Sandy really sings his blues.

I woke at 8 this morning to the sound of Liz closing her car door on her way to work. Sandy barked, just once, then was quiet. I was only vaguely aware of it as I rose up through the mist to consciousness. Then he started to howl and "sing". I've never heard him do that before and initially had no idea what was going on so got up and rushed downstairs.

Sandy dances, literally bounces between front and back paws repeatedly, his tail whipping the air to a froth, when he sees me & realises he's not alone.

"Hey Sandy, what's the matter with you?"

"Oh Dad, it's you, I didn't know you were here, it's so good to see you, I thought you'd gone out."

"I did, I took Lauren to the airport this morning for 5:30 and came back home not long after 6 o'clock."

"I didn't know you came back Dad, I must've been asleep."

"You were in Mum's room with her and the door was closed, so yes, probably asleep, and I crept back up the stairs so as not to wake Mum, so it's possible that you missed me. Anyway, back to my original question, what's the matter with you, you were sitting in the hall howling at the top of your voice."

"Well Dad, this is a bit embarrassing but I thought I was alone and so able to express how sad and lonely I felt."

"Why did you feel sad & lonely?"

"Because I thought I was alone and likely to be that way all morning and a good part of the afternoon."

"Oh dear, I had no idea you felt so bad about being left in the house on your own."





"You never asked me Dad."

"You're right, I didn't and I'm sorry for that now. It pains me to think how awful you feel and I'm sorry we've made you feel that way."

"That's OK Dad, don't worry about it but now you know how bad I feel left alone you'll be able to stop it happening again, won't you?"

I had a sinking sensation, this was going to be difficult to explain.

"Well Sandy it's not that straightforward."

"How come Dad?"

"Well Mum has to go to work and so do I, Lauren is at university in Exeter most of the year so I don't see how it's to be avoided."

"But you know now how bad it makes me feel."

"Yes son I do and we have tried other ways to get around leaving you alone but you're not happy with those either."

"You mean taking me with you in the car and leaving me there when you go to work?"

"Yes, that was one thing we tried but it distressed you badly. Mum can't take you into her office as she works in a hospital and dogs aren't allowed in there so I tried taking you to my office but you wouldn't settle and whined all the time, so much so that we couldn't work and had to put you back in the car."

"Why would you imagine that leaving me in a car all alone at the side of a busy road was better than leaving me at home?"

"We thought that by coming to take you for a walk every couple of hours you'd be less bored than being left at home for a few hours at a time."

"But I'm frightened sitting in a car in a place I don't know with strangers constantly passing by, some of them try to talk to me and, when I bark at them to go away because I'm frightened, they laugh at me. It's fine to laugh when your adversary is safely locked up but they wouldn't do it if I was outside the car 'cause they know what they would get!"

"Now, now, you're becoming overwrought, calm down and keep the discussion sensible. You wouldn't bite those people would you."

"No Dad I wouldn't, but that doesn't mean I'd take their laughing at me lying down, I'd bark and growl at them, raise my hackles and put the mad look in my eyes, then they'd stop."

"That would stop them, they'd be frightened you were going to attack them."

"We're drifting from the point Dad, what can you do to alleviate my loneliness?"

"I'm a bit stumped Sandy; you say we're not to leave you alone at home, we can't take you work and leave you in the car and you're not well behaved in the office - I really don't know what to do."

"I've got a suggestion Dad."

"Great, what is it?"

"Get me a friend, human or canine, to stay with me when you're out."

We use to have 2 dogs, Sandy & Snowie, but Snowie died last year and we didn't get another as we were so upset when he died.

"I can't agree to that on my own Sandy, I'd need to talk to Liz & Lauren about it, another dog is a big responsibility for us and we can't magic up another human to dog sit you. I'll talk to them but please don't build your hopes up, it's a long shot."

"I know I can depend on you Dad."

"You can depend on me but you've got to understand what you can depend on me for; I will talk to them, I will try to persuade them that another dog is a good idea but I cannot be made responsible for their views, if they don't agree there's nothing I can do about it & that's not my fault. Will you accept that & not cast it up to me?" - I know what he's like the little devil.

"Yes Dad that's accepted but just one more thing?"

I'm being manoeuvred, I know I am, by a dog.

"Well what is it?"

"Please make sure that the new dog knows he's junior to me, status is important in the K9 kingdom."

I knew he'd pull a stroke on me, somehow he always does, now I'm trapped between a dog and a hard place. To avoid further discussion I go off in search of a cup of hot chocolate, hoping for inspiration & consolation.