thoreau

Kateydog (the wonder terrier and my roommate) is a serious huntress when walking the streets of San Francisco. Nose to the ground like a determined four-legged Hoover vacuum - she follows a set of checkpoints. Various planters along the way let her check her pee-mail. (*sniff* - Oh - Buster was here earlier!) In the six months since we moved into the Muffin Penthouse - - this list of checkpoints has grown and become quiet sophisticated.

There are several things that make our little microneighborhood such a dog sniff patrol paradise. First - there is the opera, the symphony and other theaters - with various people eating on the way, dropping things and there is also a trashcan receptical about every 20 feet. Second - there is a relatively high homeless population in the area - who on regular schedules eat and leave litter in and around the buildings. (creating for dog walkers just the opposite - an obstacle course of "no you do NOT need to sniff that" challenges) Finally - there are two big grassy areas that the parks folks backfill with sand - which is simply a smell sealer for all sorts of great smells. When Miss Kate finds something "great" (to a dog) - like say bright red bubblegum - or a candy wrapper or a chicken bone or any other goody - she records it. and for weeks afterwards you can see her return to the scene of these finds - to double check that someone wasn't good enough to leave it there again.

The latest case is "The Porkchop That Got Away...."

We were leaving the building the other day - and incredulously - there on the sidewalk was an ENTIRE boneless porkchop. Now - to Miss Kate this is nirvana. Doggy heaven opened up and shined up on her - this - well it was like winning the doggy LOTTO.

Well - that was before she did tug-o-war with me for 5 minutes - her trying to wolf the entire chop down in one bite - me saying "drop it" and holding her by the collar. Me finally winning - well because I'm the Daddy and I said so. I literally think she pouted the rest of the day about it - occasionally looking over at me saying "but it was just a porkchop - what is so bad about that?" Well lets see - first - doggies don't eat entire porkchops. Second - well - its a porkchop on the streets of san francisco - - that creates all sorts of concerns.

Now before someone screams 'katey-abuse' - she was very sick with pancreatitis a year ago - prolly for finding something very much like this on the ground in Golden Gate park; so I am rightfully strict on what she eats and does not. She's got a sensitive constitution and I'm being a good Daddy by making sure no food harm comes her way.

Well ever since - even when we come in the other door - she will pull to the other door - ask to be let out - and sniff on the sidewalk on the other side of the door. She is convinced it is like a portal from another universe where porkchops fall from the sky - and she doesn't want to miss out. This has been going on now for three weeks.... the return to the 'scene of the porkchop.'

Tonight - we went out - she sniffed. and she stopped, sat down - and then looked up at me and let out this exasperated whine. as if to say "I know porkchops appear here - and I'm frustrated!" then she let out a little huff and turned back to go inside the building. Classic!