His 'Toy' Du Jour

I awoke to the waving of his toy from the Wiggler. Months of sleeping on the sofa preventing our canine patient 'Sally' from jumping onto it, has made my life seem funny at times. Our wiggler is an easy guy to live with his easy come hither look. As my husband moved about, that early Monday morning, 'John' suddenly realized that Mr. Wiggles was awake earlier than usual, with the latest 'toy du jour', he remarked. I laughed. Mr. Wiggles is our morning cup of caffeine-laden coffee.

Today, it was Reggie, the rhino, adorning my air space, as I lay on the sofa readying myself for another leash walking day with my 'patient'. On previous 'visits', our pink retriever had offered his squeaky silicon ball with its easy grip handle as his special gift to those near. Then there is Rudolph, the tiny reindeer and numerous other 'fluffy' characters to have and to hold, all over the place. The louder the squeak, the better, he thinks. The turbo soccer ball is ready for outdoor play whenever he stops eating grass. (I chase him for that). The rubber melodic indoor doughnut pleases us all as he walks and walks for all to see and admire. He squeaks it hoping the photographer is on site for that perfect moment. He aims to please, after all.

We admire Mr. Wiggler's skill for all carrying things. No pet predecessor has had this profound need to carry, squeeze and give. The monster ball red ball, with an attached handle, is his most cherished toy, used outside, as he attempts to pickup the turbo soccer ball, too. Mr. Wiggles is an all-purpose performer. With three red balls, in diminishing sizes, our wiggler has a number of aerobatic outdoor stunts to perform.

I take pictures, all the time, for personal use only. It is an addiction where my pets are concerned. They do funny things. With a human grandchild in my world, now, pictures with our wiggler are beginning to mount. Children and dogs, oh so predictable and natural, but also a dangerous kind of thing, too. Supervision is an all day thing. We must teach these new humans, even from the age of 6 months, how to pet gently and softly and be ever so kind with the animals in our midst.

Our wiggler has no time to talk as he must get ready to carry his noisy silicon 'water bottle', his favourite, today. He is a forever sort of entertainer, always finding the appropriate toy for every occasion. He has the squeaky indoor worm for his amusement, while outdoors, he has yet another all-weather version, a silicon worm toy for holding and for previous training to walk with me. He holds on to one end; I, the other. And so we walked, walked and walked. Repetition is the name of a dog's training life game. With deer antlers-a-plenty, he chews till it is time to find that perfect soft toy to squeak. When visitors arrive, he runs to get either the worm, the water bottle, the donkey or the red doughnut. He is one busy boy. Comedy is his talent though he does not see it that way. Gifting is his job.

In the dining room, I see that our canine visitor has been here. What toy has he left behind? Is it a deer antler today or the huge silicon orange-coloured football with a handle attached? Each toy has its own unique characteristics and he hopes his selection will please his human family. It always does. He adores his walks through the kitchen to this special eating place. Sometimes, he has scrambled eggs, there, this superfood of superfoods. He is in motion ready to please and carry.

So many toys and so little space. He runs hither and thither, hoping for attention. He always gets it. He needs it. He's quiet and oh so patient. He waits. Cradling something is a must for him. Never saw anything like it. He's a one in a million. When he is especially lovable, he will jump on sofa to meddle in my face, staring at me with that mature look of adoration. I love it so. Am I on vacation? Must be,'cause I think I am. I haven't noticed the difference. What is a vacation but a place or a moment in time where good things happen. It is a frame of mind. Living with 'them' is like being on vacation though I haven't been on a 'real one' for years. No time to dither. Time to carry, one more time.

It is night time now. Time to relax and slow down. Not so, with our wiggler. He is too happy to sleep. Where is Reggie? The rhino is under the bench where the squeaky football is lying. Things to carry, things to find, things to offer to us. The toy du jour is wiggler's happy frame of mind, a place we visit when he is near. Little does he know or understand that he is the gift, our precious toy du jour, each and every day.