A Dog's Life

Sometimes I wonder what Emmi does at home all day while I'm gone to work.

Mostly I think she just lays around in her bed. But once I get home, she springs into action. Like many dogs, she seems to feel that her calling in life is to be my protector. Emmi only weighs 8 pounds, so I guess it makes sense that she is the most vigilant about the smallest intruders. So far, she has succeeded in keeping most birds away from the bird feeders. While the birds have been busy in the neighbors' yards, very few come into my yard. They generally make themselves busy flitting from tree to tree and Emmi gives up on them fairly quickly.

Squirrels, on the other hand, are a completely different story. You can almost see the wheels turning in their little heads as they plot their strategy to get from one side of the yard to the tree in the yard behind us without Emmi catching them. Never mind that they are balancing on a wire high over Emmi's head.

She barks like crazy as they dash across the wire, running along the fence line, and doesn't stop until she is sure that she has secured the area.

Ahhhh! Safe at last!!

Despite the fact that she's never caught a squirrel--or even a bird, for that matter--the routine never seems to get old. She repeats it over and over and seems quite satisfied with herself once the squirrel has disappeared from sight.