Kishore Singh: A dog's life, after all

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Depending on how you look at it, a dog's life is either good or very good. Troy, our pet daschund couldn't have it better. He's fed and watered (in a manner of speaking), and in the hours he isn't dozing off (which aren't too many), he's being pampered silly, and not just by the family.

It's an odd thing, really, but more people these days seem to be dog lovers than before, and even though there is the odd guest who will suck in his breath and ask for its removal from the premises, most others are more tolerant of pets and not above giving the mutt a pat or two while he falls asleep at their feet.

Troy, in fact, seems to have developed snoozing into a form of high art. When we'd got him, much was made of getting him his own bed and cushions. He was not permitted on the sofas, and certainly never in bed.

That worked for a couple of months until he was diagnosed with a somewhat lengthy (and painful) disease that needed careful nursing.

But having made it through that patch of woods, he found that the family was likely to be a little more indulgent. So, if you sat in front of the TV, he'd look up at you as though you were guilty of the worst form of racism, and sure enough someone would pat the sofa, and he'd be up in a trice, burrowing between arms and legs to find himself the cosiest corner to curl up and sleep in.

From there to the bed was only a matter of time. First, he'd sit on the bed while we read. Later, he started to sneak under the quilts. Finally, of course, he staked full rights, even demanding a pillow on which to rest his head. If you dozed off, he'd nestle up into the crook of your hand. And should you want to make the bed, he could get quite snappy.

With two years of practice, he now has us all trained to accommodate his sleeping habits. For starters, there's my daughter, who's always the first to hit the sack. As soon as the lights go off in her bedroom, Troy will sneak into the bed (there's some confusion should my son turn in first). Later in the night though, when the cook, to whom he's gastronomically attached, winds up for the night, Troy will arrive to stake claim to her bed.

Since the cook has no family in the city, she lavishes the dog with undue affection, and has claimed nocturnal sleeping rights with it.

The moment they're back in the apartment in the morning, Troy will once again jump into my daughter's bed, shaking her awake. Once she's up, Troy will sneak into my son's bedroom and snuggle up beside him. And finally, when my son's up too, it's time for the canine to favour us with a visit. Since I usually get out of our bed first, Troy will continue to sleep beside my wife, and will finally have to be ousted for breakfast.

He likes a little snooze after breakfast, and will curl up on his cushions for the next couple of hours, till the children return from school. He'll then join them on the sofa while they watch TV, or perch on their lap while they sit in front of the computer. In the afternoons, he'll doze off on the beanbag with the sunlight streaming in, but in the evening he prefers to join the family. Trouble is, when guests drop by, while they may not mind a dog wagging its tail affectionately, they're averse to sharing their chair with it. Poor mutt, it is a dog's life, after all.