My little pirate has been growing up a little more each day. On Saturday, we took her to the park in the car for a walk. Like all vehicles, it is mainly a two-seater, with the second row of seats folded down. I put a lower deck in the van for dog shows, and she has trouble seeing through the windows, plus those don’t open so you don’t get to feel the breeze on your face. The car windows are marked so those are opened enough for her head to go through, but not enough for her neck, to prevent her bursting through. So, in the car, she gets to hang her head out, and this gives her great joy. On Saturday, there was an added bonus of chill and light drizzle. For a human, drizzle with the windows open is less joyful, but the math adds up when you see the smile in the rear view mirrors.
When we got back from our walk, our little girl demonstrated something new. I am always pleased when our Newfs begin to learn how, and when, to negotiate. There are times when a command isn’t to be questioned, and there are times when the humans need to listen, and in-between times there is room for practice. When we put the ramp in place, Grace remained seated with her back to the rear of the front seats, head down with an expression of disappointment. Not long ago, when the chill first arrived, we took her for a couple of joy rides. Clearly, she didn’t want the ride to end yet. When the humans recognized this, we negotiated back. “OK, but we will have to do that later. We have work to do right now.” Trustingly but reluctantly, she got up and came out. [It’s a hard thing to disappoint a good Newf, but negotiations must go both ways.]
There is a certain softness and flexibility that evolves with learning. But there is still pirate.
In the mornings, for most mornings, she gets onto the bed early and we have a snuggle and play session. She goes into play mode with a jubilant expression, and she still makes garbled pirate noises. But one morning recently, she fell asleep while I was cuddling her. I had her paws in my hand, feeling her pads on one side and the coat on top of her toes on the other. She went into REM cycle and her toes began twitching and moving. Since when do I wake before pirates, and since when do I stay awake while the pirate goes back to sleep? What a strange turn of events.
But little pirates grow up, and they need their sleep. It was the gift of a smile for the human co-pirate.