By Chase and Jan Tomlinson
Manners at Home
For this month’s column, I thought I would write about having good manners at home. My day usually starts at 6 a.m. I don’t sleep on my mom’s bed (like some of you do), but sleep either in my crate, which is open for me to come and go, or on the nice cool floor with the fan on.
When my alarm goes off, I quietly make my way to the side of my mom’s bed and start groaning! I never bark because that might startle her. My groaning always does the trick! A hand slowly reaches down, and I get my morning massage until I decide it’s time to get up.
Then it’s off to the food bowl. I wait very politely while she puts my food in my bowl.
After breakfast, it’s outside to my kennel area. Now, there’s a funny little door in the big door, but why would anyone go through that when my doorman can open the big door for me?!
When I come back inside (after the doorman has opened the big door for me again), it is coffee time. I have to be very quiet because my other human is still sleeping. Coffee time means a taste of cranberry biscotti or whatever else will be consumed with coffee that morning. I never beg, but wait patiently for my bite. To my delight, sometimes a crumb happens to fall on the floor. I can’t get it unless my mom tells me to “Search”. If I don’t hear that word, then I have to leave it alone.
Then it’s time for me to lie down and be quiet during the morning news. All of these people are talking, but I don’t see any people who can pay attention to me. They seem to be contained in this little box in the living room.
When it gets warm enough, I get to have my front deck time in the sun. I like that because I can check out the neighborhood and dogs that walk by. I never bark at the dogs, just quietly observe them. Some of them seem really nice, but others are little yappers!
When I don’t go to the training field, then I get to go on special walks to the golf course or to the mailbox. Shelties don’t carry things in their mouths (except dumbbells), so my mom carries the mail back home. I walk by her left side on a loose leash and never pull.
Oh, Oh! My watch tells me it’s dinner time. I love dinner time because I get a dollop of vanilla yogurt on my food. Yum!
Now it’s the human’s dinner time, and I have to follow the kitchen rule. That means I have to stay out of the kitchen while the food is being cooked. They never seem to stay out of the kitchen when I am making my dinner!
After dinner is soccer time. The soccer field is in the living room. I am the goalie because I have very quick feet. My mom doesn’t score much because I am an expert at it. I need to get a soccer jersey with my name on it.
Now it’s quiet time for reading or watching TV. Then another trip to the kennel. I’m afraid of the dark, so my mom installed a motion light for me. I don’t dare go out the door (opened by my doorman) until the light is on!
Now I’m off to bed to look forward to another great day tomorrow.
I hope you have learned something about good manners at home. If not, you could check out some doggie etiquette books at the library.
Sincerely,
Sir Chase
