Week 1 Story; Corgi in the Dark

Waffle, the infamous corgi puppy whom this story is about (Photo by Me). 

"Woof, woof, bark,

Which dogs in the dark?

Maddie's little corgi Waffle,

Woof, woof, bark."

As woofing and barking was heard from the backyard in the dead of the night, the neighbors could be heard questioning which of the two dogs it might be? There is the protective one, she is little brown and wire haired, often called Tootsie. There is also the playful one, she is long, orange, black and white and filled with energy, she is called Waffle. Tootsie and Waffle were two completely different dogs with two distinct barks and voices.

People always say that a dog doesn't have a voice, but dog lovers would disagree. Their bark or their woof is a form of communication among dogs, it can change with changing situations. There are the high pitched scared barks, the low rumbling protective barks, and what I like the refer to as the hound dog bark which is often playful.

Late one night in the hot Texas summer the neighbors could hear the barking from the backyard of one dog in particular. I overheard them discussing which of the two dogs they thought it was who was causing a ruckus. I am often the most observant to my dogs barking and communication because animals have always fascinated me, but this night in particular I hadn't thought much about it until I overheard the neighbors speaking about the difference in pitch and tone. I knew right away that something could not be right, informing my mom and dad that the bark indeed did sound different than the playful barks I was used to.

When I then realized that it was our corgi puppy Waffle causing the sound we knew it was an alarming bark, my dad jumped up and ran to find her in the dark backyard. Once he finally found her we became aware that she was warning of us possums that were trying to make their way into our backyard.  Anyone with a dog would know that possums have seriously sharp teeth and can seriously injury dogs if they come into contact with each other. Rounding up a puppy can be quite the adventure but when my dad speaks in a serious tone the dogs seem to listen instantly. All it took was one stern yell and a clap and both dogs were through the door and had completely forgotten about the possums all together.

Being aware of your animals communication techniques is so so very important this was the night that I became aware that I should always be paying attention when they are talking to me.


Authors Note; the original nursery rhyme was simply about a dogs bark and someone identifying which little boy the dog belonged too. It was short, simple and to the point. This nursery rhyme reminded me of this true story that happened with one of my dogs over Christmas break. I thought it was the perfect opportunity to elaborate on and tell this story of my puppy attempting to take on these possums.

Little Tommy Tinker's dog from The Nursery Rhyme book by Andrew Lang. Web Source