Peretz and his temper tantrum

Last night, around midnight, I heard Peretz's distinctive barking. I ignored it for the first minute or two because who cares, right? After a while, it had lasted long enough for me to pay attention to it and this is when I discerned that it was just the old dog, all alone, there was no Pickles joining him. This shows to me that there is no bat or other alarm-worthy reason for his barking so I ignored it some more.

After another minute or two I heard him give a howl. Peretz has a mini-howl that I hear only once in a while and it is associated mostly just with his own peevishness. Since I had to visit the bathroom anyway, I decided to check in with Peretz to see what the trouble is. I descended to the first floor where all the lights had been turned off by me a half hour before when I had decided to go to my bedroom for the night. David and Pickles were already asleep in D's room but I was lucky enough to be still awake to hear Sir Peretz's trouble making. I arrived downstairs to find him on a dog bed all alone with his barking discontinued (probably when he heard me coming in his direction he ceased). He looked perfectly healthy, awake and alert and when I questioned him, he gave me a sidelong glance all of us Peretz lovers know very well.



There was no apparent reason for his bark and howl that I could see, or any human would be able to conclude. He was just lying there looking well. I decided he must have just wanted attention and was feeling melancholy and/or dramatic. I encouraged him to come upstairs and join me in my room. "Come on, Peretz, come on." I bade him as I climbed the stairs. A couple more verbal enticements and he did rise and clamored up to the second floor, joining me at the landing. Pickles had heard my admonishments and emerged into the hallway from David's room and he then led Peretz to the comfort of their man's room, crisis over.