Separated at birth

Ah look at his furry body. And the dog's cute too eh?

The picture above was taken the other night. My Husband and our Border Terrier Toby had been playing together all evening, then simultaneously flaked out together on the floor. It just confirmed what I’ve long suspected - that my dog and my Husband share the same brain. They play together, fall asleep together, share cups of tea together. They even have the same colour hair and look a bit similar.

I often catch them seemingly locked in their own little world, having conversations, playing funny little games. I’ll come home to find them joyfully engrossed in a very unique game of ball (Hubby has trained Toby to bat the ball back and forth to him with his paw. The aim of the game is to bat it around on the rug without letting it roll under the sofa. Toby has surprisingly good ball control and they’ve worked out a point system and everything.)

And of course my Husband spoils him rotten. Toby gets away with murder mainly because he worked out at a very young age that he can twist Hubby around his little paw by switching into ‘Cute Mode’ – looking up with big sad eyes, chin resting on paws, tail wagging expectantly.

I remember one evening when we both came in from work, it had been a very long day for both of us and neither of us could face trying to assemble a meal, then wash up the detritus and all that palavar. So we ordered a takeaway.

As I slumped into the sofa to wait for my lazy tea to be driven to me by a student on the back of a moped, I noticed Husband standing at the cooker. He was boiling some potatoes.

When I asked what he was doing, he said he was making Toby a mash and gravy dinner.

So. Let me just make that clear. He couldn’t be bothered to make our tea, but was quite happy to cook something for Toby. Even though all Toby’s tea needed was a pork chop/chicken breast/fishcake thrown at it to make it our tea.

I was astounded. And I swear, as I vocalised my disbelief, I saw Toby turn around, grin and give me a wink.

As I say, wrapped around his paw.