By Aubrey Beardsley

So, as you probably know, Human is presently in Australia, visiting Grand Human and Uncle Human and Auntie Simba and Uncle Yum Yum and Uncle Benny. And some other dogs and humans too.

But this is the first time Human has been away from Howard and Jeff for more than a few hours. Deputy is still here, giving us all the loving care we want. So we aren’t afraid. But we do miss Human.

Jeff was a bit worried the first couple of nights. Every time he heard a noise he rushed to see if it was Human, with Howard in hot pursuit. But Howard still really misses Human.

Of all of us, Howard is probably the most insecure. Don’t get me wrong, we all follow Human round the house. And we all snuggle up for cuddles before we are invited. But, for Howard, it won’t be right until Human is back. So, with Human not here, he is a bit worried. Deputy gives us lots of cuddles and gets lots of “technical support” over the phone. But we all know Howard Spring is missing Human.

And you may wonder about all the old advice about having clothes or socks or whatever lying around for them. And, of course, we have all of that, mostly because Human always has some washing waiting! Ha ha! And I’m pretty sure Howard has already absconded with some laundry (he always enjoys that hobby whether or not Human is here). But let’s face it, the whole house usually smells of you humans. That tell-tale “human” smell that we have to explain to all our pals when they visit isn’t going away any time soon! The old sock thing would certainly be of some reassurance if we were going to kennels. But we are home, in our own smelly human space (ha ha), and we know that Human isn’t here, even if Human’s socks are. Well, here and there anyway. *Chuckle*

The thing is, we dogs miss you when you go. Whether we keep that fact to ourselves or whether you come home to find we have climbed the walls and made distress flags of curtains everywhere … we all miss you.

But you know, it’s the quality of the reunion that matters. And it also speaks volumes about you as a human. For instance, before this Christmas visit, Huw had met Grand Human twice before, and I’d met Grand Human only once before, and Jeff and Howard had never met Grand Human at all! But you should have seen our welcome! Jeff and Howard turned themselves inside out with joy when they met Grand Human. I think they caught it from us. And for the entire visit they were snuggling with Grand Human, and climbing in the bed, and snuggling into Grand Human’s lap, and jumping into Grand Human’s suitcase … When you know, you know.

And people sometimes say different breeds do different things. But look at us! We are all different and all exuberant in welcoming our favourite people. And Great Uncle Bulgaria and Grand Human always get the best welcomes of all. And some clever people have shown that even if there seem to be breed differences, the experiences that the individual dog gets can overcome anything you might have to say about a particular breed. Hmm … food for thought there.

And some people say age may affect things. But clever people say that while early care from our mums can affect things like being fearful, a dog can develop an attachment bond at any age. It all comes down to the human. So never overlook an older dog, just make sure you are always being special enough to deserve them.

But back to that reunion. Well, we are really looking forward to that. I suspect we will be a thundering cannonball of dogs galloping down the stairs and Human won’t get much further than the first few feet before being overwhelmed by cuddles. And that’s just the way we like it. Every time.