My dog Arthur is a despot and now I can’t put shoes on

April 15, 2026 — 7:30pm

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Once in a while someone in my household, in the grips of overthinking, exclaims to everyone else: “It’s so weird! We have an animal living in our house!”

Whoever says it will be referring to the dog, Arthur, and the rest of us will look at him, likely sitting on one of the armchairs, or standing in the middle of the kitchen with a ball in his mouth, and we will all agree: it is so weird.

What’s weirdest is that Arthur, the animal, in many respects has the powers of a human despot. You might say our cavoodle dictates the rhythms of the house. Every morning, for starters, he gives an overzealous shake that clangs his collar about, waking us all up before we are ready. I am usually quite relieved to be up, to finally unfurl my neck. You see, Arthur sleeps curled around my head, on my pillow. Since Arthur joined our family, I have paid approximately $115 a week to see the physio. It’s worth it – his little foot pads on my face, the sweet snuffle of his doggy snores.

My acquiescence to Arthur’s wants elicits two kinds of response: either disbelief that I am such........

© The Sydney Morning Herald