At some point in the wee hours, I was summoned. Without fully waking, I replied, “You have your own door.” To which I heard some restlessness followed by the sound of the dog door opening and closing. Later I heard her come back in. Without opening my eyes, I didn’t know what time that was, but she was restless again early, letting me know that she wanted me to get up. I started wondering: was it the partial cup of dog food I gave her last night? Sometimes she feels left out when the terrier is fed. Did the dog food upset her GI tract? The weather has been a little cooler, which is inspiring for a Newf with less heat tolerance than most. Perhaps she was wanting to be outside to enjoy the cool morning and she wanted company. Within a short time, she used one of the tactics that was recently made off-limits to communicate her interest: she stepped on the trash can lever. This challenges her self-control, so after a couple of compromises, that one was nixed a few weeks ago. So how does a Newf communicate her interests, which appear somewhat urgent, to a human? She breaks the rule. So I ask, “Are you hungry?” She replies with a direct stare but no affirmation by eye blink.
Being a human less capable of Newfoundland communication, which I sometimes wonder is telepathic, my conclusion is that the dog food made her hungry and that she wants breakfast. I ask, “Do you want to eat breakfast before we go for a walk?” To this she affirms, but not with the usual emphasis that lets me know that I “got it”.
This meant that we would be going for our walk while the sun was fully up and bright. It would also mean that I would need to delay taking the van in for its appointment.
I got up, made breakfast, took care of a few tasks under careful supervision by a restless Newf, then we left. As we reached the park, there were barriers on the road to where we usually park. Looking around to see why, there were food trucks along the north side. Ahhhh. She did it again.
During the hot months of summer, July and August, she doesn’t seem to notice this monthly event, but the weather was cooler with a gentle breeze and it was Food Truck Friday! Now the reason for her extra excitement was clear. It still baffles me how she knows this. We had been at the park late in the afternoon yesterday, and there were no indications about what was coming. The wind would have to be blowing directly from the west to carry the aromas here. It is usually from the north or south, or blowing from the southwest, which would pass by. For Banner, the increased enthusiasm is for the combination of food and social activity. The indicator is probably the smell, with enough molecules of food aroma to signal her senses. In my 40 years of experience, Newfs have better than good scent abilities. They are also very interesting creatures to live with, curious, social and very smart. It is genuinely fascinating to watch how she engages with me and how she engages with other people. Their social skills and problem-solving skills rank with their scent abilities.
At this time in the morning, most of the trucks were still setting up, but Chuy’s Tacos was open, so we had an extra breakfast snack. The double soft corn wrapper is good for sharing, along with some of the carnitas. The thing to remember about Chuy’s is that the green sauce, not the red sauce, is the hot one.
And, at this time in the morning, there were no lines, but there were plenty of people curious about a Newf, so she had some good social interactions.
Pleasant Friday Wishes to All from The Bigfoot Club!
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