Scarlett was nowhere to be found on Wednesday when I left for town. Not that I went searching for her. My little Jack came trotting around from the front porch, where the sun shone brightly, temp at 38 degrees. I gave Jack his scrap of Nutty Oat bread. Then when Scarlett didn't come barreling around the corner, I have him hers.
I eased myself down the porch steps. Jack stood with his paws on my lower hand on the rail. I stopped at the bottom for a mini lovefest. We can rarely steal a moment together when Scarlett is present. Jack put his head under my chin. I hugged him and sweet-talked to him. Jack grunted and whimpered and wriggled with pleasure. He's a very loving little imp.
I finally told him, "See you later, alligator." That's my standard parting routine on my way to town. I don't say it when we go to the casino, or are planning to be gone longer.
When I returned an hour later, Scarlett came running across the front yard play-fighting with Copper Jack. My little Jack trotted along behind them, and entered the garage as soon as the door went up. I let him out the people-door, where Scarlett was already waiting for me on the side porch. As I walked by, Scarlett was kind-of calm. Not jumping at me as she used to. But standing, and pawing at me with her right leg. I told her, "No. No. Sit down." Which she did. Kind-of.
I reached out to pat Scarlett, and noticed that she SMELLED! Strongly. A pleasant smell. Like perfume! Definitely not a doggy smell. Or a nothing smell, like Jack. This was definitely a man-made scent. Like a woman would wear. Or a feminine-leaning man. Or clothes fresh from the dryer with a fabric softener sheet.
Once inside the kitchen, I heard Farmer H holler to me from his recliner. "Was Scarlett out there? She wasn't here when I got home."
"Yeah. She's here. And she SMELLS! Like a woman!"
Farmer H went out on the front porch to take a pee, because three bathrooms under roof are not good enough for him. Except when the temperature is in the single digits. Anyhoo... Scarlett and Jack came running. I suppose Farmer H petted Scarlett. Because when he came back inside, he said,
"She DOES smell! I bet somebody had her in their house."
"Yeah. And then realized she's crazy, and put her back out! Or maybe she was running along the road. Or had followed you down to the mailbox. And somebody stopped and called to her. You know she'd jump right in. Or at least put her paws up on somebody to get petted. So I guess she got perfume on her. That could explain where she was earlier."
"I was out here once today. I guess she could have followed me when I left."
"If she was down by the mailboxes, somebody might have thought she got dumped and needed a home. Until they saw how fat she is!"
Not sure what's going on, but Farmer H is the one who needs to worry. Wouldn't want Scarlett ADORING anybody new...
It seems strange that a random encounter would have Scarlett smelling so strongly, perhaps she WAS in someone's house or car for a while. Reminds me of when our puppy got stolen way back in the 70s, the people who took him coated him in strongly scented garlic oil, but after a couple of weeks he found his way home. Boy was he stinky!
ReplyDeleteRiver,
ReplyDeleteWhat a strange thing to do to a puppy! Unless they were trying to get another dog to accept him.
Scarlett is like my old Saint Bernard, Louise. Just a little too friendly. Louise was fat, too!!
ReplyDeleteKathy,
ReplyDeleteScarlett was not fat when we got her. I guess it's from constantly stealing Jack's food. He certainly has slimmed down since that last days of my Dear Departed Juno.
We think they were trying to confuse his sense of smell until he got used to living in their house.
ReplyDeleteRiver,
ReplyDeleteThat might have been their plan, but I don't think it works with dogs. They can detect SO MANY scents. I don't think making one smell so strong will eliminate their ability to detect other scents. Like on the smuggler shows, when the criminals try to disguise their drugs by hiding them inside something to mask their smell.