Elvin ears

photo of Chuck the dog by Heather B. Armstrong for dooce.com

Look who came when called?

You can’t see the gray patch along his back or under his snout, so he looks distinctly like a puppy. He’ll be eleven in the spring, so I’m trying to be a little more forgiving of his shortcomings. See that little mound of dirt to the right of the photo? Coco dug that hole FOR FUN, but there are three more like it in the yard that have his name all over them. We’ve got gophers. GOPHERS. And since he’s the hunter and not the herder, he thinks he can play exterminator.

Deep breaths. Please do not let him show up to the back door with “a present.”