Marching in Place – Conversations with the Big Pack

I am Doodlebug, King of the Olde English Bulldogges.

Me: Hey, what’s all the foot action?

Sweetie: Can’t bulldogs pretend to be marching without a thousand questions?

Me: You’re marching in place? Cute. I’ll bet you learned that from watching the birds march in step up and down their perches.

Bud and Baby: 1 ack, 2 ack, 3 ack, 4 ack.

Doodlebug: 1 ack, 2 ack, 3, ack, 4…

Sweetie: Cut the birdie talk, Doodle. It’s undignified.

Doodlebug: It helps me keep time.

Sweetie: No fair. They copied us.

MoonCat: Let me try a cadence. Bulldogs, about face! March! 1 and 2 and 3 and 4, down the hall and through the door!

©️ 2025. H.J. Hill. All Rights Reserved.

The Bulldog of Plants – Conversations with the Pack

I am Doodlebug, King of the Olde English Bulldogges.

Sweetie: Lady Human, those big green spiky plants have grown again.

Me: Yeah, the cactus leaves have really gotten big this year.

Sweetie: And spiky. Don’t forget spiky.

Doodlebug: With big ole flowers.

Sweetie: And spikes.

MoonCat: Spikes don’t bother me because I don’t stick my nose where it doesn’t belong.

Me: Yeah, the spikes tend to keep trespassers cautious.

Sweetie: Ah, cactus – the bulldog of plants.

©️ 2025 H.J. Hill. All Rights Reserved.

Head Rest – Conversations with Sweetie

Me: Sweetie, what are you doing?

Sweetie: Just stay seated where you are, Lady Human.

Me: You’re nudging my leg over.

Sweetie: Yes, it’s almost perfect. There. The perfect head rest. Just the way I like it.

Me: You might want to ask me first next time. There are things I need to get up to do.

Sweetie: Never you mind about all that, ma’am. Being my head rest is the only job you have for now.

©️ 2025 H.J. Hill. All Rights Reserved.

Grumble Faces – Conversations with the Pack

I am Doodlebug, King of the Olde English Bulldogges.

Me: What’s with all the grumble faces?

Sweetie: Are you calling us ugly?

Me: By no means, but you do look a little serious.

Sweetie: Doodlebug! Maybe now is the time to present her with all our complaints…uh… requests.

MoonCat: Grumble faces? That must be a human and dog problem. I always wear the same face. That way no one can tell what I’m thinking. Keep ’em guessing.

Copyright 2024 H.J. Hill. All Rights Reserved.

The Cozy Chair Supremacy – Conversations with the Pack

I am Doodlebug, King of the Olde English Bulldogges. This is not about the Big Blue Chair again, is it?

Sweetie: Everything is about the Big Blue Chair. Unless it’s about something else that I want.

Me: Look. The chair is mine. I don’t mind letting you use it when I’m elsewhere, but we can’t both fit in it at the same time.

Doodlebug: No problem. It’s too tall anyway.

MoonCat: No argument here. It smells like bulldog anyway.

Sweetie: I don’t mind sharing MY chair with you, Lady Human, but you’re going to have to shrink your bottom some to accommodate both of us and I have always first dibs.

Copyright 2024 H.J. Hill All Rights Reserved.

Bulldog Recycling Architect – Conversations with the Pack

I am Doodlebug, King of the Olde English Bulldogges. Lady Human! Sweetie is tearing up something! I don’t know why and I don’t know what.

Sweetie: Grrrrr! Move! Move! There! There!

Me: Oh, Sweetie. What are you doing in a cardboard box? I was going to put that out for the recycle people.

Sweetie: Grrrr! No need, ma’am. I’m recycling it myself. Repurposing. Reconditioning. All those fancy words the humans use, well, I’m DOING IT! BEHOLD! My new bedroom!

Me: Well…I’m…impressed. You knocked down one side of the box and dragged a blanket into it and made it just the right size for a new bed? In addition to the other two beds you already have. Okay. Why?

Sweetie: This is who I am. This is what I do. I’m not just a bulldog toilet engineer. Now I’m a bulldog architect. Don’t waste cardboard. Give it to me! I will reuse it! Wait. Look. There’s a plastic box over there! ANOTHER PROJECT! WOO HOO!

MoonCat: Meow. All right. Everyone hide. The bulldog has lost it.

Copyright 2024 H.J. Hill All Rights Reserved.

Running around like a Chicken – Conversations with Sweetie

Sweetie: Lady Human, we have a problem.

Me: What’s wrong?

Sweetie: There is something running around my sunbath area. I think it is a bird. It has wings, but it is not flying. I think something needs to be done.

Me: It’s alright, Sweetie. It’s a chicken.

Sweetie: Well, I knew it wasn’t a bulldog. But I don’t think it’s right to have a big chicken running around my sunbath spot.

Me: She won’t bother you.

Sweetie: What if she wants my spot? I’m not giving up my spot to a bird. I mean, what if she invites friends? It won’t be a sunbath anymore. It’ll be a bird bath.

Copyright 2023 H.J. Hill All Rights Reserved.