Where’s dad, I need a tickle.

Over the last few months, I have been looking after my new little brother, Lenny, who has come to live in my house. He’s alright, is little Lenny, and we are starting to get on better the longer he’s here. I am hopeful he will be here forever to be honest. I am getting readjusted to having him here. Its been interesting for me, mum and dad to see how each of us has adjusted individually and collectively to the new furry pupster in the house. We have become calmer in our actions, the longer he’s here. This is particularly striking with dad as he struggled considerably when I first arrived.

In any case, dad and I have been having little chats over the past few weeks and months. We’ve always had quiet chats with each other on numerous matters. Mum also has many serious and fun chats with me, but on this occasion I am going to pick on dad and make him blush by telling you some of the things we speak about. At this point let me woof that I am his first dog so dad has had to learn from scratch what it is like to have a canine companion, with the accompanying upheaval it brings. According to some people, mum and dad picked one of the most difficult breeds to rehome, however I have no idea what these people mean. I am mums second dog as she had a beautiful Weimeraner when she was younger, and she loved Jade very much.

Dad has told me how proud he is of me, for altering my life to allow Lenny to come and live here in late April 2019. I have been an only child since December 2013 so to have a pup come bouncing into my life is a big change. Its been mighty disruptive but I think I am doing ok. Dad told me the other day that I have changed an awful lot since I first arrived. Apparently it was touch and go if I was staying after the first few weeks and months when I wouldn’t settle, I couldn’t relax and I was permanently on high alert for anything that I didn’t understand. I didnt listen to commands, and I did my own thing pretty much permanently. For goodness sake, I escaped three times in the first 12 months and gave them kittens. I don’t mean I actually presented small cats to my parents but you know what I mean. My routine gradually, and I mean very gradually, put paid to my tearaway lifestyle as I settled and found a rhythm to live my life here. After a while I knew this was my permanent home and I did manage to relax. Now of course, I feel safe, loved and I am very content. They tell me that it is wonderful to see me more relaxed and comfortable within my own fur. These are all the traits I am trying to pass on to little Lenny. I think he’s taking my guidance on board, but sometimes it’s quite a struggle to get him to understand things. Then it occurs to me that, in some ways, he is quite like me when I first arrived. He’s a little confused, skittish, without routine and wanting to explore everywhere and everything. In other ways however, we are very different.

As I have got older I have got into a habit of burying my head into dad’s chest when he gives me ear tickles. He gently rubs my chin and says he can see a little smile of satisfaction on my face when he does it. My eyes close slightly and I go all soft. It makes me feel secure when we can connect like this. It makes me feel loved.

He does great belly rubs when I am in the garden on a warm day. I can roll around on the lawn and then this pair of hands descends upon me and I can forget any cares for a while. I get to wriggle around and give myself back scratches. I am then pounced upon by dad who manages to scroffle my ears and give me belly rubs at the same time. I do wonder sometimes how many hands he has, but I don’t mind as it’s great. Usually I lay there, ears akimbo with a silly grin on my face. Sadly I am still not allowed to roll around on the grass when it is cold and wet and the garden is all soggy. Spoilsports.

He puts his bonce on mine and tells me that I am the best, most handsome Beagle Harrier that lives here. I think I am the only Beagle Harrier that lives here. I hope so. In any case, I can quite happily jump up onto him when he’s chilling out and I get gentle ear tickles. He can feel my heart beating when I get a cuddle, and when I rest my head on his chest, I can hear his heart. I think it’s full of love for us all, to be honest. Apparently I have the softest ears in all of beagledom so, sorry Lenny and every other pal.

Anyway that’s enough embarrassment for dad at the moment.

I said earlier in the blog that Lenny is different to me. We are the same breed but he has had a thing about human touch and attachment from the off. When I arrived I was, well, maybe a little aloof or rebellious and didn’t really have the contact and bonding feelings toward mum and dad. We were living with each other, they fed me, I walked them and we all got along together, pretty much. It was only after a fair amount of time that the bonding became more apparent and I felt I could be happy being stroked and tickled or sleep with my head on someones leg. Lenny on the other paw seems to have arrived, walked into the house and wanted to get strokes, belly rubs and ear tickles immediately. He will quite easily fall asleep, for instance, with his head under mums arm whilst she is working. If I am getting belly rubs, he will nonchalantly wander over and walk straight in between the tickler and me. I wonder if the difference is that I spent the few years without direction, guidance, love or affection and Lenny has been lucky with being rescued after a shorter period of time. Maybe he hasn’t missed out on so much of his puppyhood, however we don’t know what it was like for him on the streets in Cyprus. He has learned quickly that mum and dad will proffer head scratches, belly rubs and ear tickles quite readily when we are good. He has learned that if he does something right at training, he will get a sausage treat and a rough tickle. Maybe I missed out on this, maybe if I had gone to training, maybe if I had been rescued earlier, things might have been different. Maybe I am just learning to live with another dog, and finding out that I can share mum and dad with Lenny and I should just accept what I have and love them all.

Now, where’s dad? I need a tickle and a belly rub.