The Little Dog Who Cried "Woof!"

As 2009 nears an end, I take the time to reflect upon the events of the last twelve months. A lot has happened since New Years' Day, 2009. We completed our kitchen renovation, and a lovely kitchen it is. We no longer enjoy the "convenience" of preparing dinner and cleaning the dryer lint filter at the same time, but it was a sacrifice we were willing to make. The bathroom also received a bit of a facelift, with new paint, vanity, mirror, and tile floor. The laundry room is completed, although I still need to build and install the cabinets. I had knee surgery, started going back to school, entered the ranks of the unemployed, became a Mr. Mom (which is a job, less the paycheck), and several other events I am certain to remember when I am more fully awake.

Of all the things that have happened this year, the one thing that has made the most impact on my life is Abigail M. Aussie. For those of you in the know, Abby is our miniature Australian Shepherd. I wanted to name her Fizzgig, after the character in Jim Henson's "The Dark Crystal". I was overruled by the rest of the family so now we have Abigail. She's a cute little dog, very sweet for about 80% of the time, but occasionally she show's her other side. The side that likes to chew on everything. The side that harbors some deep resentment-dare I say, hatred- of carpet. Or maybe I'm wrong and it's actually a love of carpet that drives her to defile it every so often. Maybe it's just her way of adding to the decor.

The one thing that sticks out in my mind is that bark. I am not a fan of canine opera. It just doesn't bring out the best in me. For most of this past year I have not bothered to turn on my alarm clock. Abby always starts barking around 5:30am every morning. Sometimes it's a little later, sometimes earlier if someone makes a little noise and she thinks someone is awake to let her loose. I have to admit that lately I've become a little immune to the bark, but it still wakes me at some point in the morning. I don't know how long she has been barking this morning, but I didn't bother to get out of bed until 6:30. Most mornings I wake, but refuse to get out of bed. This has allowed me some opportunity to wonder if there is some sort of message in the bark, one with a deeper meaning than "Hey guys! Let me out! I gotta pee!"

It may just be the fog of sleep, but I have noticed a pattern to the bark. It never changes. Three sharp barks, followed by one, two, or three barks equally spaced. It sounds like Morse Code. I try to remember my code from Boy Scouts, but it's fuzzy. If I apply the code, the first three barks are the letter "S". The next three are where it gets fuzzy. One would be the letter "E", two the letter "M", and three the letter "O". These barks are repeated in sequence over and over again. It's the same every morning. I can't decide if she's sending out an "SOS", or barking "SEM" every morning. I know what "SOS" means, if the code is to be applied, but what the heck is "SEM"? Is it a word that means something to canines? Is it an acronym for some phrase in dog? It is possible she is saying "SO" over and over again. I haven't figured that out. I may actually figure it out in time, if I don't lose my mind, first. I think I may need to look for clues to the meaning of the bark in some old "Lassie" episodes. Maybe she's been trying to tell us that someone has fallen down a well.