Wave your freak flag

So my dog, ladies and gentlemen, has lost her mind.

OK, I understand having a few quirks or even maybe a few paranoid moments. I get it that she’s almost 10 and maybe can’t see that well. I understand that she’d rather bark at me to pick up the ball when it’s closer to here than bring it to me. I get it that she thinks the bed is too high for her to jump on so she jumps alongside it on her back legs for minutes at a time rather than just making one big jump and getting up there. I get those things.

It’s her newest quirk that I don’t get. Here’s a photo to help you understand why this newest “quirk” is so annoying:

See, Muffin the Wonder Poodle, has suddenly developed a phobia of actually eating out her bowl. And she’ll stand in there and scratch the rug and the floor until I get up and put some dog food on the floor. I can’t figure out what the problem is. I’ve thought that maybe she can’t see as well anymore. Or maybe her collar clanks against her bowl and scares her. I don’t know.

Whatever the problem, this little “quirk” is getting on my last nerve. Because while I love Muffin a lot, I’m fully aware that she is a dog. And dogs should be able to eat out of their bowls. Dogs shouldn’t be this high maintenance. I mean, really?

Is it too much to ask?