As I type this my dogs are playing. At this very moment they are downstairs; only a moment ago they were at my feet. Remarkably I didn't have to ask them to leave; they simply moved the action along to another spot as their play dictated.
At one point Max (the younger of the two) was running back and forth between my bedroom and my office. I am sitting in my office and so was mere inches from his fast braking, quick turning and launching back across the carpet to the hallway and the bedroom beyond. It is a manic movement because he goes back and forth and back and forth, his butt pushed up into the air as his hind legs wind up for the launch each new step requires. He runs the same way when he is outside. At the dog park he takes off and runs at full tilt until he is exhausted. Surprisingly that takes only about 10 minutes. When he runs full tilt indoors it is reminiscent of a cartoon dog winding up his hind legs, the whirly of his feet a blur just before he launches towards his sister (Molly the slightly older dog).
I really love being close to this manic display. I love the feeling of energy crackling off the two dogs as they run and wrestle. I enjoy the repetition of movement back and forth and back and forth between rooms. Even as they wrestle, taking turns dominating each other, there is a rhythm to their movements, their panting. I suppose it is a form of music that my body responds to.
They do no damage to property or each other. Occasionally someone mis-bites and a quick full-tilt snarl and bite fest ensues. It rarely lasts more than a few seconds, and I usually allow them to finish it themselves. If they don't, I yell once and they stop. In less than a minute they forgot what they were fighting about and resume playing.
As chaotic as the play is, it has a very consistent feel to it. I know they will play, maybe even tussle, how they will run and that eventually, as they are now, they will lie near my on the floor, panting and resting. I crave consistency; I always have. My life in the last several years has seemed like anything but consistent. It seems there is always a change in progress, a big change. One year it was several deaths, then my attempt at finding regular work meant accepting temporary positions one semester after another. Then a graduation, a wedding, a baby, a couple of surgeries, a revamping of my expectations of my marriage. I'm a grown-up and coping just fine overall, but I'd like a little more boredom.
The chaos of the life that surrounds me is so often beyond my control. Perhaps that is why the play of the dogs is comforting. It certainly brings to mind the chaos of children in the house. I miss having my kids around. The dogs help that a bit I suppose. Their controlled chaos offers me a predictable and comforting balance to my days. It doesn't hurt that they are darn cute and fun to watch.
