Today, we picked up Charlie & the Chocolate Factory. I love the 1971 Willy Wonka, but this version of it is fantastic. So true to the book, as well.
Item the first: Jake loves to chase squirrels in the back yard. Never even comes close to them, and always overshoots the tree they scamper up, but boy, does he love to try.
Item the second: Jake is a very smart dog. He knows many words and phrases. “Walk”. “Last Call” (his last time out for the night and we really mean it). “Pocky” (don't ask). Among these words and phrases that he understands is the word “Squirrel”.
Item the third: The deluxe dvd for Charlie & the Chocolate Factory has a short documentary on how they trained the squirrels for Veruca's Bad Nut scene. When talking about squirrels, it is quite natural to use the word “squirrel” many times.
So I'm watching this “making of” thing, and all of a sudden notice that Jake is quite agitated. He runs to the back door, wiggling, and stares out into the yard. The guy on the dvd says “squirrel” again, and Jake barks and nudges the door.
I try to point out to the dog that the squirrels are on TV – he almost gets it. He stares at the TV, and put his paws up on the center, but he was still sure that the squirrels were really in the backyard and insisted on going out.
So, we let him out to chase the squirrels, who are most likely sleeping wherever it is that squirrels sleep. When Jake comes back in, he quietly lays on the floor – staring intently at the TV – until the squirrel documentary is over.
Thanks Jake. I just snorted Fruit2O through my nose. Jenny is a tv dog too. She likes Animal Planet, especially anything with baby animals. She is the only one here who is not CF :-). We spayed her before she could have pups, of course, but she’d have been a good mom. The thing that always cracks me up is her fascination extends as far as dolphin and whale calves. She’s never seen the ocean, let alone ocean mammals in real life, but she likes them on tv.
Bandit does not “get” tv, but then, it’s a challenge for him to remember his own name from one day to the next.