The Evolution of Tessa

Tessa, my beloved, gentle-spirited 100 pound lapdog will be eight years old soon.  It amazes me how much she continues to change and evolve.  As she’s getting older her olfactory system seems to be gaining steam.   When out on a run or fast hike I now often find myself telling her, “Come on!  Less sniffing, more exercising!”  And she now stops much more often and more forcefully to “check her Pee-mails” (that’s what I call it when she sniffs each fencepost and fire hydrant that other dogs have visited). 

Recently she’s developed anther new practice.  Although she has a pet door that gives her easy access to her fenced backyard, she now, on a daily basis demands, through staring at me and barking, to go out into the front yard.  Often (probably too often) I give in and let her out to “check out the front 40 in the cul-de-sac.   She has always loved grabbing a pair of my fluffy fleece socks and having me chase her for them.  But now, her truly favorite thing seems to be getting me to chase her around to retrieve my fluffy socks out in the front cul-de-sac.   My poor neighbors have likely seen me out there in my bathrobe and bare feet more often than they’d like! 

Just a few days ago was the newest evolution.   She has never been a “ball dog” – chasing and fetching haven’t interested her much.  But the other day, she and I had just come in from the garage where I’d parked the car.  As soon as I closed the door leading from the garage into the kitchen she turned around and asked to go back into the garage.  Weird.  She’d never that before.  But she kept at it and eventually I opened the door.  She went out and stared intently at my clothes dryer.  The only possible reason I could imagine was that on top of the dryer, above her line of sight, was a tennis ball.  It had been there for longer than I could remember, probably a couple of years.   I showed it to her and she went wild – all happy and joyous, flipping it around the house. 

It fascinates me to see her mind and personality grow and change.  I think probably any well cared for sentient being goes through these types of changes in behaviors and habits.  It now has me wondering if she could speak human language what would she reveal about the changes in my own habits and patterns over these past many years?  One thing surely would be constant and that is my joy and gratitude to have been lucky enough to cross paths with this delightful creature that now seems to like tennis balls.  Who knows what’s next.

Cylvia Hayes

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