I really love my dogs. They are fully aware of this. Especially tiny Vivian, who is actually a toddler disguised as a small dog. She reminds me so much of her aunt Pumpkin, sometimes it's scary.
She is very smart and it takes her no time at all for something to become a habit. She makes her own routines and you had better pick up on it quick or else she will harass you unmercifully by "talking to you" until you can't stand it anymore.
Here's an example: I give them organic treats: one before I go to work, one when I get home and one after dinner (they are small). That was my routine. However, it wasn't good enough for Vivian. She decided the routine should be one before work, one after work, one more before dinner and one before bed. Apparently, I wasn't smart enough to know she had changed the routine since that morning. So when it came time for dinner, she wouldn't eat it. I didn't understand it. I knew she had to be hungry. Lilly was eating like she'd been doing roadwork all day. Vivi would come up to me and say something, but I had no clue what. After about half an hour Brie suggested giving her maybe half a treat so she wouldn't be hungry. I did. And one minute later: she ate her dinner. It happened the same way the next day. So the humans adjusted to her new routine. Seriously?
When you are sitting on the couch minding your own business, this is when she decides you need to pick her up, and then she prairie-dogs in your lap so you can rub her belly. For hours, or days at a time. And don't think you're done when she starts to fall asleep. Nope: that means she wants you to continue anyway until she's had enough, which hadn't happened yet. Kitty experienced that for the first time, and the next night she did not join her sister on the couch with the dog. Vivi thought Kitty would rub her belly forever, but she had enough of that. So Kitty retreats to her room to avoid it!
But the one thing Brie enjoys the most, is the one I enjoy the least. One night I was sitting on the futon and Vivian was sitting in her bed staring at me. "Are you sleepy Vivi? Grammy will take you to bed soon." (because of course now that I'm in our new house, she and Lilly sleep with me!) This went on for way more than she wanted, as she flopped around and "dog-splained" to me that she wanted to go to bed now. Finally my show went off. Lilly sprinted to my room door but poor Vivi was too exhausted to make it. So being nice, I just picked up her dog bed and carried her into my room, putting the dog bed and her on my bed and putting Lilly up there too.
Yeah...you know what happened. The next night when it was bedtime, instead of running to the bedroom door and waiting for me to open it: she sat her happy ass in that dog bed and waited for me to pick her up and carry her! I was like oh no, we're not doing this! I went to my room with Lilly, but no Vivi showed up. Sure enough: when I finally went back to the living room there she was sitting in her bed waiting for me to pick her up. And like the jerk I am: I picked her up in that bed and walked with dignity to my room, all the while hearing Brie laughing at me. And the whole time Vivian was gazing at me adoringly while I glared at her.
Oh, and by the way: her preferred bedtime is 9:45. Saturday night I was at my twin Robbin's house with our other friend Emily. When my cell rang at 12:30 I was a bit worried. It was Brie. "Where are you?" "At Robbin's like I told you I would be." "Well Vivian is tired and wants to go to bed." "So...why can't you take her?" "Because she wants her Grammy, not me! And she didn't eat her dinner because you weren't here."
I can't make this stuff up. So I made my exit and got home at around 1, where the dogs greeted me at the door. Vivi had no interest in eating: she ran to her dog bed and waited for me to carry her little yawning self to bed.
Nope: she isn't spoiled at all!
