A Girl and Her Dog: Meal Time

Val and my dog have a very strong bond. Ellie, aka the pooch, loves Val - she cozies up next to her on the floor, lets Val crawl over to her and pull on her ears, and freaks out when I go upstairs with Val to put her down for the night. I mentioned in a post last month that Ellie was also whining and crying when we left the house, and after some detective work I discovered that it is only when we leave the house with Val that she really freaks out.

Ellie is no dummy when it comes to meal time. In the beginning of feeding Val solid food Ellie would hover around her high chair and jump when Val would accidentally drop food on the ground. Now that Val is older (1 year next Wednesday - gasp!) she is hip to the groove - she knows why Ellie is sitting right next to her during meals, and figures since they are best buds, might as well make things easy for the pooch. Hence our daily battles with Val to get her to stop feeding the pooch.


I can tell already that Val is going to be our little troublemaker when she grows up. She is already a little sassy minx, but when you tell her to stop feeding the pooch? Fuggedaboutit....

It goes something like this:

Me: Valerie, remember, don't feed the pooch. Eat your food. Don't give it to the pooch!
Val: Yup. Got it mom. You tell me every meal. 

Val: Oh you mean this food right here? I really think the pooch wants some.
Me: Put that in your mouth. Do Not Feed The Pooch!

Val: Let me just see if...See Mom, I told you she is hungry.
Me: NO! STOP!

Val (following an ear-piercing scream): WOMAN! Don't tell me to stop feeding the pooch! I do what I want!

You don't understand what Pooch and I have together...we have an understanding...

Wait, is that Mickey Mouse Clubhouse? I love this show!

Me: Valerie do not feed the pooch!!!

This is a face she does when she doesn't like what I say - It is like a snort face but she just breaths through her nose loudly. I call it her sassy face. And I see it often at meal time when I tell her not to feed the pooch.  

Val: Pooch, you want to just lick my hand? There is chicken residue on there. 

Val: No? I will just have a drink. You wait there. The large human will give me more chicken soon. 

Val: You sure you don't want to just smell it? 

Pooch: Wait, is that a tiny piece of chicken on there? Nope. Just vegetable. I don't do vegetables. 

Pooch: The medium sized human behind the camera doesn't understand us. We have an agreement.