Taunt 2

There's this rabbit, a cocky little snot of a thing who's started messing with my morning routine, which, you may remember, Duncan and I have been retooling. A few weeks back I realized that Duncan was taking his sweet time tending to business, sniffing and investigating and refusing to deliver the goods because, like an idiot, I was taking him back inside as soon as he finished, which, to a dog who lives for the outdoors, was like being punished for a job well done. Now we don't walk in the morning until after everything is wrapped up. We stand in one place and look awkwardly at each other until it's done, then we walk. It's been a slow process but just when I started to notice some improvements this horrible little hare arrived on the scene and is threatening to undo all my hard work.

Four mornings in a row now, just after Duncan has picked his spot, tamped down the grass to an appropriate degree, shuffled around so that his back is to me and finally assumes the position, our friend, Bad Boy Bunny shoots out from under a shrub, streaks past us, right in front of Duncan, and bounds lazily down the yard, his fluffy tail flitting and waving all the way. Duncan, being the marvelous hunter is, forgets the task at hand and lunges after him pulling me behind. I slam on the brakes, reel in the leash and listen to Dunc wheeze and strain against his collar as our friend skips under a bush and vanishes along a row of lattice. From that point on pooping is out of the question as Duncan drags me along the side of the building in search of the hare, who's probably already at home laughing about it with the wife and kids. At that point I can't do anything but take Duncan back inside and hope he doesn't need to go too badly because it's going to be a long nine hours before I get home and take him back out.

One of these mornings, though, the next time we see our friend, I'm simply going to let go of the leash and see just how funny he thinks it is. Duncan may not be able to poop, but I have a feeling we'll be able to follow a trail of it all the way back to our rogue rabbit's home under the flowers.