The Lurker
Tug and his Merrick Super Phat Flossie
Dogs love treats. The thought of tasty nugget of deliciousness as a sidebar to their normal eating routine is enough to make just about any dog salivate and launch its tail into a wild wagging frenzy. I have had dogs who only acknowledged my existence when I had a treat in my hand. Fortunately, Tug likes hanging out with me even when I’m not the bearer of treats. Tug, like any dog, loves a good snack. His issue, though, is that he becomes a lurker once he receives a treat.
Tug does not devour his snacks in the typical 0.22 seconds like most dogs. He likes to hold onto his treat and lurk from room to room like a ninja becoming aware of his surroundings. He’ll tiptoe across the room and stand with his back to the wall and stare into the room to see who is watching him. He does this no matter if there are other dogs or people around. With the droopy eyes and oversized head, he looks like one of the card-playing dogs from the well-known tapestry or even Winston Churchill. It’s really amusing when he goes into a dark room at night and just stands in the middle of the room, treat dangling from his mouth. Sometimes he’ll stand behind a doorway or piece of furniture and peek his beach ball-sized head around the corner to see who is watching him. After a prolonged period of time, he’ll hunker down to savor (more like devour) his snack.
A couple of days ago, I gave Tug one of Merrick’s Super Phat Flossies, an all natural beef tendon more than a foot long. Tug’s mouth was watering on overdrive, with twin drool streams hanging from either side of his mouth. He took the spiral shaped tendon in his mouth and quietly lurked around the house. He went from room to room, watching the other two dogs tear into their flossies like the hare in the Aesop fable. In true tortoise fashion, Tug took the next 20 minutes to find the perfect corner of the house to enjoy his treasure. He laid down, head facing the corner, and put on his magician hat. The Super Phat Flossie disappeared in about 3 seconds.
It’s entertainment at its best, and usually better viewing than what’s on TV. Gosh, I love that dog.
