My own dog is barking at me

Monday morning. I’m following my Monday morning routine of emptying all the bins in the house, for the Monday morning garbage collection in our neighbourhood. Bending over a black garbage bag, my back suddenly “goes”. I’m hunched over unable to move. Or at least unable to move without a great deal of pain radiating from my lower spine. Eventually I managed to straighten out and start shuffling down the passage.

And then it happens. Our dog, our sweet little Rosie, start barking at me. You see Rosie is prejudiced. She doesn’t like people who “walk funny”. I first noticed this when she was quite little. When we were out for a walk, she would be fine with people who strode past – or even ran past – us. But if somebody loitered or lurked or was even just waiting at the curb for their lift, she barked and growled at them. If people shuffled or limped or hobbled she barked and growled at them. She still barks at our gardener (whom she’s known since she was 2 months old) because he limps (a result of an accident), and at the disabled person who goes to the gym close-by, and at the 90-year old (my estimate) gentleman who walks – or rather shuffles – every morning at the same time we do.

So here is Rosie, the dog I’ve raised and loved, and spend almost 24/7 with for over two years, barking at me as if I’m an alien intruder. She stops once she realizes it’s me, and then furrows her brow and looks puzzled. Here’s one of her favourite people indulging in some very suspicious behaviour . . . and she doesn’t know how to handle it.

Twenty fours hours later, I am alternately shuffling or moving chameleon-like with very slow, deliberate actions. Rosie is still confused. She no longer barks at me, but she periodically nudges me as if to say “now walk properly”. She’s following me around constantly as I use furniture to “walk myself up” into a standing position or steady myself using walls and counters. As she watches me with a puzzled frown, I’m wondering if she’ll be more tolerant to those that “walk funny” in future?

A typical Rosie frown. ©LB/notesfromafrica.wordpress.com

Unfortunately, this is a true story so I’m not at my desk much. I hopefully will return to more regular posting soon, as well as catching up on those blogs I follow.