U-Day

Someone asked me the other day if I had noticed a change in Prada’s personality or behavior since I got her. We’ve been together one year, as of today, so this is our anniversary tribute entry. Has Prada changed at all over our year-long relationship? I would say yes, but not too visibly to the casual observer. She has, in some ways, settled quite a bit. She’s not quite as skittish and nervous when we move to a new location, and her eating habits are more stable. She’s become much clingier, if that’s even possible. If I leave a room she sits at the door and waits for me, or sits wherever I left her, or tries to follow me, even if she’s not supposed to. Prada has developed the closest thing to a sense of humor as a dog could possibly get, pulling pranks like sneaking up and poking people, hiding and surprising us, and sticking her squeaky toy on my chair when I get up.

What have I learned about Prada’s personality? She is an extrovert. It was at first hard for me, an introvert, to understand how I could pour so much love and time and energy into her and have her still go nuts every time she saw someone she recognized but I have come to realize, through making so many extroverted human friends, that Prada is like that: she has enough love for everyone, but her allegiance is foremost mine. She is still willful at times, so we’re still working on obedience a bit, but in general I can rely on her to obey any command. I have also learned that she is a morning person and I am a night person. But since I can understand this concept and she can’t it’s important for me to adjust my habits to suit her. It’s hard, I’ll admit. Most of my friends are night-owls, so if I want to stay up with them I have to be prepared for a tired morning. My self-discipline could use a bit of a kick to make sure I get up at a slightly more reasonable hour to make more time for Prada, but overall I think I’m managing fairly well.

We just moved into a new residence hall last week. One of my 3 human roommates wanted to move to the brand new residence hall but the other two and I wanted to switch to the res hall right next door to Franz, so the three of us staying on this side of campus (now in North, or NCRH), took up a handicapped suite. This one is a 3-person suite, much like our old one but on one side of the common room there is one large, wheelchair accessible bedroom and private bath and on the other side there are two normal bedrooms and a bathroom for them to share. There’s a bit more space overall, the bathrooms (both of them) are larger, and Prada likes the new arrangement because it’s easier for her to keep an eye on all parties without having to roam down menials to see everyone. Shepherd instinct. This means a new hallway to run up and down and chase balls in, new neighbors, new walking routines, and Prada loves it.