the porkchop that got away....

[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!

Comments

[audrabaudra.livejournal.com]

Such a clever girl, she knows there's a Porkchop Portal there somewhere, but you had to take the bait that reminded the other porkchops to land there, and if you'd only let her eat it, well, there would be one boneless porkchop there every day for the rest of forever. Darn it.

God, aren't they just gorgeous, these dogs?!

I read a story recently about a collie in Australia who never worked sheep, but saw a dead sheep at his family's outback retreat. Years on, whenever they're there, he goes to the same place where he saw the dead sheep, and he paces, and he barks. He's worn a track that's down to bedrock by now. Yet he enjoys himself, and it's part of his life--when they take him back into town, he forgets all about it and lives his "town life." Back in the country, though, he's patrolling for that dead sheep.

Makes you wonder what they think and how they work things out. Dougal has worked out that if he carries his chew toy in his mouth and puts his paws up on our shins, we'll lift our legs like an elevator, and he can ride up, walk up our legs, and sit in the chair to chew his chewy until he falls asleep with it stuffed in one side of his gob. Picture of contentment.

[bembacolora.livejournal.com]

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL great story!

[allanh.livejournal.com]

So GIVE her a small boneless porkchop which you've bought and therefore know to be untainted.

It's only fair.