Shy People Need Dogs

Once upon a time there was a family who lived in a lovely brownstone style 2-flat. The mother of this family loved to talk and visit, but sadly she was shy. She knew that neighbors had recently taken possession of the home below her, and they even had children. It seemed like a perfect friendship in waiting. But, oh the sad little mother could not figure out how to move beyond the common courtesies into a conversation.

Enter the dog, Mopsy. Weighing in at a full 5 lbs. Mopsy new no nervousness. She had no fear and was also very curious about the new neighbors. Using the back stairs as her personal playground Mopsy got to know the neighbors very well. She had no compunctions about making herself at home, cleaning any crumbs from the floor, or looking for a quick pet on her way to take care of business. Of course, the shy mother was mortified by the manners of her dog and apologized profusely. Thankfully the little mother downstairs had a great heart and an open door policy to little mopsy dogs, (which makes perfect sense since she had a home full of bush weasels).

In this manner the two mothers became dear friends as well as neighbors. This wonderful circumstance should have made the shy mother less so, but that was not the case. Fast forward many years.

Shy mother now lives in a different state and neighbors with a boy live next door. The boys play and the parents exchange courtesies, and small-talk for a few YEARS. There is a fence between properties and Mopsy has passed-on. There are 2 dogs in both families. But only shy mother has the dog that won't quit. Undeterred by fence or gate, shy mother's dog, Oliver,  has seen the need for a nudge.

He climbs the gate to visit the neighbors when they are out. The men collude and decide to build wood gates. They make trips to home supply stores, make plans, buy materials, and build gates. Oliver seeing that his scheming may come to an end, learns to climb the fence between the yards. He frolics with the neighbor dogs and visits with the family. All of this togetherness, leads the moms to talk and visit as well. Before you know it, the neighbor family comes to the shy home for a New Years bonfire. Of course Oliver is basking in the glory of his accomplishment, and no sooner is he garnering all the attention then the neighbor dogs manage to wiggle under/through the fence. Soon the party of people turns into an all-out dog party. The dogs visit, go inside to have a sniff and seem to be sharing a knowing smile that says, "where would these humans be without us?"