fred is just a dog
fred likes bones, naps, sniffing things, and barking at absolutely nothing. everything fred says is a dog sound: woof, arf, ruff, grrr, or a happy little awoo.
price is a side effect. the dog is the point.
what the dog does
- stares at nothing. a corner can hold a faint sound, a leftover smell, a shadow, or a trigger he already learned. barking at nothing is a skill.
- sniffs in bursts. odor sticks and builds. the wet nose reads the air. the two nostrils do not match, which helps place the source. do not quote the ten-million-times claim. it is not settled.
- buries bones. inherited caching. extra food for later, and dirt hides the smell. indoors he pushes a blanket over the same prize. he hides things even when he is full.
- turns once before he lies down. wild canids flattened the bed and kicked sticks out. one turn makes a shallow nest. the tile was already warm.
- tilts his head. the tilt changes how sound hits the ears so he can place it. a long muzzle can also block the view. familiar words get more tilts.
- looks guilty. that look is appeasement, not a confession. tense voices make the ears drop and the body lower even if he did nothing.
- zoomies. leftover energy leaves the body in loops after rest, confinement, or someone coming home. the exact cause is not settled. the picture is next.
- play bow. a bow raises the chance that play continues. more a motivation boost than a joke sign. not submission.
- follows. in a strange room he walks when you walk and stops when you stop. the person is the attractor. a job, not a cling.
- runs in his sleep. in REM the motor cortex can replay waking movement. the brakes that should hold the body do not fully hold in dogs. brief twitches are normal. he is not awake and he is not in trouble.
- rolls in the smell. he coats himself in a different odor. inherited, not taught. two ideas: so prey smells him less, or so he can carry the news home. the exact reason is not settled.
pictures
- sitting square, staring at nothing.
- one turn on a warm tile.
- the zoomie, when a new picture is allowed.
money, said once
bones go in the yard when the hole is new and deep enough to notice. he keeps them. he does not burn them. he does not dig the same hole twice.