His world’s prescribed:
trees, grass, flowers
familiar, people friendly,
dogs happy or yappy, but he knows
which are which.
With confidence he leads me, wagging,
’til a flash of sunlight streaks a car,
a rake is left haphazard on the walk,
or bags of garbage suddenly appear.
Then he stares
and growls a question or a threat.
He barks at snowmen,
and that fireplug he peed on in the sunshine
becomes a stubby monster in the dark.
Imagination,
furry and endearing.
– Sarah Russell
First published in Dog Days: A Celebration of Dogs
Sarah Russell Poetry 
Furry and endearing for sure. He is adorable, and the garden is beautiful too. I loved this, Sarah.
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Thanks, Sherry. That’s him as a puppy in a field of wildflowers near our cabin. He’s really a special boy.
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A fine watch dog, finds troubles, big and small. He could keep his owner busy fixing his world this was a fun read, Sarah. Thank you.
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You’re welcome, Jim. He makes me laugh every day.
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“Smudge”! There is an internet cat named Mr. Puddy, whose neighbor cat pal is named Smudge. It’s such an adorable name, I think, and your account of him is beyond endearing. Protecting you from snowmen! 🙂
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Thanks. When he was a baby, he looked like a little white dog who got into a coal bin. The name seemed a natural for him.
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I giggled at the barking at snowmen. My Kit would want one to play with him.
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Anything that is out of place in his kingdom gets his full attention. The other day, he sat down and stared at a neighbor’s trash can. Wouldn’t budge. I had to carry him around it.
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They all have their own quirks and personalities… 🙂
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Absolutely. When you get a new dog or cat, there’s another “person” in the household. That’s what’s so endearing about them.
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Love the protective part of a dog… snowmen and rakes… there is always a reason to bark
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And doorbells. Even on TV! Thanks for stopping by.
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This is lovely, Sarah. Love name and photo!
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Thanks, Sara. He has grown over the years into a regulation miniature poodle (a parti poodle they call the ones with 2 colors) and his hair is curlier, but I love this picture of him when he was about 6 months old.
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Yes, I wonder sometimes, what they are thinking? Bundles of love!!!
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Smudge is so cute!!!
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Thanks, Annelle. The smartest dog we’ve ever had, and a puppy mill rescue. I can’t imagine what his life would have been like if they had kept him as a sire. Born in one puppy mill, sold to another when the “broker” didn’t want him but bought the rest of the litter, and then they determined that he might be too big to be a sire. They want big females so they can squeeze in another puppy per litter, but to keep the size down, they want small males. We think he’s perfect at 14 pounds!
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Ah…..it’s a dog’s world! Handsome Smudge!
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Thanks, Vivian. We love him to pieces.
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🙂
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kaykuala
and that fireplug he peed on in the sunshine
becomes a stubby monster in the dark
They can be loving and endearing without really trying. By nature they are lovable!
Hank
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You’re so right, Hank. A head tilt trying to understand, and he’s got me! I say they’re the kids who never grow up.
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