(Photo credit to aligirl56 on insta) isn't he a cutie pie
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There were a few things Arslan absolutely hated. Number one: baths. They were completely unnecessary in his opinion. They left him wet, far too clean, and smelling appallingly like flowers - a smell no sane dog would ever choose to wear. Number two: being left alone. Or, even worse, being surrounded by people and yet ignored anyway. He'd spent too many months companionless as a puppy sitting in a cramped kennel, he didn't want to ever be left alone again. Number three: long car journeys. They stirred up unpleasant memories of abandonment, fierce hunger and damp shelter from a time in his life he would rather not remember. Arslan had braved previous road trips by taking comfort in sitting by the feet, or on the laps of his new humans. He was growing too big for that now.
Can's offer to drive Metin, Akif and Emre to Falih Rıfkı Atay - their chosen hiking destination, was beginning to feel like a bad idea. Arslan had been unhappily secured into the trunk of the car with a harness. The car soon became full of people, creating an unfortunate mix of two of his least favorite things. Over-excitement about having so many people in the car mixed with the frustration that nobody was paying him any attention was manifesting into a full-blown tantrum. Forty minutes into the journey he'd had enough. Arslan buried his nose in the gap between the car seats in front of him - it was as close as he could get to the humans with his harness in place. Then, he began to cry.
Can was stunned. A few shocked seconds passing before he tried to calm the distraught puppy. "Arslan!"
"Is he okay?" Akif frowned, covering his ears to block out the wailing.
"He has some separation anxiety issues," Can sighed. "We are working on it."
"Would it help if we moved him?" The middle seat between Akif and Metin was free, and Arslan's whining didn't seem to be stopping any time soon. They still had another twenty minutes before they would arrive.
"If you can - but be careful."
Akif awkwardly reached over the back seats to unhook Arslan's harness. And immediately regretted it. The gangly dog launched himself over the back of the seats, causing a commotion as he frantically greeted each of them - licking their faces, hitting them with his wagging tail and trending on them with heavy paws.
"Arslan!" Can yelped, trying not to laugh. He pushed the over-grown puppy away as he tried to scramble onto Can's lap. The car swerving slightly as the puppy's weight pushed the steering wheel out of his grasp. Arslan wanted cuddles. Road safety be damned.
Eventually, Metin managed to pin him down. The harness was secured again as Arslan lay sprawled between Metin and Akif. His usual goofy grin returned to his face, complete with a stuck out tongue.
"Allah, honestly you're going to be the death of us, Arslan." Can chuckled at the dopey expression on the puppy's face. Clearly, he was pleased with himself.
