The other thing is that I have discovered a "dog-whisperer" moment that I had without even anticipating or manufacturing it. You know when your dog is a puppy and it chews on everything? And do you also remember that it was one of three things? Shoes, underwear and the remote were the three in my house. And the usual reaction on my part was grabbing the item being chewed on and whacking the pup in the butt or on the nose with the said item. (That last sentence was the part that gets all the hate mail going; telling me what a bad dog owner I am. I would love to know if those same people ever laid a whack on the butt of a two year old when they were doing something wrong. Same shit, different species.) So because of my remote-control-nose-whacking I have discovered that if I just lay the remote(s) on the seat of the cushion of the couch when I get up for something, I don't have a dog I have to tell to get down. They don't go near the remote, so they don't go near my spot.
I remember when I was a kid, that whenever we got up off of the couch or a chair, we had to say, "I get my spot back." or someone else would snag it. (You gotta realize that I come from a family of 10, so actual places to sit while watching TV, that did not involve the floor, were at a premium.) Oh, and you never got in "mamma's spot". Ever. The other day the kid tried to snag my spot on the couch and I just looked at him. He moved with a sheepish grin. It was just then when I realized that I have the power now. I'm the momma and that's my spot. Move it or lose it.
