The Dog’s Perspective: July 10th 2015

The Dog’s Perspective: July 10th 2015 

Hello, my name is Indy and I am in charge of this week’s Dog’s Perspective. I am in charge because my humans brought me home on the Fourth of July ten years ago and named me Independence. Since this is our country’s birthday month, and my name is Independence my mommy thought well, it was appropriate. They do that a lot, give their furry children names associated with events around the day we are brought into the pack. Take my sister Storm for example, she was adopted during a blizzard, if you can believe that. If only my humans knew how fitting her name would be they might have picked something else like, sparkles, peace or school’s cancelled. But no, they named her Storm and she has been living up to her name ever since.

Let me tell you about our annual pilgrimage out to the lake for the Fourth of July so you can understand what I mean. It started the moment Mommy backed the car out of the garage and Daddy put in the doggie gate in. Yes, my parents keep us in the back, they get the cushy seats and we have to sit on the hard plastic liner in the far back. I suppose I should be happy we get air conditioning, but they don’t understand Storm always crosses the line and touches me. I mean seriously, does this dog not understand that everyone gets a space in the car. There is no touching or crossing the line, just look out the window and enjoy the ride. Oh, sorry, I need to get back to the story.

Storm, now realizing we get to go too, starts bouncing. I mean this dog is vibrating in place, jumping and getting into Mommy and Daddy’s way while they are loading up the car. Me, I just grab my ball and lay on the porch and wait until they tell me it’s time to go, but not Storm. She’s jumping into the car, on the seats which makes Mommy yell, she tripped Daddy while he was carrying a big box of food and he almost fell because he couldn’t see her. Does she not realize that we can get going faster if she stays out of the way? She’s two now you would think she knows better.

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After what seems like hours we finally get to the lake. I am so ready to be out of the car and into the water. The cool water feels so good on my old bones. I can’t wait to just chill on shore. I jump out of the car and start heading towards the lake when BAM! I’m hit from behind, it’s Storm. She is so excited to be out of the car she is running circles around me and trying to get me to play with her. I just want to cool off and sit in the lake. Mommy and Daddy are busy unloading the car so they don’t even see how she is behaving and I just know if I reprimand her, I’m gonna be the one who gets yelled at not her. Life is so unfair sometimes. Maybe just one little growl and a few bared teeth will settle her down…I’d better not, they are sure to hear, besides they will be down soon enough to throw the ball for a while. That will surely wear her out.

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The ball is not wearing her out! It sure is wearing me out though. But I must not show weakness, I must keep going. So, I yell, “Bark, bark, bark, bark.” Translation, “throw me the ball.” Stupid humans just yell at me, “NO BARKING!” But they throw the ball anyway. I know who’s really in charge here.

 This goes on for three days. I love the lake. Our boy sleeps with us out on the porch, all the little kids come and they don’t know how to hang on to their food, so we eat like humans. I love the things they call hot dogs, though I am really glad they aren’t covered in fur. Humans, how do they think of these names? The only downside to the Fourth of July is the loud sparkly things that fly in the air. Storm doesn’t seem to notice them but I hate them. They really scare me. My parents pet me and tell me its ok, but it really doesn’t help. I will be sad to go home, but I know we will be able to come back in a couple of weeks, it’s going to take me that long to recover from this trip. Happy Fourth of July everyone!