Older Dog Wisdom: Tux 34 - Alarm Clock Needs

For more years than I care to say and with few exceptions, I’ve not set an alarm clock. Who needs one when I have Tux? His internal alarm clock is more persistently accurate than my own so we use his.

Of course, his alarm clock can be more erratic than mine. Take this morning, Tux began his pacing, which can be as annoying as any inanimate alarm clock, at 5:30 am. He paces from the back door to my side of the bed over and over until I wake up. If that doesn’t work, he’ll put his front paws on the bed near my head and stares. That always works. I don’t know what it is about a staring dog, but it works every time. I got up and let him and his sister, Grace, outside. I prefer to get up around six, he gets up whenever nature calls.

Ignore him, you say? Not possible. Nor is it particularly smart considering that he needs to go outside. Ignoring him has dire consequences that I prefer not to face at any hour, but particularly not at 5:30 in the morning.

Occasionally, I’ll wake up and glance at the clock and find that it’s after seven. I don’t know why that happens. Tux is fast asleep and has to be awakened. I’ve often wondered if he gets up in the middle of the night and watches TV or something. I can imagine him sitting in my chair with his paw on the remote surfing the channels until he comes across something interesting like the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show or old reruns of Lassie.

Lesson Learned

Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. It is much more pleasant being awakened by a pacing Tux than the blare of an electronic alarm clock. Plus, since he’s not terribly consistent, it’s always interesting not knowing when I’ll be awakened. Adds a bit of spice to my life and I’ve learned not to make many very early appointments, a bonus in and of itself.