Lesson From Bella--Just Stay Where You Are

We have a small dog called Bella. I have written about her before. Bella loves to lie on soft blankets. I will often spread out a blanket for her to lie on, usually on the couch, so that she can be part of the family life inside. The problem with Bella is that she is not satisfied staying on that blanket. She will sometimes wait until I am out of the room and then sneak into another spot, often onto a softer blanket. When she does this, I tell her she is a bad dog for not listening and I expect her to act as if she is guilty and to move, yet usually she cowers where she is and doesn't seem to understand what she has done wrong. I guess from her point of view, she was merely moving to where it seemed warmer, and then I came in and began to yell at her for no reason that she understood. This is like wondering why someone keeps doing the same thing wrong over and over, but have you ever explained to the person what he or she was doing wrong? Maybe the person has no idea! Of course, if Bella keeps doing this, I'm going to send her outside or to another spot where she can't get onto the other blankets, so she should have remained where she was.

Something else that Bella will sometimes do is get up from where she was lying down quite comfortably, to see what I am doing in the kitchen. Normally I am not doing much that would interest her, and then I get irritated when I see Bella hovering, watching me, so I open the kitchen door and let her out. Of course she didn't really want to go outside, she wanted to see what I am doing, in case she missed something, and I might hear her whining outside to be let in a short while later. If only she would understand that she should remain where she is in the first place, as it is much more comfortable, than to make a nuisance of herself.


So, on the one hand, Bella sneaks off to find a more comfortable spot, or on the other hand, she sneaks off to see what other people are up to. Both times, if she only stayed where she was, she might be happier. I guess there is a lesson for people in that too!