Shawn L. Bird

Hot water tap turned with a toe,

A fairy tale is unfolding

In my brain, page by page.

Dusty Dog is curled into a ball

Hubby snoring through the wall

A suspicious rustling

heard down the hall.

“OJ?  Are you getting into trouble?” I call

to my incorrigible canine,

plainly awoken from his nap on the couch.

He clicks nearer, ’til he’s

outside the bathroom door.

“Were you getting into something?” I ask softly.

Slow feet start to move away.

“You need to stay out of trouble. Go to your bed, OJ.”

I say in a firm whisper.

Click click

Two steps toward the living room.

“OJ.”

Pause.

“OJ.  That’s the wrong way.

Go to bed.”  Spoken so silently that

sleeping husband will not hear.

Oh, so, slowly OJ turns

And strolls, almost like it was his idea,

Into his room.

I hear him jump onto his bedroom futon.

Good bad dog.

I turn the page in my book,

and add more hot water with my toes.

Dusty sleeps the blessed sleep of the innocent

on his own bed towel, dreaming dog dreams.

Later, warmly water logged,

I investigate the disaster,

Dusty at my feet.

My purse on a chair, formerly zippered closed

Has been opened and disembowelled.

I pull out the camera to photograph

The scene of the crime.

OJ wanders down the hall,

hopeful.

He meets my eyes.

“OJ.  This is bad.” I tell him, shaking my head.

“Very bad.”

He looks at the floor.

“You need to be back in your room before I get angry with you.”

He soulfully studies me, sighs

then takes the circle route,

through the kitchen,

Back to his room.

Such a bad, good dog.

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That black/gold cloth bag is an organizer.  Each compartment is usually full of something- pens, makeup, business cards, shopping bags, keys, flashlight, notebook, etc.  so things can be transferred easily between purses.  The bag was a mess, the organizer as you see.

If you click on the Category POODLES >>> on the right>>> you can read more of OJ’s adventures.  He is an incorrigible counter surfer, and food scrounger.  He opens packages (he loves ziplock bags, even if there is nothing edible in them).  He likes to investigate my purse, whenever I am foolish enough to leave it within his reach.  After I yelled at him for eating through linings (on my brand new, expensive bag!) he has not once eaten through another lining, but carefully manipulates the zippers, sometimes a series of zippers, and occasionally buckles in order to explore.  I have no idea how.  Poodles are considered the second most intelligent dogs (second only to Border collies), and it’s because of their phenomenal problem solving abilities.  OJ plays dumb and lazy much of the time, but he has some amazing skills.  (I call these “bad talents” and there is a blog series about them.)

Do you have an incorrigible canine character at your house?

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Dusty Dog and the oh so innocent looking incorrigible OJ: