My dog is a little bit feral
My dog Mango is ¾ blue heeler, ¼ kelpie, and just a little bit feral.
FERAL : of, relating to, or suggestive of a wild beast
She tears around the yard, part cheetah, part hyena
She’ll play chasy for days, darting and hopping (!) at you, tail held high. She’ll zoom around the backyard kicking up dust. She’ll rev around the furniture, mouth open in a goofy grin.
She’s got the thick skull of a wombat and all the grace of a boar
Her big boofhead is perfect for collecting the backs of knees or unguarded chins. She invites rough-housing. Even as a young puppy she loved it when one of us would crouch in table-top position, and she’d walk between our arms and legs, getting boofed from side to side like a pinball.
At certain angles she looks like a crocodile. In certain moods, she acts like one.
She’s got the patience of a honey badger
At first we thought she was just frustration-intolerant, but more and more I think she’s full-on allergic to any kind of frustration. And if something gets on her nerves, she lets you know it. And lots of things get on her nerves. Her long list of grievances range from the mundane to the bizarre. Things that set her off include:
Digging holes
Someone filling a hole she’s dug
Interrupting a game, or ending it too soon, or playing with not enough enthusiasm
Sand
Looking at a poo too soon after she’s expelled it (?)
Asking her to come away from something smelly or tasty she’s found on a walk
Mango’s a little bit feral, but aren’t we all?
Feral