Charlie is not happy with us this morning. He didn’t get his breakfast this morning. No carrots as treats, no fruit after our breakfast and no water. No, we’ve not decided to save money by rotating starving a different dog each day. Even though it may come to that if gas prices keep going up. No, Charlie has an appointment with the vet to get his teeth cleaned this morning, so it was no food or water after midnight for Charlie.
Which sucks for us, because even though we know why he can’t have anything while the other two get to dine sumptuously on Science Diet dog food, all the water they want and the exotic carrots they devour as treats, try explaining that to a dog. All Charlie understands is that while AJ and Orso were eating breakfast this morning, he was locked up in the bathroom with Mitch. Some consolation prize for a hungry dog. I could hear the angry yelps all the way from the other side of the house behind the closed doors.
The look on his face after coming back from our walk was scary when no carrots were handed out to any of the dogs. The other two kept looking at each other then at me wondering what was up too. But I figured it would be truly cruel to pass out treats to two and not Charlie. It was a challenge putting the water bucket down on the floor for AJ and standing guard, hovering over the water bowl until he was finished so Charlie wouldn’t try to drink any. After watching with a hurt look on his face, Charlie finally left the kitchen and lay down in the dining room, waiting to be forgiven for whatever he did wrong and finally get to eat.
After our breakfast was over and no one got any pineapple chunks as is the usual custom, we have labs and they eat anything, remember, Charlie gave me one last hurt look of self pity and stomped off to the bedroom. There he curled up into a tight little ball and refused to lift his head to look at me when I tried to pet him and explain once again why he couldn’t have anything to eat or drink. I know he doesn’t understand me or care, all he knows is that I won’t feed him. So of course now I feel terribly guilty even though as a human being with opposable thumbs, I know that what we’re doing is the best for him. It doesn’t help though does it?
When I left to go to work, Charlie still refused to look at me, curled in that tight ball. I had no idea that dogs pout. Who knew?
A woman's view of hunting...with men 