[Dailydrool] Adventures with Snoopy

[Dale Rutz]

Hi all,

Well, it looks like we are not the only ones with good neighbors.  A similar 
“escape” happened to us on Friday night.  My DH and I were ready to go out for 
the evening and I remembered I had left something on the counter.  When I came 
back to the front door there he stood, but no dogs.  I asked and he said “oh, 
they went out.”  WHAT???  I mean, yes, they do sometimes go outside and usually 
they just loop the front yard and come back in but if they go out I usually go 
with them to make sure.  So, I went out front and sure enough some D&@M 
terrorist squirrel was down at the far end of the block and both dogs were after 
it at a dead run.  Right down to the end of the block, across the street and out 
of sight!!!  Double D#@M.  And I looked at the DH and he actually said to me 
“don’t look at me, I’m in dress shoes, it would be like running in high heels.”  
Well, look at my feet, what do you think I’m wearing???  Oh, never mind, I had 
keys in my bag and my bag in my hand and I bolted for the car and drove as 
carefully as I could and thank Dog they had treed the squirrel half way up the 
next block and a neighbor who knows us had the good sense to herd them both into 
his garage and was looking for me as I drove up, left the car running and dashed 
after them.  He took Cyrus (who he knows better) and I took Snoopy and just as 
we got both dogs loaded in the car my DH and my eldest showed up to help.  Well, 
they helped by getting in the car and riding back with us.  SHEESH!!
 
My sweet Snoopy has become the talk of the neighborhood … in a good way.  We’ve 
lived here for 15 years as have most of our neighbors, so everyone knows us and 
our labs.  Years ago we had a wanderer named Maggie who was forever taking out 
boards in the fence and visiting … I swear everyone in the neighborhood 
including the mail man brought her home on a regular basis.  Anyway, Snoopy is 
DEFINITELY something different and folks say you can hear him bay for a GOOD 
LONG WAYS.  Now that spring is here and windows are open folks are coming out 
and saying “what in the world have you got there?”  Snoopy invariably 
AHROOOOOOOOs his answer (I’m a basset hound for goodness sake) and then I tell 
the neighbor that is his way of saying hello and look at his body language (and 
frantically wagging tail) ... he wants to be friends.  Well, the best way to 
quiet the AHROOOOOOOOO is to pet him, then he stops and snuggles instead.  And 
charms the person.  And they fall in love because Snoopy is really soft and 
really cute and really snuggly … well … of course he is … he’s as basset.  So 
now he’s met most of my neighbors and everybody loves him.  Lots of people are 
telling me that they LIKE the sound of his AHROOOOOO.  It’s LOUD.  WAY loud.  
But it’s pretty cool too.  Even the lady next door with the 14 year old doxie 
who he taught to ahrooooo.  Even she says she likes him and stops to pet him 
every time.
 
Yesterday I took the boys for their walk after dinner but before sunset.  We met 
a neighbor (husband, wife and 3 year old girl in a wagon) and of course they 
wanted to pet Cyrus because they know him … he’s a neighborhood fixture.  I 
explained that Snoopy was AHROOOOOing to say hello and they adults both petted 
him but the little girl wasn’t too sure so we told her it was fine … and at that 
moment Snoopy changed his tone … started a low growl and a quiet bark … we were 
all very surprised and the little girl was a bit frightened so Cyrus stole a 
kiss and while Cyrus was comforting her I pulled Snoopy over next to me and put 
him in a sit and put my face down next to his face and asked him what he saw and 
he pointed across the street … where another man was approaching whom none of us 
had seen … it was about dusk then and we hadn’t noticed … so I showed the little 
girl the approaching man and her parents told her that Snoopy had simply wanted 
to make sure we saw him.  Once we acknowledged the approaching stranger across 
the street Snoopy went back to being a show off and the little girl decided to 
pet him after all … which he ATE UP.
 
Well, lots to do and me to do it. 
 
--Dale
Snoopy (wanna pet me?)
Cyrus (don't be such a show off, everybody likes me too)
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