Mr. D and his actions and reactions.. Post my surgery and the cast, he has been staying away from me to a large extent, except for thoe odd times when he would suddenly look at me and bark.

After the cast removal, his behaviour has certainly been different and has had me in splits, many times. I am not sure if he understands that the cast is off and hence he thinks that I can run around with him and play. Often he gives out a sneeze, and then gets on to his barking. What is his barking for, is a crore-rupee question. It always is a guess and I make my own assumptions :-).. Some incidents to share the reasons for my laughter 🙂

First – Mr. D sometimes sleeps thru’ the day, from the time he comes from his walk at around 6.45 am till almost 5 pm, except for the wandering he would do from one room to another, only to settle down to sleep in whichever room he wants to – on the bed or on the floor. Some days, when he feels hungry, he would stand outside the kitchen or go into it, to look at the person who is there; as though telling them to serve his food. When he eats his food, with some grains on his snout, he would come to the room and stand next to me, as though to say, “Listen, I have had my lunch. Now pet me.” I would tell him, “Good boy, Mr. D, you had your food?”. The petting would happen and then he would go move on.

If I don’t pet him, he would put his entire face on my lap, waiting for that petting. That day, he did just that. I was on a call and did an absent-minded petting and wheeled myself out of my room to have lunch. I was still in the call, though. Mr. D went ahead of me, stopped, looked at me, gave a sneeze and started his bark. I had no clue why he was barking. Asked the person on call to hold on and asked Mr. D why he was barking and what he wanted (my usual converstaion with him). The barking continued. So I stretched out my hand to pet. Since he stood in the same place and allowed me to pet him, I felt that that is what he wanted. Once he got what he wanted, he went to one of the rooms to sleep. Not only us, animals too want complete attention. 

Second – I have this physiotherapist who Mr. D is familiar with, who comes over for sessions with me. She was standing far away from the entrance of the room and overseeing my workout. He stood near the entrance looking at her. While she would glance at him from time to time, her eyes were focused on me.  He looked at her for a few minutes and decided that there was no use in waiting. He jumped on the bed and across me who was doing the workout and stood in front of her to get her complete attention and petting. Whew!!! that was a close call for my leg :-). Well, if we want something, we don’t wait for it to come to us, we go for it. 

Third – In another physiotherapy session that was underway, Mr. D came into the room, saw me doing some exercises, looked at me and started to bark. I understand if he barks at the physiotherapist, in which case I would have assumed he was trying to protect me. But no, the bark was directed at me. Wonder if he thought that all my movements of my exercises, were going to be aimed at him. Such a nice lady I am, why would I do that? :-). I am still puzzled at why there was so much of barking he did, looking at me. What was he trying to say? Sometimes others shout at us, but behind the shout, are they expressing something to us?

Fourth – Prior to my injury, few times a week, Mr. D and I would go for an evening walk to my apartment terrace. At times, we would play with one another and at times we would just be by ourselves, as though having an implicit agreement between ourselves to say, “You be in your space and me in mine.” Since the time the cast has been removed, Mr. D I think thinks that I can move and run around, as usual. He comes around the time we would go for our walks, let out his sneeze and then bark. Sometimes the bark will be so much that I need to wheel myself out of the room to play with him. Both of us would chase each other till he tires out or my arms tire out, whichever is earlier.  Many times, others think positive of us, more than we do of ourselves. 

Fifth – I go for a small walk in the passage of my floor, to keep the leg movement happening. The other day, a minute after I stepped out, Mr. D also stepped out for his walk. I thought I needed to move to the side so that he wouldn’t rush past me and I get jostled in the process. High and mighty thinking – I also thought he would wait for me to move aside and then go past me. Well, much to the laughter of his ‘master’, Mr. D just went thru the gap between me and the wall, not touching me and neither glancing at me. I didn’t exeist at all, for him, at that moment. His walk is his priority and nothing will distract him from that. He certainly had me coming down from my high and mighty thinking, with a thump. Anyone can make us get grounded and that’s a blessing certainly!! Better than being on the high horse!! 

I have heard and read that animals can feel us and express themselves and their concern in their own way. I don’t know if I am humanising Mr. D by thinking that he understood my situation and is acting accordingly. Maybe I am, given what I see of him before and after my surgery.

I enjoy Mr. D’s company, I love irritating him and I love my conversations with him. Does this mean I love him? Maybe I do!! 🙂