He'd bark for attention then bark and snap when you gave him attention. He'd bark when he was happy, unhappy, excited, bored...really any state other than eating or sleeping.

There was a narrow window when he was getting sleepy in which he was wonderful, quiet, and wanted a lap and pets...but then you were supposed to know when he was going from that state to "actually ready to nod off for real" and if you missed it, it was back to snarling, snapping, and yapping.

While I'm a dog person, that was too much for me so I just ignored him most times and just let him bark himself to exhaustion.

One day though it just got to me, and idk why, but I just turned and started yapping like him, right back in his face.

Obviously he freaked out and wouldn't be in the same room as me for the rest of the night, but I must have said something right in all my barking because after that, he was WAY more chill with me. Not perfect mind you, but just...normal small dog levels of weird and annoying. And if his mom was already in bed, when he got tired, I was always, oddly, his second choice of human after that, and he'd even zonk out in my lap.

He's been gone for years and years, but man, what a strange fuckin dog.

[–] fossilesque@mander.xyz 4 points 1 year ago

Sometimes all you need to keep one asshole in line, is a bigger asshole.

(Kidding of course, I'm sure you're lovely!)