I Hypnotized a Dog

I was a kid. Uncle Clifford and Aunt Sylvia had a Cocker Spaniel whose name I don’t remember. I was sitting outside, I think, and was petting the dog over and over in the same spot with the same stroke, same amount of time between strokes. I was just staring, not really thinking about anything. When I snapped out of it, I pet the dog in a different spot and she jumped up and bit me in the mouth. Bottom jaw inside my mouth, top jaw outside my mouth. So I guess I should say that first I hypnotized a dog and then got an angry dog kiss. True story.

I spend a lot of time petting Uli. But never in the same spot for a long time. Lesson learned.

Showering your dog with affection feels pretty great especially since the dog loves every second of it. Sometimes. Here is a bit of insight into Uli: He lets me hug him when we’re alone but when Paul is in the same room, he acts all embarrassed. And for those who aren't sure, here's how you hug an Uli: You tell him to sit and then you kneel down in front of him. Then you scoot forward until you are very close and then you wrap your arms around him. And if Paul isn’t in the room, he’ll lean his neck into yours and tilt his head so that it touches yours.