Our first date!

The subject line is a little misleading!

Carol and I just had our first dinner date of the year! To understand that situation, you have to understand that Ray’s separation anxiety is currently such that we cannot leave him alone so, wherever we go… he goes!

He is not allowed in cafes and restaurants etc., but we have a pub which is about a 20 minute walk away; which has an outdoor patio, and on which Ray is allowed! Our dinner dates are therefore limited to the Summer when the King’s Arms have their patio open!

This time we met a couple of friends there, who were instrumental in reviewing the early drafts of Ray’s book, and as we all sat around chatting, Ray got himself comfortable between Carol and I, and partially underneath our table. All was well until  Carol needed to use the pub’s “facilities”. She got up and walked into the pub, and out of sight of Ray!

Initially he just watched the pub door waiting for her to come out again. This is his normal routine whenever Carol disappears behind a door, and typically lasts a few minutes before he starts to get agitated. True to his history, and after a few minutes, he was standing and looking very pensive at the door.

A Ray, standing in a busy patio, and where everybody is sitting, is fairly noticeable because his head is above the table top.  Anybody who happened to glance over in our direction would have seen this large brown furry head staring across our table and at the door into the pub.

Historically, his next move is to try and find Carol and save her from whatever evil elements are keeping her behind that door (Reference “The Appointment” in Ray’s book). As expected, that was indeed his next move, but of course he was limited by his leash… but that has never stopped him from trying to “save” Carol!

While I was chatting with our friends and stroking Ray in an effort to calm him down a little, he had other plans and suddenly he was climbing over me. Just as he was across my lap, his leash restrained him but he was not going to give up!

Try and imagine that same patio but there is a customer with an agitated 75-80lbs German Shepherd/Rotti X on his lap who clearly had an agenda in mind. Needless to say, he was the focus of attention for quite some time. When Carol eventually appeared, Ray vocalized his displeasure and then returned to his chill-out position beneath our table, and the customers returned to their earlier conversations… but I bet some of them will remember that evening! 

21 thoughts on “Our first date!”

  2. Kate Crimmins's avatar

    Perhaps he needs to understand that people pee in buildings and not behind bushes. Would he jump on Carol if you went inside? Now that would be something. I don’t expect that she is as big as you are.

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