July 14, 2011

White Dog peered over the edge of the bed to determine the source of the rattling noise rolling across the floor. She looked back at me and shook her head...but she was smiling. I crawled down to the foot and joined her watching YoYoMa lying below us as he spun one of her puppy rattle balls from one paw to the other. He was totally focused and delighted with this treasure.

After a few minutes the ball rolled past his paws. He got up and wandered over to the big basket where pup toys are stored. The WDA is blessed with a treasure trove of stuffies, balls, squeakies, tug toys and chewies. Many of them go back to White Dog's puppyhood and have been lovingly restuffed and resewn a bazillion times. YoYoMa has just recently stumbled across this bonanza.

Quinn and Nuka do not seem interested in toys for the most part. Puff will choose a stuffie or several and carry them to her crate or out to the yard for safe keeping. Then she gradually gnaws them to shreds. She and YoYoMa will steal "babies" from each other and have shared ownership in big green snake and piggy, but Yo has never before shown an interest in the toybox which rests just a few feet from where he sleeps.

We continued watching as he carefully sniffed and pulled armadillo from the pile. He gave it a tentative shake and then set it aside. Again, he rooted through the basket and came out holding leopard print bone; still not what he sought, the little plush bone was swooped up by Puff and disappeared. One more dive into the stash, this time using a paw to push deep down to the bottom.

Eureka! He lifted his head with Mono in his mouth. White Dog shifted on the bed and gave me a look. This was her childhood monkey which at one time annoyingly screamed (which is now thankfully silent); she almost made a possessive sound but shrugged instead deciding to let YoYoMa enjoy the little beast.

He carried Mono over to his sleeping space and curled up with it under his paw. White Dog and I left him napping with his new friend.

Late this afternoon, White Dog joined me in the office and sat in her "I want to trade" posture. I unscrewed the treat jar lid and asked "What have you in exchange for a treat?" WD gave me the briefest look of disdain and then spit Mono's little monkey hand into mine. She had barely finished her reward when YAWD pranced in proudly carrying the now hand less stuffie. He sat and presented the toy for a trade. WD left the room in a huff.

Seems I will be bringing out the sewing kit more often. As White Dog matured she stopped murdering her stuffies so repairs became rare. Puff is the shred and swallow type of toy player so chances of repairing her favorites are slim. But YoYo...

...if only he would tell me where he put Mono's other paw.