Zip has a clear idea of what he wants and doesn’t want. We meet promptly at 8 a.m. every morning and 4 p.m. every afternoon. Zip has a lot of things to do; he gets visibly annoyed if I’m not where he expects me to be, and when I look out the back door, I see him on the back porch table glowering at me.

He knows where I am in the house and when I come out.

Our meetings are sweet but short – 10 to 15 minutes, mostly with purring, neck and back-scratching, rubbing of ears, and back stroking. Then, he sails off on one of his many hunting and exploration projects. I’m often late to the meetings, and I can see his annoyance. Like Bud, our Terrier, Zip knows he is in charge.

Fate isn’t interested in friendship with other dogs. She is happy to be with Maria or with the sheep. But last night, I looked up and saw them dozing peacefully with one another. It was a sweet thing to see.