Einstein. On being neighborly. Not.

That Einstein is pretty smart.  I can really learn a lot from him.  My human was thinking about that yesterday morning when she went to take us out for our morning walk.  And while he may be smart, he’s not exactly neighborly…

It was about 5:30 and still dark, so armed with her trusty headlamp, she  went out with me and Einstein.  We have discovered that the FG is not REALLY a morning dog.  He is quite happy to lounge in his crate until it is his turn to go out. And  he is in no hurry.  Wednesdays are always interesting – it’s garbage day on our road.  Which means my human needs to constantly zig zag back and forth across the road – to keep us from peeing on all the neighbors’ garbage cans.  And on garbage day, Einstein is on HIGH alert -on the chance that some neighbor didn’t put the trash out the night before – and is doing it early in the morning.  Because it is Einstien’s role to bark at every neighbor he sees.  As if he would tear them limb from limb.  But as they know, he will not REALLY do anything – he’s all bark.   Still – my human is not impressed with this Tasmanian Devil behaviour. She’s constantly apologizing and saying “he’s just saying hello.”  Sure he is.  Anyway as we were wandering back and forth and being pulled away from every garbage can, my human heard a neighbor in his yard up ahead.  His garbage wasn’t out yet – so clearly he was going to be dragging it out to the road.  Einstein went on immediate supersonic-stiff-legged-ears-up- high alert.  He knew the neighbor would be coming out.  And he would need to let out the barking alarm.  So my human rushed past the driveway.  And Einstein slowed down and waited looking up the driveway.  My human pulled him along.  Einstein kept looking back over his shoulder.  And he wanted to wait.  He knew that neighbor would be coming.  And she kept walking.  And pulling.  And he kept looking back.  So how to stop the human’s forward movement?  Pee.  Humans will generally not pull you ahead while you are peeing.  Pretty clever Einstein.   Yup, pretty smart indeed.   And all the time he was peeing, he was looking back over his shoulder.  Grumbling.  He walked slowly after peeing, still looking over his shoulder as my human dragged us down the road and out of sight of the late-garbage neighbor’s house.

We went up the road to the start of the trail, sniffed around, did our business and headed back home.  We didn’t walk the trail because it rained the other day, and because it was still dark out Einstein wouldn’t be able to see the puddles on the trail.  Horrors.

By the time we headed back past the neighbor’s driveway, the garbage was already out and he had left for work.  Einstein was still intently looking at the driveway – but he realized he no longer needed to be on alert.  Party over.   No one to “sing” his joyful “good morning “ song to.  

It’s Thursday and we are painfully aware that my human’s staycation will be quickly coming to an end.  She didn’t accomplish much – but we did get a new roof, we played countless games of fetch, she has managed to paint SOME of the trim on the house , we  played countless games of fetch, the furnace was serviced,  we played countless games of fetch,  the doors to the DFZ have been measured and ordered, we played countless games of fetch and she has been able to spend a good deal of time with her mother – which we have also enjoyed.  But we plan to cram in a few more games of fetch before she heads back to the salt mines next week.  OK.  Not REALLY salt mines.  She works in a university.  Personally, I would be MUCH happier if she worked in butcher shop.

Oh and I THINK SOMETHING MAY be happening this weekend.  Yesterday she told Einstein that he is going to get a bath tonight.  I haven’t seen him since.  Wonder what she is planning NOW…

Anyway, have a good one.  Peace and paws up!