I find myself uttering that phrase a lot lately.  I’m not really sure what it means exactly, or why I say it, but I have decided it is the canine equivalent to the quintessential Southern phrase, “Well, bless his heart.”  It’s a deceptive little phrase.  It can be empathetic or insultory, depending on the user’s intention…and frame of mind.

With Lewis, it’s never a critical pronouncement.  At worst, it’s a neutral statement about the way things are with Lewis around.  Like having to move an end table to get out of the den, because he is spread out on the floor, blocking the main walkway.  Even as I write this, he is lying in the floor behind me (detect a common theme here?), anyway, he’s lying in the doorway, occasionally pushing the door open with his big honking paw so he can see out.  Normally, that’s not a big deal, but it’s 40 degrees outside, and because of Lewis, it’s dang near that inside.  But what can you do….he’s just a big ol’dog.

First thing in the morning when he sees me, it truly touches my heart that he comes barreling across the room, tail wagging, to greet me.  The trouble is, he “touches” my knees, too, rather he crashes into me.  Or worse, he runs into you from behind, causing your knees to buckle.  If this were football, the big fella would be looking at a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down!  But you know, he’s just a big ol’ dog.

And curiosity might have killed the proverbial cat, but it isn’t doing me any good either.  Curiosity is a powerful force, but when combined with the love of food, it will knock you down, literally.  It’s well nigh impossible to pull the head of a 140-lb. dog out of the refrigerator once he’s convinced there’s something gastronomically interesting behind door number one.  That’s how he is.  He’s just a big ol’ dog.

Lately, I’m beginning to rethink food as being his prime mover.  I’ve caught him sniffing packages from FedEx, USPS, Amazon – he’s not particular.  And he’s (excuse the pun) dogged about it. The Nose as we refer to him sometimes, hangs with the package until he’s satisfied that his mission is over.  Homeland Security would be proud, but in fact, he’s just a big ol’ dog.

If you’re eating, he expects his share.  If it’s raining, he doesn’t care.  It’s your job to dry him off, every time.  If he wants to go outside, then you are obligated to get up and let him out and then back in, out, in, out, in, out…you get the picture.

All these things you do and will continue to do, because he’s just a big ol’ dog.

Bless his heart.