A Dog in My Suitcase

Living in Hawaii and traveling off-island a couple times a year produce distinct behavior in my canine and feline friends living in the household. Seven pairs of eyes hazard a glance as the suitcases appear for packing. Beagle dog, Mana, and his small, sidekick Chihuahua-Terrier dog, Chippie, react with the tilt of the head that only dogs can display. The five cats respond with a variety of responses. Ebony (black with tuxedo markings) cat and Babsie (tortoise shell) cat both meow in protest. Pebbles and Pepper (both black with tuxedo markings) cats crisscross in circles between my legs. Only elderly Baby (grey strip markings) cat remains aloof. The suitcases lie open on the floor for placement of traveling necessities.

The Suitcase Behavior:

Pets feel emotions in the same manner humans do. They demonstrate temper tantrums, excitement, anxiety, depression, and happiness in the same way children behave or act non-verbally. Dogs communicate using body language. Mana dog set his head down on the arm of the chair forming an upside down smiley face or a frown. His tail drooped perfectly still. He watched me place item after item in the suitcase. Upon returning to the room with toiletries from the bathroom, Mana dog moved next to the larger suitcase, and then with one large flying leap, he landed his 50 pounds of body in the middle of the open suitcase. Now, this event ranks up near the top of my list for strange happenings.

No more room in the suitcase:

Mana looked at me with his half closed eyes as if to say, "The packing is complete, let's go." Babsie cat tiptoed up to Mana's face and affectionately nuzzled her face against the dog's large snout. Since she found no room to join Mana in the tightly filled space, Babsie darted off sideways to let her curiosity take her to other adventures. Ordinarily during the placement of items in the suitcase, the cats and Chippie dog jump in and out of the suitcase to play, but Mana's body took up the entire suitcase. Chippie dog approached the suitcase filled to the brim with Mana dog, put his front paws on the edge of the bag and sniffed around Mana's face as if to congratulate him for such a feat. Alas, time continued to move on. Lifting Mana dog by his harness removed him from the confines of the suitcase.

Leaving the house:

The cats and dogs withdrew from the suitcase area. Each appeared downtrodden as the suitcases rolled to the front door. The pet's behavior tugged at my heart, but the trip beckoned and the front door opened and closed.

Happy again:

A week later, the trip's journey ended. Despite all the sadness when leaving, upon opening the front door, two friendly, tail wagging canines barked affectionately. Both dogs pranced around with smiles (open mouths). Ebony cat meowed on and off for at least an hour to voice her dislike of trip separation. Babsie raced around and bounced off all the walls in the living room. The other three cats purred while being petted. Pets remain faithful, loyal companions despite irregular behavior of humans. No wonder humans who reside with pets live healthier lives.

Sciarini, C. Understanding Dog Body Language. AssociatedContent.com

Inman, R. Tips for Reading your Dog's Body Language. AssociatedContent.com

Friedmann, E. & Son, H. The Human Companion Animal Bond. NIH.gov