Do you have a dog? Have you noticed how they are such incredibly light sleepers? Right now Mick Jagger and Little Richard are curled up together, seemingly sound asleep in the comfy chair by my desk.

I turn slightly to peek at them because Mick is snoring to beat the band, and the snoring stops. Immediately. Just because I moved a little and looked at them. Chair didn’t squeak. Hmm. How interesting that their reflexes remain that keen and alert, even in sleep, and even after centuries of domestication where being ready to face a predator at any moment would, you’d think, have been bred right out of their nature.

It’s nice to see them cuddled together because I was so frustrated with their bickering the other night I almost considered returning Little Richard to his foster home. Fortunately, Lori talked me down. I am working on what I can do to show them that demonstrations of snapping and growling sibling rivalry don’t fly in this house. They’re smart; they’ll learn.

In the meantime, when they’re not snapping at each other and fighting for the primo spot on my lap (it’s nice to be adored, but –), they seem to have fun with each other and even snuggle up for a nap together fairly often. One thing that cracks me up is when one dog jumps to attention and springs out the doggie door to bark at some hapless kid walking down the street, the other dashes off behind him in a flash. I imagine him saying, “Hey. Got your back, brother. Let’s show that scary punk he can’t invade OUR territory, boo!”

It’s obvious that they don’t have a problem with each other. The problem is their relationship with ME. The fact that I can employ BOTH hands to scratch behind the ears on BOTH little heads at the same time is not a concept easily understood by dogs. They don’t share well. Having only raised one child, I never had to deal with this issue with kids, either. It’s new to me.

Well. I’m smart, too. I’ll learn. Happy Memorial Day weekend to one and all!