15 Minutes

Emme has many quirky habits and I often wonder "Why does Emme do that?" Ken has always said if he had 15 minutes where Rudy could talk, Ken would have many questions he would want answered. I want 15 minutes with Emme. She would have a lot to tell me.

She waits to eat until Rudy is done. Is that because she considers him the alpha dog and is waiting her turn? After Ken and Rudy get up in the morning, Emme waits patiently in her crate until I turn on the lamp on the night stand and then we get up. How does she know that we get up at different times? She loves for me to hold a chewie for her to gnaw on. Is that a hold over from some wolf eating behavior from the past? She loves to be touched but runs away when I am ready to wash her eyes and paws. I know it doesn't hurt her. Why does she run? She runs away from me; I tell her "Sit" and she does and I pick her up, take her to the laundry room to wash and brush her. We do this every day. Why does she resist this?

Bichons are supposed to be lap dogs. Emme is a leg dog. If we put a quilt over ourselves while we are in the recliner chairs, she jumps up on our legs, not our laps, and settles down. Why does she choose legs over laps? She loves to climb under the love seat at the lake house. If we don't respond, she will whine to let us know that she is there. Then when we say "Where's Emme?" She is happy. What is that game?

Emme is not a real enthusiastic eater; she has a casual approach to meals. But she seems to know when it is almost breakfast time and dinner time. I don't think it is because she is really hungry because often she eats very little. What does she observe that makes her know a meal is coming?

She loves to ride in the car. As soon as we get started, she settles down in my lap and naps for the whole ride. Why is this fun? She could just as easily nap at home. When we return home from a ride in the car, she seems to know when we get to our street and gets excited. How does she know where she is? When we leave the house and don't take the dogs, we put the dogs in their crates. They watch us and sometimes are in the crates before we give the command. Do they understand that putting on our coats and turning on the outside lights means we are leaving the house? How did they figure this out?

Maybe I need more than 15 minutes.