My Dog

My dog growls in her sleep once in a while. She's dozing in the hallway and she just now did a very low volume growl. She also kicks her feet at times and makes little yips, like she's barking in her dreams but all that's coming through is this pipsqueak yip.

She's part Pomeranian, so she's not big. She just thinks she's big. Except she has a lot of fear of things outside. You wouldn't know it as aggressive as she seems.

A couple nights ago I saw something weird on the sidewalk when I took her out. It was over where we don't usually go, but I saw it over there. It looked like maybe a bunch of leaves, or a bunched up shirt, or something. It was moving because it was a windy night. But it had a way of moving like it had a will of its own. I was hoping there wasn't a crippled squirrel in there somewhere, maybe tangled up. It didn't really seem like it had that much will, but whatever it was, the swirling wind patterns, perhaps, this piece would stretch out, this other bit would rotate.

I was looking over at it with interest. The dog either noticed me looking at it or happened to notice it for herself. She stood erect in its direction and was barking, like she was bold. But then I decided we should walk over by it and figure out the mystery, what it was. The dog became more and more reticent as we got closer. Like she thought it was a living thing, too. Then when it seemed like I was going to press on all the way to it, getting closer, my dog pulled the leash the opposite direction and let out the scariest primal barking/moaning I've ever heard from her. More a bark than a moan, but full of anguish and dread. Of course I turned and we went the opposite direction.

When we went out in the morning there wasn't anything over there that was unusual. In the general vicinity I saw what looked like a cottage cheese container, and nearby also a yogurt container. But whether they were part of anything that could be moving and swirling, I guess I'll never know.

I was describing it to someone just like here and she noted the word "primal" in my description, to which I said they obviously have responses built in that are not normally used in everyday life, till an unusual threat arises.