Command Performance

Princess Belle has the role of royalty down to a fine art. At three o'clock this morning I heard "arf........arf........arf........arf". I jumped out of bed, picked her up from her bed, and carried her to the back door in order to take her out. I placed her on the floor as I pulled on my boots and coat, and watched in amazement as she hopped down the little step on the back porch and walked into the yard to do her business. No staggering, no falling - she could have hopped out of bed just as easily as I could. What a poser!

This morning, I was in the kitchen making coffee while Belle was still in her basket in the living room. Normally, she is underfoot, always wanting to keep me in sight. So it begins again: "arf.....arf......arf.......arf". I go into the living room, where she looks at me with a "what-took-you-so-long?" attitude. I pick her up and carry her to the kitchen, where once again she stands on her own four feet and demands her morning treat.

The good news is that she seems to be much better today and, although she is a little unsteady, for the most part she is pretty normal for an arthritic 14 year old dog. The bad news is that she seems to have learned how to wrap me even tighter around her arthritic little paws.

She commands. I perform.