Today's Dog Lesson On The Fly

I have observed Hopper trying to grab flies in mid air with his mouth several times for most his entire life with me, all 1560 days. But I have no idea how often he gets one ..OR.. what he does with the fly after capture.

Tonight I saw that he was successful ..AND.. that he spit the dead fly out onto the carpet. After I told him that I was proud of him, he went back and inspected the fly, maybe to make sure it was dead.

I spend a huge amount of time getting to know my dogs! Right before the fly episode I was wondering how much they understand of my speaking to them. They understand some words & phrases extremely well, like: biscuit, bone, cheese, chicken, food, front porch, go bye-bye, go outside, go to the office, snuggle, spaghetti etc.

Ernest Shepherd

I have learned several things about my dog.

He likes me to be where HE wants me to be.

I tried reading in the kitchen at the bar with my coffee while waiting for some dishes to soak. He positioned himself on the carpet at the edge of the living room soft carpet, staring at me, smiling, indicating "want", but not begging, not asking for food, just staring at me trying to make and maintain eye contact.

"Yes? You want something?"

He just sits there on the soft floor warmed by himself, not wishing to venture onto my cold hard floor.

"Do you want me to come into the living room to read so you can chew on a rawhide bone?"

Bigger smile now and tail begins to wag but he doesn't move the rest of his body until I begin to move towards the living room.

Dishes can wait.

I get on the couch to write this and read my friends blogs. He gets on the soft carpeting at my feet and begins working a rawhide bone. But then he stops and stares at the teleBision that is playing music on cable channel 62.818 - Adult Alternative music: Jack Johnson, My Morning Jacket, The Fray, Good Old War, The Hold Steady ....

He is quiet.

Suddenly after fifteen minutes of music he has enough of this and positions himself in the hallway towards the bedroom. At first he doesn't say anything, he just stares. Finally I make eye contact. Then he makes "subtle request noises".

I tell him that I don't want to go back to bed.

He becomes progressively louder.

I stand my ground and don't move.

He gets much closer and louder with his complaining.

I tell him no, repeating my previous words.

He quiets and lays on the floor, although not quite as close as before.

I realize I have to be ready to go downtown to meet plumbers to have them fix something in about an hour.

No, let me rephrase that in the language Plumber Nonsense-ese. I have to wait all day for their phone call so that I can go to the other place for them to work when they get ready. 8 AM just happens to be the earliest that they could possibly call. I s'ppose I should check to make sure my phone is charged and get cleaned up for the day. The dishes can wait and soak a little longer. I need to soak me for awhile. I need more coffee, "two".

Time to find a new music channel on the teleBision as well.

I hear strange noises and turn down the teleBision music.

Cooper is now snoring.

Then a second disturbing animal noise.

I hear a cat suddenly scream right outside my window.

Sleeping dog doesn't move.

I don't investigate the neighbor's cat.

Someday soon I will tell/show you how I make coffee. No coffee pot required, just a microwave oven and a fork. That's right: A Fork