Squirrel Watch - Doggie Reality TV

I am a dog person, always have been, always will be. These days my children are two miniature schnauzers, Ruffles and Miss Lucy Brown. Ruffles is a rescue, from a home where the owner committed suicide. It was so sad and I was thrilled to be able to get this dog. She is, as you can imagine, extremely devoted to me. Miss Lucy Brown came from an outdoor market in our little town where I volunteer for the charity sponsor. Dogs or any other animals are not supposed to be sold at the market. The manager got a report that a booth was selling schnauzer puppies and sends me, of all people, to deal with them. I told them it was against the rules, they promised never to do it again, but they had one puppy left. I solved the problem by buying her myself. So now Lucy is notorious around town as the "illegal market dog."

These dogs have filled our lives with joy and love. My husband and I laugh at them every day and never lack for live entertainment.


There is a large oak tree just outside the sun porch, my favorite room in the house. The tree has a large knothole where, every winter, a family of squirrels moves in and lives until spring. The knothole is at eye level for the dogs when they sit on their favorite  toy trunk and look out the window, and it is only about four feet away from them. It is Doggie Reality TV and they are glued to the “set.” They bark and quiver as the squirrels move in and out, bringing in leaves, etc. for their nest.

 Most of the time they are still and transfixed, exactly like this photo. Squirrel Watch, "I know they are in there and if I wait here, still and patient, I know I will catch them."












I keep trying to get a photo of one of the squirrels poking its head out the hole but I haven't been successful. I've seen one of the little critters sleeping with his head poked out into the sun, while the dogs sit and stare, never moving.


Periodically all hell breaks loose and the dogs rush madly to the door to get out and run through their “intruder alert” drill where they follow the squirrels from the ground as they move from treetop to treetop, all over the yard. This happens, on the average, about eight times a day. It is hilarious because each time they are sure it will be the time they catch one.

By the end of the day they are exhausted. As soon as it is too dark to see, they climb into bed, ready to recharge so they can tune in tomorrow for another episode of Squirrel Watch - Doggie Reality TV.