Desperation and Oblivion

Duncan did not do his business this morning, not for me, then not for Ken, then, assuring that I'd be very late for work, not for me again. And so he spent the better part of the day dealing with that. By the time I got home at 5:30 he was more than willing to cooperate, doing his little dance in front of the door, following me around and clutching at my wrist to lead me back outside. He was almost unendurable as I sat and put on my tennis shoes, whining and barking, shuffling back and forth between my chair and my legs, knocking the shoe off my foot and getting tangled in the laces. When I was finally suited up and was ready to go he couldn't sit still long enough for me to put the leash on so I kept commanding him to sit, only to get halfway through fastening it when he'd jump up and wind himself around me, the leash trailing behind and winding around my legs. After several minutes I finally got him ready to go and no sooner was the door open than he bounded outside, dragging me behind. Normally it takes some time and work to get things moving but not tonight. Barely had we cleared the breezeway before he was squatting, sans the careful sniffing to select the perfect spot or his regular spins and numerous shuffles back and forth. I stood looking down on him, shaking my head, and only after about ten seconds or so did I see the rabbit, too terrified to move, crouched down low in the grass not three feet away from Dunc. I held my breath and waited, slowly reeling in his hemp leash should he spot it and lunge. But he didn't see it, not even after he'd finished his Big Job and was kicking the grass out behind him. The rabbit, close to being stepped on, sensed its peril and seemed to weigh its options: either run and risk being noticed and nabbed or stay put, hunkered down low, ears pressed back against its brown and gray body and try not to get stepped on. Even after Duncan moved away and I pulled the leash in close and said, "Duncan, where's the bunny?" he didn't see it, looking instead at the place we visit every morning and night to watch the baby bunnies as they feed in the clover against the hedge on a neighboring building. Once it became clear the dog was a complete and utter moron, the rabbit took three or four careful hops and vanished into the shrubs, unnoticed by my genius dog.