Be more dog

I'm always grateful that we have our dogs. We had never been dog owners up until our move but it had been something that we both wanted to do. So we have two. One is a pure bred Australian Cattle dog, who lives up to all the most extreme stereotypes of the breed, including being the most loyal, funny, glue-pot, funny dog in the world, and the other who is a mix of goodness knows what, and is the most loving and gentle big girl. They are like chalk and cheese, yin and yan, and yet they work together perfectly to claim their own space and place in the household.

Mostly dogs are great. They centre you as you have to be home to care for their needs, which are not that complicated, but must be done. They need exercise, which we also need, even when it is cold and wet and you don't feel like going out. They need food and they need affection. Sometimes when you want to go out or you have to work they can feel like a bit of a tie, but they put up with any inconveniences or lack of attention graciously. There is nothing like coming in from a busy day to be greeted by two lively dogs who act like they haven't seen you for years.

So dogs are great, but I hadn't realised truly how great they are until our confinement. They don't worry about confinement, about the virus, contamination, the future or the past. They are just over the moon that at the moment they are never left alone and that we are together all day and every day, because for them that is exactly how it should be. They are not stressed, they sleep, eat and do dog things just as usual.

They must have their routine (all dogs love routine), and in these routine-less days for us, this has become an anchor. So if we have nothing else, we know that we need to walk the dogs in the morning and afternoon. It gives us our daily exercise and daily purpose.

They find pleasure in everything; they enjoy relaxing in the sun, sniffing around the garden, cuddling up on the sofa or barking at any noise they hear (this is much less now as there really isn't anything to be heard).

I've learned a lot from our dogs in the past two weeks and I know that the confinement would have been many times more difficult without them. Anyone who says they are 'just a dog' has no idea.

We walk dogs once a week at a local rescue (sadly on hold now). This picture sums up everything.

To translate: 
After two weeks of confinement

The human thinks only of eating all day long

Waves frenetically at everyone who goes down the street.

Goes bonkers when he knows that it's time to go for a walk.

He has become me!