A dog must do what a dog must do.

This morning I was instructed in the frustrations of a small black dog who dwells in a world which has recently been transformed into one of tall white snowdrifts and limited accessibilty.

After eating his breakfast and being put out back to attend to nature's calls, Buddy came back in and proceeded to do the mad dash from one end of the apartment and back again which I have come to understand is his way of saying that he needs must go out and, putting it euphemistically, "take a healthy."

He'd just done that, of course, but this is not a matter in which I am eager to take chances, so I leashed him up and out we went, the front door this time, for a long walk along our regular route.

While the snow is still several inches deep out back and across a good portion of the grassy areas out front, there are places along the edge where it has melted down to the grass and many more where it is but an inch or two deep. This provides access to, among other places, various lampposts and signposts, each of which we stopped by while he lifted his leg and marked them, something he's not been able to do for a couple of weeks. Various places along the exposed ground were also sniffed at great length and, in many cases, then subjected to a leg-lifting.

What today's mad dash was about, I came to understand, was that he needed to provide evidence that Buddy was still in the house (metaphorically) for those people, dogs and other creatures who he assumes are consumed with wanting to know if Buddy is still in the house.

When you're king of the world, you do have certain duties which cannot be abrogated.