In case you doubted that animals have personalities

Friday night, when I started getting sick, my dog Io started sticking pretty close to my side. By the time we decided I needed to go to the ER, she was curled up on the foot of the bed watching me closely and sniffing at me with what I swear was a concerned look on her face.

My husband had taken migraine meds before bed so he could not drive me, plus I was so sick I was going to need help getting to the car, so we called our neighbor Russell to come help. Io wouldn't let him in the bedroom: She stood on the foot of the bed and barked and growled, effectively holding him at the bedroom door. This is particularly remarkable in light of the fact that Russell is her babysitter when my husband and I are away.

What makes this interesting to me is that she was already two years old when we got her, and we've only had her about four months. By comparison, her predecessor, Rosie, was born into my waiting hands. I towelled her off and gave her back to her mama to lick and nurse. I took great pains to build a one-on-one relationship with her when she was tiny, but despite the fact that I adored her and she me (to the extent that she would not eat if we were separated from each other), she never seemed to take any particular notice when I was sick or upset. Io is a far more sensitive dog in that regard.

Interesting.

The Goddess, hard at work

This is Io

Io will be accompanying me to the office most days, beginning the first of January. Mr. Wood and I adopted her a few weeks ago from the Atlanta Humane Society. She may be a Flat Coated Retriever mix, although there has been some difference of opinion on that. She is two years old, well-mannered although you could not say "trained," and has the sweetest disposition. She is shy at first, but once she gets to know you, very affectionate.

She is named after the Greek goddess, and it's pronounced "eye-oh".

She and I went by the office today to feed Larry Bird, post yesterday's deposits, and pay this month's tax bill. This was her first visit to the office, and she went straight for the Rescue Dog toy a client had brought in after 9/11 for Rosie. Io loves stuffed-animal-type toys!

From there, we went to the bank and the post office, and as you can see it was a tiring day.