Story 19: Wire Watcher

Among animals that Laika was fascinated by (read as "hated"), squirrels were on top of the list. From the first time she laid eyes on their big, bushy tails, she would become like Robocop or Terminator in their presence; her fur on her back would start to rise, her ears would stand up straight and an almost perfectly round ball of fur would puff-out right near the base of her tail! When on leash, she would also immediately pull it tightly and try to lunge in all directions. Scientifically, I would break her emotions down to following: 30% anxiety, 30% rage, 20% excitement, 10% playfulness and 10% confusion. As you can see, a volatile mix. (She would even sound a high-pitch bark/whine when she would turn the amps to 11!)

Laika's first encounter with squirrels was on neighborhood walks. At first, I couldn't tell if she was just really anxious from being on leash and directed it at the squirrels, or if she honestly disliked them for some reason. She would see them on the ground or on low trees and immediately would turn from Dr. Heckyll into Mrs. Jive (this is a Men at Work reference). I tried to counteract her seeming aggression by giving her treats when she would see a squirrel; a practice which actually helped to pacify her for a while. But, as we all know by now, Laika was a quick study...and in a matter of weeks she gathered enough surveillance to decode the true secret of squirrels: most of the time, they hang out on telephone and power lines.

This discovery was kind of a game changer for her. I assume since we lived on the second floor, she started seeing squirrels outside of the windows on the wires and then applied this knowledge to her behavior on walks. As soon as we would leave the house, if she didn't see some ground-level object or creature to inspire her tail-puff, she would begin walking around gazing up toward the wires! Laika was kind of too smart for her own good in this regard. Thus, she became quite a squirrel-spotter...a certified squirrel-hound, if you will. She never actually caught one, or got really close because she was on leash, but, boy, could she try. I think it was her nose for squirrels that forced me to switch to a harness for her, which was easier to control her pulling (and safer for her, too).

I can remember one time that she spotted a squirrel on a wire and it literally got the last laugh. We were walking down Winebiddle St. (a block parallel to our place on Gross St.) on a nice autumn day. Despite the cool breeze and the smell of leaves, Laika had her mind sent on one thing: squirrels. I didn't even hear anything while we were walking, but suddenly, Laika's head shot up. There was a squirrel on the telephone lines directly over us! She started to freak out and let out a few screeches while jumping around. The squirrel, meanwhile, was ready with its counterattack...it dropped an acorn almost directly on us and then started laughing. Yes, laughing. Picture Alvin, Simon or Theodore chuckling at Dave's hapless antics and there you have it...only this was a bit more malicious. Laika looked a bit confused, but then became kind of furious and even barked at it. The squirrel just sat there on the wire, proclaiming it's victory as I pulled Laika away in our defeat.

Laika wasn't all hate, though. In fact, squirrels did provide endless entertainment for her. If our back windows were televisions, Laika was a fan of the one and only channel. Most of the shows featured squirrels running on the garage roof. But, once in a while, Mr. Cat would make a cameo which was potentially the highlight of the week. (In fact, certain seasons also featured whole feral cat families! Ratings for those were, obviously, off the charts.) Laika learned that she could watch these "shows" all the time if she sat on one of the dining room table chairs and pressed her face against the glass. Did I mention she was smart? It is odd, because aside from wagging her tail from time to time or shaking with a bit of excitement, she was pretty calm when observing from inside. It really seemed like entertainment to her and she would sit there for hours at a time, contentedly watching As the Squirrel Turns (I know, bad pun).

As Laika aged, other dogs and cats replaced squirrels as her public enemy #1. Still, she would get a shock of excitement when she saw squirrels on the neighbors' fences or high up in trees. Most of the time, she would let out a few yelps, wag her tail and make eye contact with me to announce that she still cared...or simply turn to look at me while proudly puffing out her cheeks with a satisfying smile. Laika never completely forgot the check the wires on our walks, either. This habit stayed with her for her entire life. I always found it to be pretty amazing that she was able to teach herself where to look for and also where to watch squirrels!

Waiting...watching.