My furry alarm

It's absurd to think that a 6lb yorkie can make you feel safer when you're alone, but time and time again, that seems to be the case.

I got Rigel when I was in college. My mother told me that I needed another heartbeat in the house. I got Rigel a month before I was even engaged, but lets not forget that Joe was in Germany until we were married for 6 months. I lived alone. And Rigel was just a little pup.

But now he's a grown dog of 3. And he knows what sounds normal and what doesn't. When Joe is home, Rigel goes to sleep with me. He snuggles under the covers and starts snoring. All is right with the world. But if Joe's not here when I go to bed, Rigel acts completely different. He sits at the edge of the bed and doesn't fall asleep fast. He's my alert pup!

Last night I went to bed fairly early, but Joe was out with a buddy of his. About 1:30am, my furry alarm goes off. I grab him and listen. I cant hear anything, not even the normal sound of a key in the lock. Many suppressed breathes later, I heard Joe's key unlocking the door. And Rigel sounds off again. Relentlessly. This is not normal, and Rigel understands that. Joe announces his normal greeting to Rigel, but there is another voice, a very different male voice. Rigel is off the bed. Barking and hopping. Joe and I both get Rigel to calm down. All of his people are home. All is right with the world. Rigel can go to sleep, under the covers, curled up by my side.

As most of my friends know, Joe is leaving soon. And it worries me on many levels. I've always been fairly paranoid. But now I have a trained alarm, always set to loud. He's not going to attack any intruders, but he's going to make sure I know about it. And I have my own fun surprise for these intruders. But on some level, I feel safer knowing that I can go to sleep at night and know I have a little furry alarm by my side.