An unknown dog or dogs had an upset tummy* in my office this morning, and the weather is turning mild, so I put all the others outdoors while I was away. Sophia (it was her, as it happens) in the indoor/outdoor kennel by the barn, and Pip, Rosie, and Barry White with the run of most of the foster kennel and play area.
Moe was by himself in a run in the foster kennel. Just before I left I hung a bucket of fresh water from the fence.
When I returned, it looked like this:
Yes, the two-quart bucket is completely filled with straw and mulch. Mostly straw, which came from inside the plastic doghouse about six feet away.
No, I have no idea how he did it.
I do not know why he did it.
Is it an editorial comment on the indignity of being left in a kennel, as if he was a dog for chrissakes? Protest over being confined alone?
Maybe. But I got this kind of Richard Dreyfuss sculpting Devil's Tower out of mashed potatoes vibe from it. It kind of felt like a compulsive act of art.
It was a deliberate and symbolic act. But what kind?
Funny! That's the sort of thing that'd be great to get on camera. At least it'd solve the "how" question, if not the "why". :)
ReplyDeleteMy Granddog Moe is bright, efficient and loving - you must have really PO'd him by leaving him alone - the curse of the Seven Snotty Orphans be upon you and may the fleas of 1,000 diseased camels infest your undergarments.
ReplyDeleteDad
He looks very proud, however he did it.
ReplyDeleteOur old Ivan dog used to make assemblies of dog dishes and stuff, like in the picture here:
ReplyDeletehttp://errantry.typepad.com/pondering/2004/08/new_dog_art.html
Maybe you just have an artiste. :)
I think the water was not up to snuff, in some way. Perhaps he wants it flavored...?
ReplyDeleteWow - that is quite a statement he made and he does look proud of himself. I saw that done many times to food bowls in the barns at the Metra but never the water bucket.
ReplyDeleteI had a neutered tomcat that used to drown orphaned socks in the toilet.
ReplyDeleteNever paired socks, only the lonely ones.
It taught my husband to finally put the seat down.
Huh. Well, at least he doesn't have an incestuous relationship with the gallery owner.
ReplyDeleteIt's a message! Aliens will be landing soon in a wheat field somewhere in Pennsylvania.
ReplyDeleteHas he been humming an eerily catchy tune?
I think the comment by Maurice explains a lot.
ReplyDeleteClearly, Moe haz some mad skillz. Next time, leave him the infested undies and a tub of warm, sudsy water...
ReplyDeleteeli
Dogs act symbolically, beyond economy of expression, all the time. Using symbolism to create a metaphor is what the best sheepdogs/retrievers/bird dogs/sled dogs sometimes do.
ReplyDeleteDonald McCaig
Yes he is clearly impressed with his work. Funny!
ReplyDelete