We were the ones who were sound asleep that morning when we heard the big dog bark. It sounded different somehow. No nonsense. Serious. It was both carrying a warning and sounding alarm at the same time. At first we thought the small herd of deer which regularly pass through the wooded lots of our neighborhood were on the move, but that bark was all business. Dave got up to check.
He found Cooper at the playroom window. The one which overlooks the garage and driveway. As Dave peered out himself, he could hardly believe what he was seeing. To put it simply; he was shocked. By this time Cooper had raced down the back stairs and was continuing his big dog warnings from the laundry room immediately below the window. Dave quickly followed down the stairs, out the laundry room door, and onto the driveway to confront the young man who was just then climbing inside his Explorer!
As Dave muscled the young thief onto the back deck, he started firing questions at him: what do you think you’re doing? who are you? where do you live? He noticed the young man seemed confused, groggy even. It didn’t take long for that burn off in the intensity of Dave’s interrogation though. The young man told Dave he was one of our new neighbors–the house across the street had recently sold–and he walked in his sleep. He had no memory of coming down our driveway or of trying to get into Dave’s vehicle. The story checked out. He was indeed the neighbor’s son. He did indeed have a problem with sleep-walking. All was explained.
Our young sleepwalker inadvertently did us a favor by putting to rest the question of our hot debate: We now know with absolute certainty that yes, given the right conditions, Cooper is definitely a watchdog. Protector of the household. Guardian of the homestead. Keeper of the family hearth.
Okay, okay, okay we’ll just stick with he is a watchdog in some sense of the word.
I was right.
