I have a good relationship with my dog, Trixie. She is my constant companion and has been since I adopted her in May 2007. We've grown together quite well.
One thing that hasn't changed, however, is how she misses me when I'm gone. Since I got her, Trixie has displayed a severe case of separation anxiety. She barks and cries when I leave, whether for work or the grocery store, and she will do anything to get out of her kennel. Anything. My boyfriend (a mechanical engineer and great welder) and I are currently building a kennel that should be strong enough to hold her. We're making it out of steel. The project is code named "doggie jail." (Well, I guess that's not really code...)
Trixie may not know it, but I know what it's like to miss her. This past Friday my mom came to pick up Trixie because I had a busy weekend planned--boyfriend's sister's wedding all day Saturday, recovering from said wedding on Sunday (at a barbecue!). Today I'll go to pick her up. It's been weird without her here. She's normally sitting next to me while I type and read on my laptop, nudging me to pet her. She barks when people pull into the gravel driveway. She whines to go outside. But the past two days and three nights, there has been no Trixie. It's strange. I'm just so used to having her around. Sure, initially it's nice to have a vacation from constant dog duty. I have to say, though, I much prefer her company to no company at all... I miss her.
When I got to get her from my parents' house today, she'll jump on me and cry and bark because she has missed me too. She'll go a little crazy and then get excited to go in the car... When we come home, she'll be a little calmer and I'll pet her and tell her I love her. It's what we usually go through when we've spent time apart, more time than a typical workday anyway. She's a great dog, even though she hits a nerve with me each time she tries to escape her kennels, and I wouldn't trade her for the world.
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