Night time shadow

Dottie is a crazy, feisty, scrappy, puppy who spends most of the day playing with Alven, trying to get into mischief and socializing with her neighborhood friends. She doesn't really pay too much attention to me during her busy work hours and only checks in from time to time to make sure I'm still where she left me last. But at night when she's eaten her dinner and starts winding down for the day she becomes my little shadow. She always has to be near me, or at least have me in her sights. She follows me around wherever I go and when I sit somewhere she'll find a comfy spot and settle down too. No matter how tired she is she will not go to bed without me. Somtimes I look over and think she's totally passed out but if I move even a smidge from where I am her eyes will pop open and she looks up to see what's going on. She tracks me with her eyes and if I move out of some invisible perimeter she gets up to trail behind. Even if it's just to make sure I make it to the fridge and back all right.

It actually makes me feel guilty if I have to get up and she's sleeping because I know she's tired and there's no convincing her to just stay and wait for me to come back. I'll even think twice about getting up to go to the bathroom! Especially, when I'm in the front of the house where my art table is and I have to go to the bathroom which is three rooms away. I'll look over at her and she's sleeping, but I know that the second she senses I'm leaving the room she'll get up and trudge groggily behind me like a reluctant body guard. So I'll think "hmm...is it an emergency and worth waking her up, or can I wait until I'm done with my work and heading that way to bed anyway?" I'm almost a little embarrassed to admit that there have been times I'll just hold off because I feel bad waking her up. Or, I'll look over, feel bad for keeping her from the comforts of her doggy bed, and head to bed before I planned to just so she'll go too.

She might be my night time protector, but this pup has me wrapped around her dew claw.