She never follows me to the mailbox, but did for a couple days, including the day the package arrived. You probably think I'm exaggerating, but I really think she knows much more english than anyone is willing to believe. I'll share two more stories below which demonstrate her comprehension.
When she saw I had a box, she was glued to me and watched avidly while I opened it. I got the toy out and set it aside to see if there was a note on the back of the piece of paper. Turned around just in time to see Gimme slinking out of the room with the toy.
She slinky walked back and forth from room to
room, then finally settled down to enjoy it once I stayed far
enough away. She carries it by the body and really seems to like the way the
head hangs down in a convincingly dead manner.
When she discovered the growler in the body, she
played it up and down the body like corn on the cob, non-stop for about twenty
minutes... until she finally wore out the growler.
After killing the growler, she discovered the
squeaker in the head and proceeding to squeak it non-stop for half an hour.
Squeak, squeak, squeak, squeeeeeeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak,
squeeeeeeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeeeeeeak, squeak, squeak,
squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeeeeeeak,
squeak, squeak... you get the picture...
She finally laid down behind my chair
with it still in her mouth. If I turned to look at her, she thumped her tail and
tensed up, prepared to make a run for it if I tried to take it. She loves all her toys, but this is clearly her
favorite of all time. Of course if any of you want to send another toy and try to top this one - do feel free. I can always get a third toy basket if necessary.
Days later, she still guards it. Not to suggest she wouldn't give it to me if I asked, but she is making it clear she wants to keep this one for herself. Just sayin...
Of course a day later when Ted, the bathroom remodel guy, came over to bring me some refund money. Gimme had to see him - she adores him. Minutes later she went in the house and came out with her new toy to show him. Wouldn't let him or I touch it, but she did trot around with it doing its convincingly dead looking head/neck flop. Ted was appropriately congratulatory and this made her happy. She can be quite the silly one.
So, to demonstrate her command of English. Long ago she decided she didn't want to
go in her crate anymore during the day - I told her she could stay out as long
as she didn't make any messes. About a week later I came home to find a piece of
paper from the recycle bin shredded on the living room floor. So the next day I
made her go in her crate while I was at work. She hasn't done it since, at
least not while I'm gone. Now if I'm home and she's really bored, she'll get a
piece of paper out of the recycle bin and shred it in front of me to show me how
bored she is. We've both agreed this is different and hence okay. When I'm not
home shredding paper is mess-making, but when I am home, its communication. She
understands this entirely...
Another example - the other night I saw her heading for the bell for the umpteenth time of the evening, so I said, "don't even think about it". She stopped just short of the bell and waited. At least I assume this, since there's a piece of furniture in the way, so I couldn't actually see her. About a minute later she backed into the room, looked to be sure I was paying attention, then very purposefully trotted over to the bell and resumed waiting. She repeated this maneuver four more times, each time becoming more and more theatrical. Then finally, she came back over, heaved a huge sigh of exasperation, rolled her eyes, hopped up on the couch and slumped into a down. After a few more theatrical sighs, she finally went to
sleep.
I am subjected to this kind of melodrama almost every day.
She often rings the bell on the front door for her own designs, not actually related to its intended purpose. She rings it, then comes to see if I've noticed and am on the way to serve her majesty's demands. She loves me, but recognizes I am severely limited in my skills related to the attentive-to-Gimme's-wants-and-needs department. I'm sure you can well imagine what a terribly inadequate life she is subjected to.
Sometimes I remove the bell for a time. I learned awhile back she often rings it as a ruse to get me to walk away from the computer. She dashes out the door, makes a 180 on the top step, then races back in to get a toy from one of her two toy baskets, insisting what she really needs is for me to play with her...
She never fails to amuse.
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