a dog gets to close I bark and let them know that she's my mommy and they can't have her. I follow her all over the house, even into the bathroom. I stand right by the toilet even if she ate chili, or a bean burrito the night before. Worse a bean burrito smothered in chili. Being a dog my sense of smell is amazing but I stay parked right in front of her until she's done. I sleep in her bed cause she's afraid of the dark. I give her kisses whenever she's sad or lonely. I try so hard to be just like Lassie.