Stories Of London

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The Beatles – Here Comes The Sun

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Casanova/Puppy, like most dogs, is a creature of habit.  He likes things to be orderly and to occur at the same time each day and is none too pleased when there are necessary changes.

He likes to get up at 5.15 a.m. each morning including Sundays – come rain or come shine! I use to hate having to get up at the unearthly hour, but much to my surprise, I quickly got used to it.  I have to admit that I am very happy to rise at this hour since it is amazing how many little jobs one can get done early in the morning and be free to do more pleasurable things by noon.

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He has to wait patiently for me to be woken by my Clock Radio and then listen to The News. Naturally, he has been awake for a while, but he never tries to waken me.  He continues to wait patiently for me to get out of bed and walk to the back door and to open it so that he can inspect the back garden for a few minutes.  Once he is certain that no one has entered and set up camp there, he walks around and chooses a place to undertake some of the necessities of life.  Once these are completed, he quickly returns and climbs up the steps of the back porch and sits before the door and expects me to open it and usher him back into the house post haste.  While he is outside, I am charged with replacing the water in his bowl with fresh and to have his feasting bowl washed, dried and filled with his breakfast by 5.30 a.m.

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Casanova/Puppy was raised to eat twice daily with no tidbits between his meals.  At 5 a.m. and at 5 p.m. each day, he is given two-thirds of a packet of Purina Moist and Meaty Burger with Cheddar Cheese Flavour, which he ferociously devours in record time without any spillage outside his bowl!

Once his food has been devoured and his bowl licked thoroughly clean, he likes to be given six little brickets of Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Dental Dry Dog Food. He likes to have them tossed gently into the air one-by-one in order to catch them in his mouth. I am amused to note that should one bounce off his jaw and under some nearby object, he will seek it out and devour it then an there rather than bring it back out into the open and eat it.

This combination is a perfectly balanced and nutritious diet and contains everything to maintain Casanova/Puppy in a healthy and happy condition without his risking becoming overweight.

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Following these tasty treats, he likes to go out into the front garden.  He does not combine visits to the back and front gardens when he first goes outside although they are joined, as I removed the obstacles between them. I also built a front fence, which he guards well.

Guarding the front fence

Once he is thoroughly convinced that no stray cat is hiding in the Monkey Grass or has taken up camp in a hole that he has dug under one of the herbaceous bushes which he dug for his own use in inclement weather, he returns to sit on the mat before the front door to await my opening it and welcoming him back into the house.

There is a hole under my Azalea Bush

-oOo-Waiting to see that no marauders are coming along the street

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Once back inside, he quickly trots over to his drinking bowl for some refreshments.  I am always amazed at the number of laps he is able to make at one sitting (or is it standing?) before the drinking bowl. Once satisfied, he moves into the main room and climbs up onto his couch (which came with him from his original home) placed before the window where he likes to undertake his morning ablutions.  Actually, this is in fact his second morning ablution, as if he awakens before the alarm, he will pass the time away while waiting for me to stir by licking licking his paws.

Once the endless licking and preening is over, it is time for a short nap since, no doubt, the morning has proven tiring for him.  In wintertime, the nap lasts until the sun comes up over the roof of the house across the street and brightens up the front garden.  The sun rays coming through the window evidently waken him from his repose, and now he likes to return to the front garden and watch out for those he thinks is going to attack us!

Seated on the mat before the front door, he keeps constant vigil with his eyes glued either on the garden fence or on the street watching for the odd marauder who should dare by chance to walk along the street and decide to attack!  Since the Pandemic, the street is very quiet.  We have few small children living in the area, and those that do, tend to play in their back gardens. Although the street appears to be peaceful, Casanova/Pappy is constantly vigilant and is ready to ward off the odd potential invader!

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MORNINGS AT SEVEN

The year’s at the spring
And day’s at the morn;
Morning’s at seven;
The hill-side’s dew-pearled;
The lark’s on the wing;
The snail’s on the thorn;
God’s in His heaven—
All’s right with the world!