Many people (dog lovers and non-lovers alike) believe that canines do not have the capacity to fall in love, that what they fall into is pack behaviour. I adamantly disagree with this theory and personally believe that dogs can experience different types of affection such as parental love, sibling love and romantic love. The dogs in my pack are no exception. Despite having an immense dislike for each other in the beginning, Roxy and Cash have developed a friendship that has progressed far beyond typical "pack behaviour" which parallels the bond I share with my own siblings. These two aren’t the only victims of my anthropomorphic projections. I have made no attempt to hide the fact that Chance’s transmission into my home has been less than smooth, but I’ve recently come to suspect that his feelings towards his fellow housemates (one of them in particular) have changed.

As with most Sunday mornings, I got up early and took the dogs into the backyard to relax and enjoy the sun this past weekend. Cash and Chance rolled wildly in the grass while Roxy daintily splashed about in her kiddie pool, dipping her face under water searching for a tennis ball to spit into my lap. Upon completion of her aerobic routine, Roxy made her way over to her favorite spot on the deck next to where Chance and I had planted ourselves in the sun. The normal reaction from these two towards each other is usually complete indifference or ravenous outbursts of feigned violence, but on this day I witnessed neither of these. Instead, I perceived a substantial transformation in Chance’s energy; rather than cantankerous and cross, he seemed interested and dare I say, taken by her feminine charms.

Unfazed by his sudden attraction, Roxy made her way back into the house to cool down while Chance followed hot on her tail (literally.) She traveled from room to room, desperately seeking refuge from his advances, but despite her best efforts, she could not seem to escape his prodding nose and incessant sniffing that continued throughout the rest of the day. Chance had become enamored with my Roxy! The only problem is she does not share his new-found devotion. You see, Roxy is a lady in every sense of the word; she’s polite, manages never to step in poo despite her inability to see, and does not participate in unwelcome flirtations with long haired, bad boy Casanovas. Chance just isn’t her type, but I have a feeling that if he works at it, she’ll give him a shot. Maybe.