As we approached the tree he slowed down a little and every movement seemed so calculated. We were both looking everywhere for “the threat” but saw nothing to justify his behaviour. He moved on passed the tree and then we saw it!
Continuation………………………
Just beyond the tree and sitting firmly on the grass by the side of the road there it was, facing us with arms extended. It was casting shadows such that it could well have been seen as rather menacing. Ray approached with extreme trepidation so I decided to speed up the process and walked up to it and just stood there next to it.
Ray seemed to reluctantly accept that it was probably not a threat to any of us, and also slowly approached it. After a cursory examination, we were free to move on!
The following day we took Ray back (I had my camera!) as we felt that a picture could really add another dimension this Post. Ray was still not happy as we steered towards “the threat” but, after another examination, he decided that perhaps it was harmless after all!
Thinking back to seeing it in semi darkness, and with a nearby street light casting shadows from the arms, he would not have known what it was. With a little imagination there is a mouth, and possibly a face with ears which could have really put him into alert mode! Poor Ray! He can be forgiven for jumping to wrong conclusions, but he really needs more exposure to our society!
*Related Post “The Ferocious Feather!” – December 16, 2014
I can definitely say that of all the things going through my mind, I was nowhere close to guessing what the “threat” actually was!! So glad it was so harmless, but poor Ray in being afraid. Things really can look very different in the dark. I have already spooked myself a couple times with some crazy things!
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Low light, and an imagination, can be quite disturbing! 🙂
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Yes indeed, and when the imagination gets in full gear welll….look out!
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🙂
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As a dog owner, I suppose that we should be thankful that our buddies are cautious and vigilant. After all that is typical dog behavior and one of the reasons that makes them a great pet, a protector and, often a best friend.
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Totally agree Yvonne. Too much caution and vigilance is certainly preferred over too little!
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Absolutely.
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I’ve seen Sam’s hackles raised at so-called similar threats that crack me up. Usually it’s just a limb that broke off one of the big trees or an errant plastic bag but it sure seems to spell ‘Danger Will Robinson’ in Sam’s little brain. I try to remind myself to be grateful for the vigilance though and it usually works unless there’s incessant barking with that pose. 😉
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There is a lot to be appreciated in a dog’s vigilance, even if it does go overboard occasionally! 🙂
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Bless them. every. single. day.
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Even we can be afraid of unknown shadows.. Ray is justified in here 🙂
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If we look at the world from his perspective …. absolutely!
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Woof woof 🐶🐕
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My thing is: the cable box that is in the corner of the yard, partially hidden by trees. Mom has explained over and over that there is just a reflective strip; it’s NOT the eyes of a lurking monster BUT!!! I am not taking any chances. Woof!
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Hi Maggie – I just knew that somebody would understand my situation. You can’t be too careful eh! Woof! Ray.
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Poor Ray! Glad you were patient with him! And that it was harmless!
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Agreed. Those “killer” child seats are tricky to deal with! We were lucky to be confronted with a harmless one. 🙂
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Whew! Dodged a bullet there!
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Aw Ray! So brave to venture that close to the “threat” to further investigate!
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Just protecting my peeps buddy! Woof! Ray.
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Hi Ray. You have a great imagination, like a child in a dark basement. BOL!
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Hi Lexi. I’m not allowed in our basement – light or dark! Woof! Ray.
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I was in the basement at our other house once and Mommy screamed. She thought I was a rat running around, BOL. it must have been pretty dark for her to make that mistake.
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It is a weird thing to see on the side of the road!
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Not really. So many early model child seats have had very negative reviews re safety that they have no market value and are therefore simply garbage. Periodically, we have a “pick up pretty much anything” day (from our garbage pick up contractor) so, at those times, one sees all sorts of odd things on the side of the road! 🙂
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That makes sense. From the picture it looks in good condition but the safety features have been increased in the past few years.
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Phew.. 😉 😀
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Loved this story. Farley, my wheaten, does this too. The other day the kids next build a teepee that wasn’t there the day before. You’d think there was a bear in the bush by the way Farley growled at it.
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Hi Kristina: You’d think that their nose would tell them that it was inanimate……. but I guess not! 🙂
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Hahaha bless him..have just caught up after being zonked all yesterday,…i bet i would be nervous of that in the semi dark too..looks like a weird creature indeed..funny when we tried to get Forrest out of his lack of joy at other dogs we had him in training and the trainer had a stuffed dog on the other side of the room..i said well this is stupid..sure enough when he got closer he was beside himself..perception to us is maybe a tad different 🙂
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Hi Bev: Ray used to be very wary of stuffed dogs, but now he is just cautious…………. every time!
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Good boy…poor old Forrest will never be a dog pooch..apart from Doc..at 12 it will not change and we tried everything..had some bad bad trainers who i think made matters worse..but he is happy here 11 acres of sniffs and trips to the lakes for swims.and roos to get excited about 🙂 Ray is making great strides 🙂
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Dug out an old photo of the guy that brought me into the circle of shepherd people. http://mikefullerauthor.com/2015/09/06/supporting-role/
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I am constantly amazed at how important Ray has become to me and, of course, you already know about that realization from your own experience. In your case, K9 has even figured prominently in your writings! Without him as an inspiration, your stories would be very different! 🙂
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Poor Ray! He knows what should, or should not, be in his neighbourhood. Now just you watch in a few days or so, when the “offending article” has gone – and Ray does a double take! 🙂
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Phew… I am relieved. Thank you, Colin…lol!
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So were we! As humorous as it is in retrospect, he was so serious at the time that we were on the alert for anything that moved! 🙂
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Must have been very confusing for Ray! And I understand your alert, when he acts so serious!
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Ray has been a great teacher and even in this scenario he role modeled! If it had been me, I would have been rather humiliated at making such a mistake, and would have taken at least 24 hrs to get over it. He just carried on with his walk as if nothing had happened. Sometimes I think that we are too complex for our own good! 🙂
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I hear you, Colin 😀 That’s the difference between having an ego and not having one… 😉
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Nice…..Poor Ray, not knowing what it was in the half light.
I remember Maggie stalking something on the river bank in Lincolnshire, going down on her tummy and slowly creeping towards it, nose extended but ready to spring back. It was an overturned canoe being used by the environment team who were checking out the water and fish population.
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If only they knew what we knew ……… but of course they don’t! Ray used to “freeze” when he saw a plastic bag blowing around on the ground ahead of him. 🙂
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