Mornings with Jimmy and Andy

Snoozing on the back of the sofa

Dogs love routines: daily rituals instigated by their owners, as well as ones they've made up themselves.  Rituals give them a sense of security and stability, structure and consistency.

Andy assumes it's part of his job to be Jimmy's alarm clock.  (This particular ritual applies only to Jimmy, never to me.)  Jimmy needs an excessive amount of sleep, but Andy makes certain he stays on a schedule.

The Wake Up Ritual starts at 9:50 AM with Andy sitting on the bed, about a foot away from Jimmy's face, staring intently, like he's pointing a quail. At 10 o'clock sharp, he licks Jimmy's ear, then steps back and waits 5 more minutes, then paws Jimmy's shoulder.

If Jimmy still won't get up, Andy jumps off the bed, finds a toy and drops it on Jimmy's head; Jimmy usually reacts to this by pushing Andy onto the floor.  By now it's 10:15, and Andy means business:  he scrambles back, grabs the covers in his teeth and pulls them completely off of Jimmy.  Jimmy surrenders at this point, and staggers off to the kitchen for coffee, plus toast for him and Andy, and so begins the Ritual of the Toast...