Wait, That Song Was For The Kid?

Well, the happiness from last night was short-lived. Today is January 11th, my son’s birthday, and I think we just broke Moose’s heart. We were in the dining room after dinner, and I brought out the chocolate cake with candles. My son was bouncing in his seat, obviously thrilled. As soon as we started singing 'Happy Birthday,' I heard the tell-tale 'thump-thump-thump' of Moose’s tail from the other room and then the click of his nails on the hardwood floor as he came trotting over. He skidded to a halt right by the table, sat down, and looked at us with the most hopeful expression I have ever seen on his face. It was so clear he thought, 'OMG IT’S HAPPENING AGAIN! TWO DAYS IN A ROW!' He was a very dog confused by the birthday song, but in that moment, it was pure, unadulterated hope. Not confusion yet. That came later.

He sat there so perfectly still (except for the tail, which was going crazy), watching us sing. His eyes were locked on my husband, who was the one holding the cake, and he was practically vibrating. All the same wiggles and excited energy from last night were back. He was probably already tasting that second hamburger. My son was busy trying to blow out the candles and was completely oblivious to the dog drama unfolding next to him, which is probably for the best. Moose was the picture of a perfect, expectant dog, waiting for his reward for being the best birthday boy. I honestly felt a pang of guilt right then, because I knew what was coming next, and he had absolutely no idea. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion.

And then... nothing.

We finished the song, everyone clapped, and my son blew out the candles. I took the cake to the kitchen to cut it, and we started passing out slices to all the humans. And Moose just… waited. He stayed in his perfect sit, tail still giving a few hopeful wags, looking back and forth between us and the kitchen. You could literally see the wheels turning in his head. The hope started to flicker a little bit. His ears, which had been perked up and alert, started to drop just a little. The tail slowed down, then stopped completely. He was processing the situation, and it just wasn't adding up. The song happened. But the hamburger did not. And the confusion was setting in, big time.

That’s when the disappointment hit. After a full minute of nothing coming his way, he let out this huge, dramatic huff of air. It was a sigh that came from the depths of his soul. Then he just flopped onto the floor, not gently, but with a big 'thud'. He laid his head on his paws and just stared at us while we ate our cake. All the excitement was gone, replaced by this look of utter betrayal. He wasn't mad, just sad. I went over and gave him a few pets and told him he was a good boy, but he barely even acknowledged it. He just kept staring at the cake. It was honestly heartbreaking. How do you explain to a dog that the magic birthday song isn't always for him? You can't. So now he’s just moping. Not great.