Guarding Against Neighborhood Intruders

This morning, while walking my chihuahua, Raphie, I was filled with immense gratitude for springtime in Pennsylvania.  There was a variety of birds chirping and singing all around me.  Some swooped overhead, and others soared from tree to telephone line.  

Wearing sweatpants and hoodie, I was perfectly comfortable in the mild temperature and light misty rain.  The air smelled earthy and fresh.  

Raphael is a doddler.  Every walk is a new adventure, a chance to sniff a hundred blades of grass, and to pee until his bladder runs dry.  My front walk is a urine scented alert to all the neighborhood dogs that Raphael Elliott lives here.

Today his keen eyes spotted a potential adversary as we strolled.  He stopped abruptly, staring at his foe, allowing a low grumble to erupt from his throat.  The enemy stood about 20 ft. away, was roughly 3 ft. tall, and didn't move an inch.

Raph stood his ground for several seconds before moving cautiously nearer his nemesis.  His growl grew louder until a full blown bark came forth.  I hushed him, but it did little to stop his shrill bellowing.  

As we neared the object of his hostility, Raph pulled me as far away as he could, so as to walk a wide circle around it.  Once past it, my pup continued on his walk.  He stopped often to turn around, checking on the fearsome foe.  At every turn, he would let out another low growl, just as a reminder that he was still watching it.

This enemy stood erect, as red as a shiny new lipstick, clothed in the words "Dirt Devil".  It sat next to the curb in front of my neighbor's house, waiting for tomorrow's trash pickup.  

Thank goodness that my canine, who I have officially put in charge of guarding my couch from foreign and domestic intruders, now keeps watch over the neighborhood-- protecting us from all those dangerous vacuum cleaners!