Of Paints and Alpha Males

Last weekend we decided to get the interiors of our flat repainted for Diwali. Painting and house upheaval started on Monday, as did poor Nero's confinement.

Nero is now confined to the study/lounge while the rest of the house is shrouded in newspapers, black plastic and an overpowering smell of paint and primer. Not that he really minds. He anyway spends his mornings and afternoons sleeping under and over the lounge daybed. Evenings he tends to get a bit restless and when the painters leave, I open him to the messy house. He sniffs around everything, but I really feel sorry for him. The overpowering primer fumes gave me a hell of a headache...I cannot even imagine how it makes him feel! Strangely though, its been 4 days now, and he hasn't really given any signs of being agitated with the smells though. Of course I keep him confined to the lounge, and make him sit in the balcony to ensure he gets fresh air.

We are also trying to project him as a guard dog, a deterrent for safety reasons against the 5-6 men who come and work in the house (not that they've given any reason to, but better to be safe than sorry!) Also, Nero isn't likely to do anything more serious then growl and jump on them, and that too only if he feels like it!! Though of course 30 kilos of an energetic unknown dog with claws jumping on you is not a very comforting thought!

Well, so what really happened? The first day, Mr guard dog slept away under the bed, completely oblivious to what went on around him. Had we not mentioned him, no one would have realised there was a dog at home, leave alone a big one like him!! He didn't even bark at the doorbells. The second day, he decided to make his presence felt (Mebbe he realised hubby had left on a trip for a couple of days!). Loud barking, scratching at the door when I left the room, no one was left in any doubt and begged me to ensure he was locked up when they were working. Good boy! Now calm down! Since, then, he's been a good mixture of barks and sleeps. Mostly he just stays in the lounge with me sleeping at my feet.

My constant companion and potential safeguard, even if he sleeps most of the day away!!