Most Considerate Dogs Ever

I turned off all the lights in the family room and kitchen and made my way cautiously into the living room, feeling my way to the couch carefully in the dark, as I do every night. As I got near the couch, I heard Sheila jump down and make room for me.

I have the most considerate dogs ever.

They let me sleep in their bed every night, moving out of the way, lying on the floor next to me while I sleep. Bissell climbs up with me, and helps keep me warm by sleeping on my shoulder, carefully cleaning my hair by licking my head until he falls asleep.

Lizzie knows how much I look forward to feeding them first thing in the morning, so, sensing I have not set an alarm clock, she is very faithful about waking me before the sun comes up so I won't lose the opportunity to stumble around in the kitchen, with dogs leaping at my waist constantly until I get food in their bowls.

Bissell knows how much I hate cleaning up puddles on the Pergo, so if I don't get him outside soon enough, he very politely pees into the dog bed instead of on the floor. Such a considerate puppy.

[This habit of his has actually had some good effect, as I have thrown out the matted cotton batting that stuffed the dog bed and replaced it with lots of those sheets that the SPCA has given to me over the years for puppy beds. I have much more than I need for bedding, so now I have a washable dog bed.]

Lizzie worries because sometimes I forget to give her dog cookies and she knows that one of my very favorite things to do is to get up from the middle of a job I'm engrossed in and go out to the kitchen to give the dogs a treat. So she runs outside and barks her fool head off to make sure I will get up and call her inside. She looks so happy because she knows that this is what Ireally wanted to do instead of that boring old computer work.

Such a considerate dog.

Lizzie also worries about dust settling into the upholstery of the family room chairs so she is always rolling around on her back on the chair, legs in air, pushing her body into the upholstery and getting out all those nasty dust mites.

Bissell is into recycling and doing everything he can to help. He somehow knows intuitively that the first step in recycling is to break the substance up into smaller particles, so he has dedicated himself to reducing anything made of paper--napkins, tissues, books, magazines, boxes, etc. into the smallest size particles that he can.

Such a helpful puppy.

Bissell and Lizzie are also better housekeepers than I am. Both of them do whatever they can to clear off the table after a meal, sometimes even when I'm not finished with my food yet, but they figure out that if I'm not sitting down, the food should be removed.

Lizzie also is upset that I don't rinse the dishes well before putting them into the dishwasher, so she makes certain that every particle of food is licked off dishes before the door to the dishwasher is closed.

Such a helpful dog.

All three dogs hear strange noises coming out of that big white thing in that little room downstairs and they don't understand why I lock them out, but they are constantly worried that I will disappear in the swirling water, so all three stand guard and when I open the door, they are all huddled there just outside the door, concern leaving their faces as they realize I have escaped the vicious toilet-monster yet again.

Lizzie also knows that I love her so much that I would never mean to lock her out of the house so if the back door accidentally gets closed and the dog door is accidentally locked at the same time, she will leap at the door over and over and over and over and over again to remind me that I've left her outside, dammit!

She is also very good at helping clean the windows.

And knowing that I spend most of my time in my office at the back of the house, Lizzie and Sheila let me know whenever any person, 2- or 4-legged type, walks anywhere within 100 yards of the house.

Fearing that I would be lonely, Bissell wouldn't dream of letting me sit in a chair alone.

Some people think that dogs are a lot of work, but my dogs are so considerate they make owning a dog a real joy. They are such a help around the house.