April 8, 2004 ~ Goodbye, Thor
Thursday.
Thud. Clunk. Splash. I looked away from Chayda and back toward Thor and Cierra's pen. Thor was starring straight at me, placidly licking his muzzle, standing in a pool of mud.
Did I forget to clip his water bucket to the fence? I walked over to investigate, and Thor's tail started a slight wag, and a wolf-grin hinted around his eyes and muzzle. The bucket was still clipped. "How did you... You're too smart for your own good, Thor." He ducked his head and came over for scratchin's. "You did that just to get me to come in here, didn't ya?" He sniffed at my pockets for any sign of treats. "Even if I had any, you'd not be getting them for this little stunt."
I righted the bucket, clipped it more securely to the fence, and started filling it with the hose. A few minutes later it was full and I left the pen to tend to the other animals.
A few minutes later, Thud. Thud. Thud. I looked back over at Thor. He was nosing the bucket off of its concrete base. "Hey!" He looked at me. Thud. Thud. "Thor!" Thud. It was now right at the edge, but still held up by the handle clipped to the fence. Thor raised his head, bit down on the rim, clunk, and tipped it. Splash!. "Dammit."
And the tail started its slight wag as he stared at me expectantly. "Thor, you big brat."
Back over to the pen, reclipped the bucket with two fasteners at either side this time, refilled it.
I hadn't walked ten feet away from his pen before: Thud. Thud. Thud. Clunk. Splash! He was looking quite pleased with himself. "You're gonna flood your pen doing that." His look said, "Well, as long as you have to keep coming back over here to fix it, it's worth it."
I came back over, righted the bucket, checked the clips, and plotted with L. "Do you have a chain? We could put a chain around the rim, then he couldn't pull it out like he does." L. went off in search of a chain.
Thor conducted a thorough sniff-search of all of my clothing, then tried to steal my hair tie. "Oh no you don't." (When the wolves do manage to steal something from you, you don't get it back unless you trade them something for it. Thor was thinking, well, if she doesn't have any treats on her, maybe she'll go get some if she wants to get her hair tie back.).
L. came back with a chain, and we rigged it to the bucket. "Let's see you dump it with that, eh?"
When I came back the next week, I had to laugh. Apparently Thor had outsmarted our chain set-up. Now, not only were there two clips and the chain, heavy cement blocks had been placed all around the bucket to hold it in place.
Thor is only a year old, still a puppy. He has a quiet, aloof, manner, but is loving and playful once you get to know him. I've come to really enjoy his company, and can't help but be amused at his smart stunts for attention.
Yesterday, Thor went to his new home. I'm going to miss him, but I'm very happy that such a wonderful wolf-dog is going to get the attention and devotion he deserves. May his new human companions be more successful at outwitting his stunts than I.
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