Misadventures: My dog thinks he's a cat....or a police officer.

During school time, the kids and I get the biggest kick out of our dog as he scouts out the backyard. I've heard dog's like to chase squirrels and other tiny four-footed creatures, but I think Bogart might be having an identity crisis....

Because we live in a wooded area, we have oodles of squirrels and birds and bunnies scampering thru our yard. Bogart stands at attention at the window, tense and shaking as these furry trespassers heedlessly scavenge for nuts. To put him out of his suffering, I let him out so he can release that tension and chase them up the trees or telephone poles. After the first rush, though, he takes on a cat-like posture.....hunkering down on his haunches, s-l-o-w-l-y stalking his prey. I grew up with cats, so the routine is familiar. But I'd not seen a DOG do this.

Recently, I heard him outside barking his warning/battle cry, and assuming he was simply terrorizing yet another squirrel/bird/bunny I ignored it. But the barking continued so I took a gander out the window to see if I could locate the offender. In the neighbor's yard was a small orange plastic bag....the kind newspapers are wrapped in....flitting it's way lazily over the grass, taking it's own sweet time. Evidently there is something intrinsically evil about orange plastic bags because Bogart was absolutely tortured by it. He growled and drooled and barked and yelped and whined, jumping up over and over again up on the chain link fence, willing his hind legs to propel him over the metal barrier. He meant business....ain't no weird orange thing gonna have a chance to abuse *his* pack. Uh-uh.

When I finally got him in the house because I was afeared my neighbors would call the police due to the noise my pup was putting out, he was quivering and panting so hard, it took several doggie treats to pacify him. Dogs are dumb. No offense meant here, but really, for the last months since rescuing him from the shelter, he daily goes out and barks at all manner of moving things....and he never gets them, never scares them from coming back, in fact they tease him.....but does he give up???? NOOOOoooooooo. I guess dumb isn't the right word. Just.... persistent and optimistic. Who knows? Maybe today will be the day when another sheepish orange wrapper will find it's way into our yard and Bogart will finally get his chance to give it what for.

Oh the satisfaction!