It's a Dog's Life

A cursory glance identifies them as twins
and they definitely are look-alikes though
brother and sister, litter-mates of a litter
of two though large for their breed and
it's a mystery how a toy sire and dam
mated to produce our little treasures. We
know them as others do not and though
they may be 'cute' they bedevil us by
their unerring propensity to frustrate
though there is no lack of intelligence
to offset the wilfulness. As male and
female they exemplify the very real
variances in the sexes, both physically
socially and gender-behavioured. She is
most decidedly feminine, serene and
confident, assertive and cunning. She is
also designed by nature shorter, plumper
far less sleek than her brother who is taller
muscular and given to displaying male
tendencies of aggression. Between them
she is the leader, he the follower. She will
eat anything, he will spurn what fails to
impress though his appetite is restored
when confronted with sticks and aged dog
leavings. All well and good but what now
I find disturbing is that I discover a direct
parallel between their temperaments as
gender-varied as they are, and those of the
two who care for them, he and I, both like
them having lived together for a dog's age
each of us taking on the appearance of the
other as though the litter that introduced us
to the world was little different than theirs.