The Bromance of Chicken & Micah

Chicken is a very interesting being. He has gone through a full spectrum of intensity when it comes to his fear and distrust of people. When I first took him from my grandmother's property, he would AVOID people like the plague. He wasn't the runt of the pack but he wasn't an alpha so he got his ass beat many a time by his siblings and father.

I used to joke in Jamaica and say that the only way I knew that an intruder was present or a threat was outside would be if Chicken went running by my into the house to hide. With a bit of TLC he became trusting of my friends, the regulars at the house. He could be convinced to come closer with pizza crust but would still be a ball of tension when being pet.

When he made his way to America he was not thrilled about being put in a cage and stuck under the belly of a cargo plane but he survived and my mom was there awaiting him at the airport in the middle of the night. The next day he got a spa treatment with lavender essential oils and buffing of the nails. (Something a country dog is not accustomed to but definitely enjoyed.)

Add being in a community that pampers small creatures that they call dogs, and some good ole American weight on his bones, and now he's stopping to check every car as it passes to see if it contains one of his humans. He wags his tail and looks at people walking in the distance and is generally less afraid. Lately, he has even been giving a deep, manly, rumbling, singular bark when people knock or ring the doorbell. (Selectively, of course.) So, to say that his trust in humans is growing would be accurate.

Now, let's get into the bromance. Micah and I started as friends. We hung out and he would come to the house and we'd chat or go to my siblings soccer games or do tie dye with my sister. He would call and he'd overhear Chicken's old man noises in the background and say "Let me talk to him!" I'd put the phone on speaker and he would 'chat' with Chicken and Chicken would grunt in response and the bromance begun.

Fast forward a bit to when Micah and I started dating. He would continue to come to the house, obviously. We would lay down to watch a movie or play video games or read a book and Chicken would gradually bear crawl his way from the foot of the bed to the center of Micah's chest, resting his head in the nape of his neck.

While I love that my dog and my boyfriend get along, I would appreciate it if Chicken toned down the AUDACITY because he seems to be forgetting that I RAISED HIM! I buy his food and clean up his poops. I give him baths and wash his favorite blanket. I love him excessively and have bought him every toy and treat that he REFUSES to interact with because he's not convinced he's a dog and wants human food that will make his stomach hurt. I cuddle him and comfort him when he's having an exponential crisis in the middle of the night. But does Chicken remember that when Micah is around?

The answer is NOPE!

Micah gets the cuddles and the hand nudging and kisses. Chicken literally will see us laying together and wedge himself between us, back and head on Micah, and forcefully push me away with his feet.

This is not to say that he doesn't listen to me more when it comes to commands because I think he has figured out that I am the mean one of the two of us, but the love and affection is directed at Micah when he's present. He gets mopey and refuses to come near me when he suspects that I am going to leave for work, but when Micah leaves, Chicken sits at the top of the stairs and longingly stares at the door for about 5 minutes.

Chicken is my best friend but Micah is his. If you think that this article sounds bitter and resentful, it's because IT IS! Chicken lays on my leg as I type this but I am not fooled. I know that it is only because Micah is not in the room. (I am happy that Chicken will wake Micah up at 3:31am in his panic attacks rather than me though...That's the price he has to pay for being my dog's favorite human.)

Chicken knows my car. It's a running joke in the house. When Chicken goes for a walk when I am not home, Chicken takes his time and explores and refuses to do his business in a timely manner. But, if I am home, he watches my car in the driveway, cuts through the trees and immediately does his business before turning back towards the house to go inside. If I am not home when he is being walked, he looks for my car in the spots I normally park. He is a smart dog; very aware of his surroundings when it comes to his humans (oblivious when he is in 'danger' but hey... why should he care if a Doberman is eyeing him when his humans are present?) This post is not to say that Chicken doesn't love me to a ridiculous degree, it is just to highlight the audacity of this spoiled and beautiful Catahoula mixed boy. I do think it is adorable that his ears perk and his tail goes to wagging when he sees a car that resembles Micah's. To make myself feel better, I will use Chicken's liking of Micah as a sign that I chose a good one. (God knows Chicken didn't like some people of the past...Phew...Dodged some bullets there.)

Moral of the story?

Chicken loves Micah more than me.

The End. -______-