“You’re Late… and I Have Feelings.”

Hello, my sassy friends…

It’s me. Ovi Paw-some. Pittie. Princess. Professional Tail-Wagger.

My BFF and I have been doing a lot of texting lately (yes, telepathic pittie texting is a thing).

Why? Because our human parents keep working late. We never really know when they’re

coming home… and that makes our little velvet hippo hearts anxious.

So, we calm each other down…We pace together…We stare at the door together. And now?

We need to talk about something important. Something our parents really need to understand!

We love you and depend on you so when you come home late and I don’t mean five minutes late,

I mean later than usual and it keeps happening that’s when the drama begins not that I’m a drama

queen, let make that clear!

What Keeps Popping in My Head?

Is she abandoning us? Especially for rescue dogs like me. We are not “just dogs.”

We are pack animals. You are our pack. You are our person. You are our everything.

What It Feels Like on My Side of the Door

I feel like I’m going to have a panic attack…

 Confused – The sun moved. The house smells less like you. The routine is off.

 Anxious – Why hasn’t the garage made that beautiful sound yet?

 On alert – Was that your car? No. My tail goes down & I go back to my corner.

 Restless – Maybe if I pace, you’ll appear?

 A little dramatic – Maybe I chew something…I have an accident… just to cope.

You must understand that we don’t understand clocks or the concept of time as you know it.

We understand patterns and when the pattern breaks, our little hearts wobble.

How We “Tell Time”?

Here is the cool thing… We are like cowboys out in the prairie guided by nature and familiar

sounds in our surroundings

 The sunlight shifting.

 Your scent slowly fading.

 The sound of cars in the driveway.

 The rhythm of the house (I don’t mean Bad Bunny, although I watched the Super Bowl

Half-Time and we did some “perreando”!) I mean the noises of the house when you are

there.

So, when your scent gets lighter and the driveway stays silent…My brain goes in alert mode.

“Something is different. Something is wrong.” And yes… sometimes that turns into:

 Pacing

 Whining

 Barking

 Staring at the door like it personally offended me

 Maybe chewing something I absolutely should not chew

I may do all of that not because I’m bad or don’t love you. It’s because I’m stressed (and I can’t

have a glass of wine to ‘distress’ like you do!).

But Then You Walk In

OMG! (OH MY DOG!!!) You’re back! My entire body explodes with excitement…

 Tail helicopters

 Wiggle dances

 Face kisses

 Jumping like I just won the lottery

That’s not “hyper behavior. That is relief. That’s dog happiness. That is…“My pack is whole

again.”

What We Wish You Knew

If you’re going to be late often, help us out a little. Here’s what makes it easier:

 Keep a consistent routine when you can.

 Leave a TV or radio on — background noise feels less lonely.

 Practice short absences and build up slowly.

 Give us a calm hello when you return (I know, I know… I’m irresistible).

Most of all? Remember we don’t measure time.

We measure presence and your presence is safety. Your presence is comfort. Your presence is

home.

So, mom, (and all the other moms) if you’re late…

Just remember there’s a bundle of love somewhere sitting by the door, sniffing the air, listening

for your car, loving you wildly.