For any one out there who has a pet, you already know how it is possible that they can take on the personality and temperament of their owners. Whether it be royal or roguish! Now, with my father and our dog Daniel it was a metamorphosing!
Daniel was a puppy that we got from my brother’s friend. He was pretty much a Heinz 57. When we went to pick him out of the litter, he was sitting there amongst the other puppies like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. All of the other pups were crawling every which way on him! My father winced when I said, “I want that one!” He encouraged me to take my time and look them all over again. No, I wanted that one! Reluctantly, he loaded up that leaning tower of fur and we took him home.
Now, my father was know throughout the animal world as a soft touch. He talked strict discipline but oozed pure mush! Daniel learned well at my father’s knee. Whenever he would be looking in the refrigerator, Daniel would be right in between his legs sniffing out the bottom drawers. He was glued to my father’s side whenever he would rustle up something at the stove, especially when it was something Daniel liked! He would drool all over the floor! He acted as taste tester, knowing that my father would always slip him a sample or two while concocting his piece de resistance.
Daniel found out very early that my father was a huge tease, who would antagonize him to death given half the chance! Do you know someone like that? The man couldn’t stand to see the dog being quiet, not bothering anyone. No, he would have to twitch a whisker, wiggle his ear, flick a paw… But Daniel learned to watch and wait for his retribution! He would pilfer my father’s socks at night, stick his cold nose in his ear while sleeping, abscond with his favorite hat…and so they would stealthily shadow one another like a couple of cloak and dagger spies!
Still, they had a strong bond of love between them. One would die without the other! I remember a time when I was eating breakfast while the dog was still in the house. He loved sleeping in until the last person went to work. As I was lifting another spoonful of cereal to my mouth, he flicked his snout under my arm and everything went flying on the walls! I turned to give him a dirty look and he gave me a determined fiery glare. I had never seen him look like that before! He let out with a low growl and kept backing up. Intuitive one that I am, I surmised that I should follow him. He led me straight to where my father was still asleep in bed. He was quite feverish with a bad cold. Daniel took me right to his side and put his head on the mattress with his nose pointing right to him. You know that cutesy way dogs have of doing that?
I said to my father, “Dad, you have to comfort the dog. He’s worried about you!” My father stirred, glanced at the dog, weakly gave a few pats on his head and rolled over. Then Daniel jumped on the bed, curled up beside him and anxiously watched as he slept. He stayed cemented to my father until he was well again.
Yes, Daniel had my father figured out right from the start. He knew that in order to survive he would have to become just a foxy and mischievous as his master. Yet, as much as they would provoke, needle, irritate, vex and antagonize one another, that’s as much as they dearly loved and cherished on another. Dogs aren’t stupid, they know who loves them. In fact, they know is so well that they sometimes become indistinguishable from them!
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