The Little Bear Dog Blog

Quick post today just to counter the withdrawal symptoms.  Having just started my canine behaviour course I’ve got my nose stuck in a book at any given moment of the day which is leaving little time for indulging in my other favourite past-time – writing about dogs!

Today’s post is about Annie, our foster Lab.

Like most people we have a morning routine. This consists of my alarm going off at about 6.30. I snooze until around 7 or until my ‘three strikes and you’re up’ from Annie kicks in.  You see, from the first alarm, I get three snoozes before my canine alarm kicks in from downstairs. As I may have mentioned, having been brought up in a bungalow, stairs are a scary, alien concept to her at the moment so the whines are delivered, from the foot of the stairs – front paws as high as she’ll dare on the second step.

Once up (always a process of negotiation which involves trying to get an over-excited Cat off my chest) it’s quick pat for Little Bear (still snoozing in his bed next to our bed) and then downstairs for an enthusiastic ‘look how fast I can wag this thing’ welcome from Annie.  Cat gets fed, Annie gets a wee break and I get my caffeine fix while listening to the Today Programme on Radio Four (under 30s stop sniggering, it comes to us all in time).

Coffee in hand I usually give myself ten minutes sitting in the armchair in the kitchen just to adjust to the uncomfortable reality of being awake when I’d much rather be asleep.  Like most mornings, I’m rarely on my own for long as once in from her morning ablutions, Annie is normally to be found squished into the very small space that is my lap.

As we were having our morning cuddle today, her gazing into my face and closing her eyes dreamily as I stroked her cheeks, I was reminded of the terrified, shut down dog we had found slumped against a garden gate just eight weeks ago.  And the adoption note which said ‘Annie isn’t used to one to one attention.’   Here’s to an adorable little soul who’s certainly making up for lost time!