Feminist Bitches | Sophie
“I daydream about getting outside the fence and going on a walkabout in the neighborhood—no leashes, no one following me around to collect my treasures in tiny plastic bags. Sometimes I do get outside the fence when someone leaves the gate open, but my people drive around calling for me until I feel I’m ready to turn myself in. I don’t hear much anymore, so it usually takes some time…I guess. I’m not that good with time.”
“I’m always happy when the snow melts and the grass turns green again. I like to go out back and lie down under the tree behind the shed. My people ask me if I’m going out to smoke behind the shed, but I just like to put my nose up in the air and see what’s happening in the neighborhood.”
“When my people leave the house, I’m most often assigned to be in charge. It can be a little intimidating and overwhelming, so I’m happiest when they come home. I can usually feel the garage door open, and I wait to see who will burst through the door. I’ve got the tall man wrapped around my paw, conditioned to go directly to the treat jar after we greet each other enthusiastically. He thinks he’s training me, but it’s quite the opposite. You have to know how to motivate and manage people if you want to be successful.”
Sophie has always been a feminist, but she quickly ascended the leadership ladder with grace and courage when she accepted the position of alpha following the previous pack leader’s passing. Before then, she had seen herself much more as an individual contributor. She was satisfied just managing routine backyard projects—digging holes, chewing sticks and guarding the fence perimeters. But the vacancy in leadership made her dig deep into her heart and ask herself if there was something more she could do. Now, as mentor to 18-month-old Ellie, the high-spirited but well-meaning puppy, and supervisor to Willow, the 12-year-old arthritic but highly anxious and desperately hungry lab, her patience is frequently tested, but she rarely reacts in a negative manner. She’s satisfied that she has been able to restore stability to the team.
With no plans to retire at any time soon, Sophie will continue her daydreams of life beyond the fences, because she knows the work of a feminist--bitch or not—is a long-term commitment. And she will carry out her duties with or without the treats. As a dog, you know how the system works.