Last Saturday, Emil was our guest. It was a lot to take in for him, being away from his "mom" and caretaker, Dina, for a whole day.
We have been pet-sitting him before, but just for an hour or two. We hoped a whole day would work out fine for him, and why not? Tilde is one of his best friends. He has showed to trust me too. We had a lot going for us to make it work. When I picked him up in the morning I felt nervous though. Considering his puppy-mill history, his relationship with Dina means so much more to him than what you would normally expect. To Emil, Dina is like the air he needs to breath.
Emil also had his own thoughts about it all. At first he didn't payed us much attention when he arrived. He was convinced Dina would walk in through the gate at any time soon now. Tilde even explored her rare gentle side to get his attention, but he ignored her attempts to charm him.
https://youtu.be/6yryECQER38
When Emil realized Dina wasn't coming anytime soon, he appointed me as his comfort zone for the day and came regularly to collect an ear-rub or had a sudden need to have his back scratched. He looked at me with the softest eyes he could muster, asking me the only possible question on his mind, "My mom is coming soon now, don't you think?"
"She will come soon Emil. But I don't think Tilde is finished with you yet."
I knew Tilde wouldn't accept no for an answer for much longer. She can only show empathy for so long. Probably sooner than later, our self-appointed Center of the Universe would claim her attention. In Tilde's world, to play and have fun is not optional.
Her first attempts to wreak some havoc failed. But she has so many tricks up her sleeve. Maybe bite a little in your bandana? Running in circles around you? Whatever works, she will try it. Eventually Emil had no other option but to join. He re-found his appetite for playing with Tilde again, joined the fun again and again, until they both crashed late into the evening, from sheer exhaustion. They probably continued their play together in dream world.
I think Emil had quite a good day after all.
https://youtu.be/ZQrKynBbJgI
So sweet. I'm glad they had fun.
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