There are things my dog does that he really shouldn’t. Admittedly fewer than a year ago and a gift away from two, yet none the less he really shouldn’t bark and sniff when someone comes to the door.

For awhile I stood guard. The first to know someone was approaching the door; I could get him sitting and focused before the first knock. The scenario was like I know there’s someone at the door and I’m not opening the door until you stop barking. I thought he was barking to tell me someone was at the door, and he was. I also began to sense that he was barking about something about me.

When my ear started recognizing differences in his barking so much so, that I knew who was coming to the door, I realized there where definitely times he barked less, almost as if he’d less to bark about. Now, the scenario is more like I know there’s someone at the door and I’m okay with this. I do not care about the unswept floor, the clutter of shoes and the dishes piled on the counter. It’s a day in process. Like everyone’s, it’s messy. And, I’m not opening the door until you stop barking.

I make apologies for keeping guests waiting. Embarrassing as this can be, I’m encouraged when frequent visitors comment that my answer time is steadily decreasing. I’m on sniff patrol these days. There iscompletely no sniffing above the ankle, nothing too personal. Some visitors don’t mind, and some enjoy, sharing about where they’ve been and all the things that happened while they were there. Sniffing below the ankle is negotiable. Some visitors have just come to rest a moment. They prefer that you don’t sniff.

Now that we can be welcoming and reasonably hospitable we are working out appropriate invitations to play. I have never stole my guests’ shoes and cantered about the house to incite a game of chase. I’m not sure where this comes from, but sometimes, the expression on his face seems to state ‘careful nothing too personal’.