lick monster

On the Fourth, my sister came over to eat an indoor picnic (the best kind- no ants). Tug was worn out from the firecrackers and fireworks over the preceeding weekend and nights before plus some storms. He just doesn't like the noise- he's not afraid and doesn't go crazy- it just tires him out. Mama had even bought him a new bed to put in different places to entice him to nap. Well, whenever we're at the table the "lick monster" appears. Tug is either saying "aren't I pitiful, won't you love me" or "I love you, isn't this comforting" or "I'm pitiful, I'm sorry" or "please notice me." We've never figured out which it is, actually. So, Tug went into the crate for dinner so we could eat in peace. Later, we gathered back at the table to play a board game and the "lick monster" returned. What sort of worked was to put this new bed on the laminate floor between my sister and me so one of us could reach down and pat his head frequently. (If you ask him to "sit" and you're standing on laminate he'll back up until his hind paws hit carpet and then sit- with his butt on the carpet.) This allowed Tug to be off the laminate, in between us and part of the action. Finally, after a long round of watching us play, he finally lay down to half doze/half sulk. He's great at guilt trips that way but, in reality, he's very well loved and cared for so we don't totally feel bad and sometimes we just laugh. If this poor boy understood how cushy his life was he'd learn to make breakfast and feed US in bed!!