Settling In

This week, Chris found a coke with his name on it!!

Chris and Mila are settling into a nice little routine at our place. We have rearranged the furniture a little bit so that they have their own bedroom to share at night when it is time for sleep (which keeps them out of the hallway where they risk being kicked in the middle of the night when someone gets up to stumble to the toilet) and they seem to be getting on with each other better and better each day. 

As Chris gets used to our house and his housemates, he has started to test Mila's patience a tiny bit to see what he can get away with. Sometimes he will sneak on to her precious green couch or wander off with one of the squeaky toys and pretend he doesn't know what's wrong when she looks at him accusingly. The other day, he peed on her leg outside when he got a little close to her and she was mortified!! And he thinks that no one notices when he wiggles his hips to barge Mila a bit to the side to get in a little closer for a pat (...I'm on to you buddy).

Chris also has some interesting little character traits that we have noticed coming out as he becomes more comfortable with us. Some of them I think are in keeping with his status as a dottery old man. Others are just plain weird - for example, 'if I don't look at Rachel sitting there watching TV as I sneak up on to the human couch, she won't see me doing it.' Nice try - but wrong! Or - 'you might have just fed me dinner and given me a nice long pat, but if you leave the room and come back again, I will have no idea who you are or what you are doing here and I will think that you are a complete stranger'. 

Chris' new bed

Chris is also quite "vocal" when he wants to be and we are developing quite a good list of random and hilarious things that make Old Man Chris bark:

 1. Dancing. Chris is the canine equivalent of the town in the movie Footloose. Any attempt to move in time with any type of music will be met with disapproval. Young people these days...

 

2. Whispering. Old men like Chris need hearing aids at the best of times so it is incredibly rude when someone is speaking quietly on purpose. And Chris would like to make sure that you know when he thinks you are being rude. 

3. Pretending to throw something. This is a game that Mila LOVES. Her face lights up and she is never quite sure if you actually did throw something, where that something went, or even if you had anything in your hand to start with. Of course, the fun for Mila is in trying to work out whether we really are playing fetch, or just acting. Chris on the other hand, will not have any of it. His bark says 'What, do you think I'm stupid?! Come back to me when you have something in your hand that you are actually willing to let go of.'

4. Changing clothes without warning so he thinks you're a different person. If you are suddenly wearing track pants instead of jeans, there is no way in the world that you are the person who was here just before. 'Who let this stranger into my house? How do they know my name? I can't work it out...I'm going to lie down now and go to sleep. Wake me up when that other lady in the jeans comes back to give me a pat.'

5. Coming home. Our house/section is set up in such a way that you can see the car pull into the driveway from where you are sleeping in the lounge - and we tend to get home at about the same time every day during the week. I'm fairly certain that this one is a bark to say hello - as it accompanied by a waggy tail and a greeting at the door - and is never more than one or two short barks. 

To be fair to Chris, he is very good at stopping his barking when he is told to be quiet and he is learning that having a bit of fun about the house isn't as bad as he might think. Every couple of days we discover something new that he would like to have a word with us about - and he barks out his thoughts very politely. He never barks aggressively and he has never snarled or lunged at any of us. Like any grumpy old man, he would just like you to know what he thinks about what you are doing at any given time. Fair enough too.

Hanging out with my best friend, Mila