I’m beginning to understand why dire wolves are extinct. Asa, our self-proclaimed dire wolf, has added a new quirk to his repertoire. As you may recall, last week Dr. Doug told me I needed to lose a few pounds. Asa, on the other paw, is an “ideal weight,” and does not need to watch what he eats. If that’s the case, can someone please explain to me why Asa now has a take it or leave it attitude towards breakfast?

This past week Asa started taking breaks while enjoying his breakfast. Rather than wolf it all down fast, like any self-respecting dog will do, Asa will eat some and then stop. Sometimes he goes and checks on Mom. Other times he’ll look out the window and wag his tail at a trespassing squirrel. One morning he even settled in for a nap!

At first I thought we was putting himself on a diet to support me in my ordeal. However just as randomly as he stops eating, he’ll saunter back to his bowl and finish his meal. Occasionally Mom will repeat his release command of “dismissed,” to remind him of the task he was doing. He responds by acting surprised, and running over to his bowl to finish it. It’s as if he’s seeing it for the first time and forgot it was half full!

Even more peculiar, he only does this new ritual at breakfast. At dinner time it’s business as usual, and his finishes his meal in a timely manner. Albeit he’s still slower than myself, but Asa has always had a weird habit of savoring his food. Rest assured though he isn’t starving. Thankfully other than this new quirk, he is his usual happy-go-lucky self, and doesn’t seem to be bothered in the least. Therefore, I don’t know what’s causing this foolish behavior. I’ll just chalk it up to the enigma that is Asa.