The other day I decided to take a well-deserved nap on my couch. It seemed that I just could not get comfortable. I had some pants on that had decorative pockets, but I did not think they would make that kind of discomfort. After a while I gave up. When I was on my feet, I spied a chew toy that one of the dogs left on my couch. It was not the pants; it was that toy!

I am sure my dog was probably the culprit. He gets up and down off the couch whenever he wants. Snaps on the other hand needs a boost. When Don first moved to Hickory Heights he brought along some little stairs for the dog. Although he used to use them when he lived in Russell, Snaps was not about to use them here. They went back to the house.

Everyone always wants to know how the dogs are getting along since just after we married, I wrote about their dislike of each other. Well, they did not exactly dislike each other, they disliked when one or the other got attention from me. I seemed to be the trigger. As time went on, Don began to trigger trouble as well. Both dogs wanted his attention, too.

Now that it is just me, they seem to have found their new normal. I had been carrying Snaps downstairs and letting him out for some time. The pattern was when he came back in, I fed him. That is what I still do. I am not really sure if he misses Don, but since I was feeding him that has gone fine. He is doing well.

To say life is different for Snaps is an understatement. He was one spoiled Dachshund. He is now fitter and leaner – less table scraps and more exercise. I leave him out a little longer than Don used to. Sometimes he goes out one door and goes all around the house to come in the other door. When you have legs as short as he has that is a lot of exercise.

My dog does not like my little gas fireplace. When I turn it on, he disappears. He goes to the kennel. Snaps on the other hand is not phased by it. Up until Don died, Snaps never went to his kennel. Now he occasionally goes to the kennel. Usually, it is when my dog is up on the couch with me.

Dinner time or any meal time has changed. Snaps has adjusted to the idea that I will give him a bite from the table, but only after I have eaten. He no longer sits beneath the table and barks for treats. Of course, that worked while Don was around because he frequently fed him whatever he was eating. My dog was always better-behaved during meals, but now Snaps does fine. He has adjusted.

At night I sit on the couch to watch television with a dog on each side of me. That is when Snaps wants up on the couch. I am sure he misses sitting on Don’s lap while he did his puzzles. They spent a lot of time in the kitchen doing the crosswords and word scramble. Don did that until just a week before he died. Occasionally I would be asked for help with unscrambling or putting in a word. It was fun to help, but I do not do the puzzles on my own. I keep my mind active in other ways.

Dogs are creatures of habit. It is difficult to change habits, but it is not impossible. My dog now has to stay downstairs at night since two dogs on the bed is too much. Even though neither of them is large, when they sprawl out, they take up a lot of room. I do not think Snaps would take too kindly to being left downstairs. He likes going to bed with me. He waits for me to pick him up to go upstairs.

Snap’s life has been turned upside down twice. Once when he moved up here and now again. He adjusted to both things. Things that still bother him are storms and fireworks. We have not any of them since Don died so I will have to see how things go this year. He used to sit right up long before we heard the storm coming. He wandered around the bed until it had passed.

If it stormed while we were up, he usually sat with me. Somehow, I was the calming factor. We found that out even when I visited in Russell. Don said I had the magic touch. We will just have to see.

The dogs really do get along well. They seem to have learned how to make things work!

Ann Swanson writes from her home in Russell, Pa. Contact at hickoryheights1@verizon.net.