Dig, dig, dig.
I love the sandbox. The sand feels warm beneath by paws and the holes I am creating are magnificent. This is so much better than what I’d been digging in earlier in the week. Mud just can’t compete with the soft soothing feel of sand.
*****
I am a dachshund puppy. I’m four months old, and if I do say so myself, I’m very sophisticated. It’s not just my red coat, floppy ears, or the length of my long body. My suaveness runs much deeper than that because I am cute. There is no getting around that fact. I’m adorable and everyone knows it.
That’s why I always get my way. Oh, don’t misunderstand me! I’m careful about it. I always work things so that my human owners, Trudy and Olivia, feel that whatever comes to me is their decision. It’s important to keep their self-esteem up.
We have a new addition to our family. Jack. He is Olivia’s father and has been away in the army for a few months. So far this guy has proven to be pretty cool, and though it took a little training, I think I’ve finally got him under my thumb. Or paw.
For example, Jack likes to keep in shape so every morning he goes for a jog. I like to run and am good at it, but Jack doesn’t get the importance of jogging. It’s not really for exercise, you know. It’s all about socialization. I like to jog, stopping from time to time to wag my tail at the lady dogs or anyone on the street that looks like they may be up for a nice pat on the head, or maybe even have a treat hidden away. I also think daily inspections of areas where I like to pee are important. Can’t have another dog on my turf, now can I? Of course, all of this requires frequent stops and Jack just doesn’t appreciate that. But he’s getting better. Today he brought treats along, and I was so busy thinking about them that I really didn’t need to stop as much.
The other great thing about Jack is that he is a guy. He understands the need for guys to do guy things. I have innate urges that I must act on. I’m going to go ahead and admit it. I have an addiction problem.
I like to dig.
Digging in the yard is so much fun. Sometimes I smell strange things underground, and I want to know what those things are. Sometimes I just do it because I have awesome claws and that’s what they are good for. Once I get started, it’s really hard for me to stop.
Trudy thinks I’m nuts. She stepped in one of my holes the other day and took a tumble. All she had to do was look where she was going. I’m mean, c’mon! It’s not like I’m digging these holes in a secret place by the fence. Escape is not my plan. I love it here! I just want to dig. Anyway, Trudy doesn’t like all the holes in the yard.
“Jack!” Trudy called, picking herself up.
“Honey,” Jack rushed out to help her. “What happened? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I just stepped in one of Oliver’s holes.” Trudy brushed herself off and smiled at Jack. “I wasn’t looking where I was going.”
“How long has he been doing this?”
“Well, it just started really. Dachshunds were bred to be badger hunters and taught to dig them out of holes. I guess he’s just acting on instinct.”
“Still, he can’t be digging holes all over the backyard,” Jack said, surveying my handy work. His gaze traveled past the dozen holes I’d worked so diligently on the past few days. “Wow. I have to admit the little guy sure is a hard worker, though.”
Thank you, Jack! See. It takes a man to appreciate my finer qualities.
“But I better fill them in. I don’t want Olivia getting hurt back here,” Jack said. He and Trudy went back into the house, leaving me to stare after them.
All that work and he’s going to just fill the holes back up? No fair. That’s just down right…unfriendly. I sat on my haunch and tried to see the situation from their point of view. Looking around the yard, I had to admit that maybe I’d outdone myself. There were holes everywhere! And what had Jack said about Olivia getting hurt? Oh, I couldn’t have that on my conscience.
What to do?
I moved over to the hole in the fence where my girlfriend hangs out. Yesterday, I heard her name for the first time. Bonnie Belle. Lovely name for a lovely dog. At least, I think she’s lovely. I’ve really only ever seen her nose and sometimes her eye, which is a deep hazel. She doesn’t talk much but she’s all about the sniffing.
“Bonnie Belle,” I called out. “You there?”
Sure enough her nose pushed through the hole and sniffed.
“I know you don’t talk much, my sweet, but I need some advice,” I said. Her nostrils flared open, a sure sign she was listening to me. “I like to dig holes, but I don’t want to hurt my best friend, Olivia. What should I do?”
Her nostrils stilled, as if she were thinking about the question. Then she pulled her nose out of the hole and I heard her low voice whisper, “Don’t dig.”
Don’t dig. I think about this.
Nope. Not an option.
“What else you got?” I scratched at my collar, waiting to hear what other advice she might have.
“Try digging in just one place,” Bonnie Bell suggested.
Hmmm…now that’s a little more possible.
“Thanks, doll.” I gave Bonnie Bell’s nose a lick. “You’re the best. Don’t ever change.”
She yipped in response and then moved away from the fence.
Yes. Digging in one place had definite possibilities….
A little while later, Jack came out with a shovel and filled in all of the beautiful holes. I watched him, wagging my tail every time he looked my way. Finally, he stopped and said, “Sorry, boy. I know you worked hard, but we just can’t have all these holes in the yard.”
He walked over and gave me a little scratch behind the ears, before moving to the garden hose. Jack sprayed water all over the freshly covered holes and then patted them down with a shovel.
“No more digging,” he said and walked away.
I went over to sniff the hole. The dirt smelled kind of neat. I patted it with my paw, liking the soft feel. And that’s when my addiction took over.
I began digging like crazy, loving the squishy mud oozing between my claws. Before I knew it, I was covered in the stuff and all the holes were dug back up.
“Jack! Come see this!”
Trudy stepped out on the back porch and gave a laugh.
“What is this?” Jack didn’t sound too happy. “Did he do all this?”
“Do you see another dog around? Besides, look at Oliver. I think the evidence speaks for itself.”
Mud dripped off one of my ears, landing with a plop on the ground.
“I probably should have warned you,” Trudy said. “Oliver has a thing about mud. A few weeks ago he played in it, and then got muddy paw prints all over everything. That was his first experience with a bathtub.”
“Well, he needs another one now.” Jack scratched his head. “I think I know how we can keep the digging under control.”
Trudy scooped me up, and while I took the dreaded bath, Jack disappeared. Once I was out of the tub, I tried to go back outside, but Trudy stopped me.
“Not yet, Oliver. Jack and Olivia are working on a surprise for you.”
A surprise? For me? And it wasn’t even my birthday! I lay down on the floor of the kitchen staring at the back door. The anticipation was enough to drive me crazy.
A little while later, Jack and Olivia came in the kitchen. I bounced up, happy to see them, and wondering what they’d been up to.
“Hi, sweet boy!” Olivia bent down to pet me and I licked her hands. “Wait till you see what we’ve got.”
I was already way ahead of them, sprinting out the cracked back door. I looked around for a moment and then I spotted it. There, next to my favorite tree, was a big square thing with sand in it. I sniffed all around it, even raised a leg on the corner just for good measure.
Olivia ran over. “Look, Oliver. It’s a sandbox just for you! You can dig in it all you want!”
She leaned down close where only I could hear. “I hid some treats in there.”
Treats? Yes! I put my foot in the soft sand. Oh, this was much nicer than mud! I sniffed around and sure enough, I could smell the scent of a cheese treat. My favorite! I dug until I found it, gulping it down. But then, I thought I smelled a different one. So I kept digging. Success! Another one! This was fun. To show my appreciation and excitement, I jumped out of the box and ran around the yard twice, barking the whole time.
My family laughed at me. I stopped and wagged my tail at them.
I love those guys.
****
(…to be continued)
Related posts:
- Puppy Tails – Oliver Protects His Family
- Puppy Tails – Oliver Barks
- Puppy Tails – Oliver and Bonnie Belle
- Puppy Tails – Oliver Challenges the Thunder
- Puppy Tails – Oliver Gets Fleas
