Still Life with Dog

Before I even met Cabana for the first time, I had already HEARD her. I was in the waiting room backstage at the GDB Holiday Luncheon, and she was with all the other puppies in the puppy holding area outside. The whole time we were waiting for our turn on stage (quite a long time), the other puppy raisers and I could hear one dog, barking insistently...loudly...untiringly. I knew we were all thinking the same thing--"I hope that's not the puppy I'm bringing home." Well, that barker turned out to be Cabana.

For the first two weeks, Cabana barked quite a lot. She barked at bedtime when we put her in her crate, she barked when she needed to go potty, she barked at other dogs, and she barked for no reason at all. But since that time, Cabana has learned not to vocalize that way. For the past 2 months, although she does sometimes whine or make other small sounds, she has honestly not barked once.

Until tonight.

Our family's schedule is very routine and punctual. For the most part, we get up, eat our meals, go to work/school, get home from work/school, at about the same time every day. (Yes, we're boring.) We eat dinner around 6:00, then my husband does the dishes (yes, he's a good husband). After he does the dishes, he gives Cabana her dinner, and she does her happy dance.

But tonight, my husband was watching the NCAA tournament after dinner, intending to do the dishes a little later. Cabana got her little nose bent out of shape, came over to me, and started whining--"where's my dinner, Mom?" I told her to stop, and she did.

At 6:30, her regular dinner time, since my husband was still watching the game, I got up to get dinner for her. While I was getting her food ready, she BARKED at me--LOUDLY! Just one bark. I reprimanded her for it--but I was shocked! I hadn't heard that sound for months, and it kind of amazed me!

Hopefully, the barking won't continue. But it did make me wonder if Cabana is a dog that likes routine anyway--or if that's a result of our family's pattern. I wonder if she will need to be with a person who also has a regular routine, or if she would just as easily adapt to a person with a crazy schedule.

The photo above was taken at my bosses' house (which is also where I work--in the studio above their garage). Cabana was sitting so peacefully in the alcove, and her coat matched so well with the light wood colors. Very feng shui! (Click on it to view larger--it's such a pretty picture!)