Understanding Your Best Friend

It's only taken four years to catch on to what my guy Charlie wants and when he wants it done. I've learned to pick up his cues and that's a good thing. For instance, when he needs to go outside he'll react in one of two ways. The first is quite subtle. He'll find a spot and remain motionless staring at me as in the picture above. This is a build-up to when his bowel can no longer stand it then he'll put up his paws on my knew and begin non-stop yapping. It was like that yesterday afternoon.

I wish I was a dog expert but I'm not. There are publications everywhere to explain their daily habits. One time I read a story about how dogs will only have a BM while their hind ends are facing either the North or South poles. Trust me when I write it's a lie. My boy has gone all directions facing Egypt and Oskaloosa, Iowa.

Charlie is a twice a day bowel eliminator. The Queen, because she's up before the sun rises, takes him on his first stroll. I, on the other hand, have afternoon duty. Charlie eats his dinner at 4 pm or anytime we put food in his dish but four o'clock seemed to be the preferred hour and then immediately after it's time for his afternoon excursion. But something has changed. He's now moved up that time period to 3 pm. I don't know why and he won't tell me. Because I have so many things on my plate when it comes to my activities 3 pm seems to interfere with my daily routine of doing nothing. Even so, I don't want to waste my valuable day of TV watching so I have found special spots he likes to get the chore out of the way and quicker than I can brush my teeth.

Here's the thing about differences between dogs and humans when it comes to eliminating waste. I'm not real particular about where I go. It's either in the upstairs or downstairs bathroom. For Charlie it's like searching for the Holy Grail. We walk the paths surrounding a large park area behind our condo. I've come to find out he has five or six very special spots so I've mapped out a walking area designed to hit all of these. Yesterday, however, he put in a new wrinkle. As we sauntered down the path he stopped at one of his favorite grassy areas and he dropped his bottom toward the ground. I congratulated him on being so quick but as soon as those words came out of my mouth he stopped, lifted his rear end and moved on to another area. He did this four more times before he found the perfect drop off point. So, my question is, why do pooches or in my case one in particular, have to have someplace like Midas' Throne to get the job done? It's a question that needs to be answered and publicized on the 6 pm newscasts.

So many questions, so little time.