I wouldn’t let Lewis put his schnoz into my lap, so he began licking my feet instead. I wonder why he does that? What does the licking signify? Is it a dog’s caress or kiss? Or is there something tasty about human foot? Or maybe the feet need cleaning? Like when chimps groom each other? So, I’m a fellow mammal that needs a bath? Curious.

Lewis has already begun his erratic

—I want to go out, no, I want to stay in, hey, I want to go out, but I think I’ll stay in, c’mon, can’t you see I really want to go out????

behavior.

I know, he just wants attention . . .

Lewis hears something out front, but decides to lie down in response. A valiant animal, to be sure.

Just now, Lewis simply had to exit the house to bark at the neighbor’s yappy rats. I wonder what their barking means to them? Particularly since they do it so regularly. Is it just the dog’s version of: “Hey Fatso!” “Oh yeah?” “Yeah.” “Yipsqueak!” “Lumpy.” “Oh yeah?” “Sez who?” “Sez me.” “Bite me.” “You wish.” Etc. Or is more info passed on? Or is it just a ritual, like patrolling the perimeter? Probably some expert has a hypothesis, but how could we ever really know?