My New Pal...Nike

Last weekend I bunked at my brother's house while they were away on a fantastic adventure. They were gracious enough to allow me to stay the night which saved me the hassle (and cost...) of getting a room, or from driving the sixty miles home late at night and driving the sixty miles back early the next morning. It was nice of them to allow me to stay.

I only had one reservation...their little dog, Nike.

Nike's an adorable little doggie. I'm not sure how old he is, but I do know he's not a puppy. When my family's visited my brother's, Nike's usually behind a closed door. We have to do that, too with our little pup. It's just easier to remove a dog from everyone than wait for the dog to get comfortable with all the visitors in the house. When we visited, Nike didn't seem to like us. He growled a lot.

I wondered how he'd take to having a stranger spend the night.

When I opened the door, Nike was waiting to greet me. I'm sure he was expecting his loved ones. He most likely never imagined the person coming through the door would be unknown, and worse yet, someone who lives with two other dogs and I'd bring the smells of our dogs with me into his house.

He growled.

Then he barked.

And he continued barking.

I tried to see if Nike would come around to liking me. I sat across from him and tried calling his name in calm and soothing tones. That didn't work. I went to my room and got ready to go to bed while he barked in the next room. I thought maybe Nike would keep barking all night long. I texted my brother asking if they had dog treats to perhaps gain the animal's trust. They did not.

My brother did ask me to put the dog out for a few minutes before we both went to sleep. I ventured into the main room and asked Nike if he wanted to go out. He surprised by stopping his barking. He then jumped off the couch and headed toward the door. I let him out and went back to getting ready for bed.

Ten minutes later, I opened the door and a different dog came through. He wasn't barking, instead, he followed me to the couch and jumped up to sit right beside me. He let me pet him and comfort him while his family was away. It was nice to just sit and be with him, letting him know I wasn't a threat but a friend.

The next morning I left. I said good-bye to Nike as he sat on the couch. I wonder when we return to visit, will he remember me, or will he begin barking again? I'll have to find out.