Dinner is in the oven, homemade cheesy garlic bread waiting on the top to go in for the last 10 minutes. Messenger is off "Hello, hello, hello" (my messenger notification sound) and I see it's numerous puppy photos from Katrina with one of our usual chats ...spot the L/C's. Damn, they won't open in the kitchen, I need to be nearer to the router ... 5 mins later I've made my prediction and I'm chatting to Steve about it when I think OMG cheesy garlic, Zeus has a cheese fetish.
I go thundering into the kitchen and swear, one bit stripped of cheese is in his bed, and he's working on the other bit! Now I'm pissed off and I make it known, I pick up both bits of bread and I'm ranting when Zeus starts to growl, I rant louder and he snaps up at the air. I screamed at him and sent him to his bed closing him in crate so I can cool down. I'd never seen him like that before, 13 months back here and a new situation, that let's face it, I handled badly!
Now who's fault was it? Well mine obviously, and I was aware of that. I really was annoyed with myself for being careless, more so than with him for doing what dogs do. I could see he was scared, his whole demeanour showed me fear, and he growled to try and show me that he was unhappy, with no option for flight he considered choosing fight. Thinking more sensibly, I then let him go into his crate, his place of safety, and closed the door so we could both cool down. Zeus was not aggressive, Zeus was scared, and I wonder now about the other "incidences" in his past life and I can only conclude that they were a reaction to fear. Is it learnt behaviour by a previously badly managed situation? Ok maybe he's overreacting, maybe deep down the clown has a streak of nervousness which is not obvious in his family members here, and maybe because we generally have a relaxed lifestyle it's not something we've seen in him at home before.
