Big Sister

Our pets often become our children, especially when we are sorely lacking in that department. And so, whether we intend or not, we have a tendency to anthropomorphize our pets. It gets harder when your pet really does think she is a human. Cooper looks at me as if I have just said something funny when I remind her that she is a dog.

I think, however, that there ought to be some understanding for us poor besotted fools who tend to make our pets our children because well... they act like children.

For the last four years in which I've had Cooper she's been an only child and she liked it. She tolerated the cats but I am her mommy and only her mommy and I may be no one else's mommy. She doesn't like to share. And she's never had to. Things were easy because if she wanted attention from me, there was no competition. Things are not exactly the same with her cousins.

Don't get me wrong, she likes having her cousins about. She plays with them and they are helping her explore her inner dog, something that has been sorely lacking. And she gets more help than she really wants from Roxie.

Now, Roxie is a big sister and like all big sisters, she feels as if she must keep her sister in check. On more than one occasion I'll have let the girls outside to go potty before bed. If Kai has seen a cat then she will stay outside to watch for the elusive feline. This usually requires me calling her two or three times before she finally listens. And this is where Roxie reminds me of every big sister I have ever known.

Big sisters feel as if they must take on the role of parent. Why, I dunno. I know that, on more than one occasion my own sister felt as if she needed to become the parent for whatever reason. It drove my brother and me crazy. Roxie does the same thing. If I have called Kai to come inside Roxie will go out and try and bring Kai back in. I can almost hear her yelling at Kai to come in because Aunty said so. And in true little sister fashion, Kai ignored her sister and argues with her the entire way in.

What is really amusing to me is when I tell Kai it's time to come in and Roxie goes outside, tries to grab Kai's neck to bring her in and only when she's shepherded her sister back inside will she look up at me as if to say, See Aunty, I brought her in for you. Silly Roxie. I always thank her but tell her I don't need her to boss her sister around.

What really makes me laugh is when Roxie tries to get Cooper to follow my orders. Now, Cooper's a good dog and we have an understanding. If I call for her in a certain tone she can elect to come or not. It might be her loss but hey, a warm bed all by one's self is a warm bed without anyone to bother her. Sometimes I call her and it's an order, others I call her because she's in big trouble. She usually hides when I use the MOM tone. But Roxie, being a big sister, will sometimes go and fetch her cousin.

Like sisters, I can almost hear the two cousins arguing. Roxie will try and herd Cooper towards me but Coops won't suffer that. So they argue. Loudly. Incessantly. And then I have to yell at the both of them to be quiet. I sometimes threaten to beat them with the biggest stick they can find but they don't seem too concerned.

At bed time Kai will instigate play time with Cooper. She tried with Roxie but she just ignores her little sister. Cooper and Kai snarl and growl and make all sorts of mock fighting noises as they dance and jump and prance and make general nuisance of themselves. Which makes me yell at them to stop it! I'm usually yelling at Coops since she is the elder of the two. At times I yell at them to get off the bed.

Roxie will hold herself very still as if to say, look at me, I'm a good girl. And because she is, she gets to stay up. I don't think either Coops or Kai notice. Kai will jump back up into the bed and race towards me as I am base. Cooper is a step behind her waiting for her to get away from me where she can continue her assault. And Roxie just sits there as if she can show them proper behavior.

Silly girl. I often think that she would love to rough house with Coops and Kai but she's too busy trying to be the good and proper child, to set the standard of behavior by which all other siblings will be measured. And even as I pet her and tell her she's a good girl I laugh. She's definitely a big sister all right.