I should know better

Struggling to get ready for our own show, I could have done without being wakened at five again.

Normaly when the dogs are disturbed, I can persuade them to go back to sleep. But then there`s always one.....

And of course it`s Shelby. When he`s awake, the whole world has to rise. And after a few dozen choruses of the Chin National Anthem, believe me, even the dead would rise. The yowling even persuades my oldest lady to wake......well, to open one eye and hope the noise will go away soon.

Once out, there`s the problem of getting him in. When dusk falls, Shelby begins to parade up and down the garden, very much on the look out.

No, not for burglars -wouldn`t that be useful? For cats. They come for their last meal when it gets dark, and he`ll be ready.

Now, my dogs sometimes chase the cats. The cats promptly get up on a gatepost or a tree and jeer.

Shelby has no intention of chasing them. He saunters up to them, very confiding. They are quite taken in by this, until they learn the awful truth.

Shelby wants to wrestle with them. Much worse than being chased. The first time my poor old Eloise had a Chin grapple with her and roll her over, I thought she would die of shock. He thinks it`s great sport. Maybe cat sumo is really big in Japan.

And I`m the poor sap who has to lure him in with titbits before the main event can begin. That can take some time.

Late to bed and very early to rise these days.