The Dog and her Presents

The other day, my aunt sent home a stuffed toy that resembled a large bone in a zebra coat for the dog. A couple of years ago, my aunt had sent one in a leopard coat. The dog pried the new stuffed "bone" out of my hands, trotted off to the kitchen with it and deposited it next to the leopard coated stuffed "bone."

Later, a friend gave me a cloth chicken for the dog. She laid that one down on "her" living room throw rug alongside her "green bird", "ducky" and "quack quack."

She's either a very smart dog or I am adept at anthropomorph-ing her. I'm willing to go with the idea that the second incident of "things with wings" perhaps was random. But with the two stuffed bones, the first "bone" was in a place where her toys specifically usually are not found. Maybe she recognized the new "bone" as having the same shape as the older one. Maybe she identified the scent on both as having originated from my aunt. Maybe it was just a bit of whimsy.

I also share quarters with two cats. The older cat is more retiring although I am convinced that he likes us well enough. The younger is bold. He will eat out of the dog's dish (to the utter dismay of the dog), investigate anything in his path, and responds to the doorbell. When the cable guy came once (a man that the cat had never met), the cat walked across his papers, pawed at the guy, demanded attention. The younger cat is also gifted. After my cross-country trip, I deposited the dog's new "quack-quack" in her water dish while she was in the back yard. The cat quickly walked over to the bowl and knocked the duck out of the water dish with one paw. He then retreated to his nap spot.

I put the duck back in the water dish and called the dog inside. She tentatively picked up the new "quack-quack," and squeezed it several times so it produced a series of sounds that were intended to resemble a duck's voice (I guess) and then promptly went to the back door with it. I had to demand that she leave the "quack-quack" inside the house. Dog was disappointed as she clearly wanted the annoying thing OUT. Dog has since resigned herself to the presence of the "quack-quack" in her domicile. Occasionally she engages in squeezing the duck so it emits that horrid sound over and over again-- particularly when husband is concentrating on television.

sapphoq n friends