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Daisy is a black Standard Poodle. She's about the most Alpha dog I've ever met, bossing everybody she meets. Daisy's next door neighbor is a big long-haired tabby named YoYo. Daisy thinks Yo's neat, although at first she thought YoYo was a squirrel in disguise. It's important to make sure about that because squirrels are Dog Enemies.
Yo checked out OK with the Dog Security Bureau, so Daisy's got a new friend. Yo thinks Daisy's a little on the bouncy side, with insufficient gravitas but they get on well enough together. The line gets drawn however when Serious Cat Business is at hand. SCB includes hunting trips with Samuel. Sam is a short haired white tom who comes to visit Yo every afternoon. Yo and Sam know that there are Blue Jays plotting to overthrow the established order. Only their eternal (for a cat) vigilance keeps the neighborhood from going to hell in a handcart.
When Sam comes by, YoYo drops everything and they form a patrol line. Since Sam is senior, he's Point Cat with Yo bringing up the rear. The two-cat patrol ventures off through the Saint Augustine, keeping low and stopping periodically to rest (cats gotta keep up their strength). Well, Daisy thinks that she can help, so she tails onto the parade: white cat, tabby cat, black poodle troop, troop, troop.
Sam and Yo stop and stare at Daisy. Daisy goes "Wag?" The Cat Patrol starts up again with Stealth Poodle at the rear. Cats stop, turn around and look at Daisy. Wag and dog grin, tongue out two inches. Patrol goes on. Mockingbird spots the patrol. Since it's his yard, he swoops over Sam, raising hell. Damn, there goes stealth out the window. Patrol goes on. Sam spots a dove in the next driveway. Doves are stupid, this should be easy. Belly to the ground, Sam and Yo slink, slink. Dove stops pecking and looks in the Patrol's direction. Cats freeze. Daisy lies down. Dove goes back to pecking and Cat Patrol creeps into position. Tails wind up, thrash, thrash. Daisy's quivering with eagerness. All of a sudden, it's more than Daisy can stand. Bark! Dove flushes and cats turn and stare at Daisy in utter disgust: Hiss! Sam turns to Yo and says "If we're ever going to get these birds in shape, you've gotta leave your large loud friend home."
Both cats stare at Daisy, thrashing their tails. Daisy doesn't understand Cat very well and Thrash translates to Wag in doglish. Daisy trots over to Samuel, tongue out and wagging. Sam curses in Cat. That Daisy understands. Well, OK, I'm sorry, slink slink. Stop and look over the shoulder, "Wag?". "Hiss!" Slink, slink. But it's OK. Daisy mostly doesn't see a slight. She rarely even sees a large. Within 3 minutes, she's back to normal, as cheerful a dog as you could want.
Editor's note:
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