A Vacation Day Taken Out of Guilt

Andy's Waiting Place

Since Abby would no longer come to my condo, I worried about Andy when he came over to stay. He had never been alone. He went from a home with a litter of puppies to a house with my mom and two dogs that stayed at the house almost all the time. Now, when Andy was at my condo while I went to work, he would be all alone in the universe, a singularity. I worried he would have separation anxiety or be scared. I wondered what he would do all day. Would he pine away at my absence? I felt so guilty leaving him behind.


I took a vacation day out of guilt one day after Andy started spending time alone at my condo so I could be with him. It would be a Baby Boy Day. I wanted to know what he did all day. After his morning walk, he would eat and then sleep. He slept almost the whole day. He would get up to play around 10:30 sometimes but then go right back to sleep. The only thing that changed with Andy was where he slept during the day.

In the morning, he slept in the living room either on the couch or rug. As the day progressed, he would move closer and closer to the door where I went in and out of the condo. I could almost tell time by where he was sleeping. By the time of the day when I’d normally arrive home, Andy would be at the rug by the door. He had developed a habit of waiting there so he could readily greet me upon my arrival. It was funny how he would move closer to the door during my day off even though I was sitting a few feet from him. He was a creature of habit.

I didn’t feel bad leaving Andy at home after that day. Andy was starting to slow down, too. He wanted to sleep all day and didn’t mind being left alone.