I am Stella, Queen of the Olde English Bulldogges. Lady Human has another in her endless list of questions about dog behavior. I am sure it is not important, but I humor her because…you know… treats.
Me: Is that all I’m good for?
Stella: No. No. No. Yes. No.
Me: I get it.
Stella: I love you, Lady Human. And I love treats. And I love food. So…what’s your question?
Me: Snoopey spent the longest time this afternoon circling around before she…
Stella: Just say it. We all know what it is.
Me: Before she…
Stella: POOPED! No big deal. We all do it.
Me: Okay. She circled and circled and circled and made figure 8’s and squares before she finally settled on a spot to…
Stella: Say it!
Me: Poop.
Stella: Sounds pretty normal to me. What’s the problem?
Me: All the places she circled looked the same to me. I don’t understand what she was looking for.
Stella: Not looking for. SMELLING FOR.
Me: Okay. What was she smelling for?
Stella: Ask her.
Me: Don’t all dogs understand other dogs?
Stella: In general, yes. In specifics, no.
Me: Help me. I want to understand.
Stella: She could have been scenting one of the other dogs and she didn’t want a used place. She could have been scenting the grass or the leaves and nothing smelled right. She could have been scenting for one of her own old places and somebody else had come by and used it and messed it up. Maybe she is just confused. Maybe she is too particular. Maybe she…
Me: Okay. I get it. It could have been anything.
Stella: Yeah, but it wasn’t. The tall spring plants out in the yard freak her out. They weren’t there last year or the year before and she thinks that they are giants and that they will trap her.
Me: Really?
Stella: Yeah. Actually, none of us like them, though I tolerate them because they tickle my belly.
Me: Really.
Stella: Yes, they make me giggle. Ask yourself, Lady Human, if tall green plants were growing in your bathroom spot all of a sudden, wouldn’t you circle around until you found a less tickly spot?
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Bulldoggy 