Today is proof that you can love dumb things.

My dog is a dumb thing. If you've met Yoder, you know this--one big, fluffy, goofy, barky dumb thing. 

Yoder doesn't come. I've never had a dog that didn't come before. What good is a dog that won't come? Not much. The dog then falls into the dumb dog category.

But I still love the dumb dog.

Today, the dumb dog chased a cat, squeezed into a seven inch crack beneath my chicken coop and got stuck. A real live Chicken Dog.

"She got in, she can get out."

That was hour one and two. By hour three, I wasn't so sure. Hour four, and I'm out with my ice pick and axe, hacking at the frozen ground cause that dumb dog is officially stuck. She stuck her head out, then a paw. I reached in to pet her and she bites at me. Now I'm angry at my scared, dumb dog.

"Fine, stay under the coop!"

I try to walk away. 

You can't walk away from your dumb dog. Another hour. She's getting cold. Her white coat is brown, my daughter is in a tizzy, my son wants to axe my chicken coop, and my wife has had it.

But I love this dumb dog.

I sit back and look at her head poking out. I look at the food lying around the coop, food we put there to get her to push out the hole she entered. Yesterday, I was tired of my dog. The day before, too. But not now. Now I'm going to sit here until my dumb dog freezes or I freeze because if she's never coming out, at least she deserves some company.

"Jonathan? Come in!" That's my wife. "It's cold out there!"

"No, I will not come in. This dog is family. This dog needs me. There is an owner bond I will not break. I am not leaving my beast!"

Then that dumb dog opened her eyes and SQUIRT! All of her popped out and she stood standing there, dining on fish and baiting delicacies from our table--in short she was eating my dinner. 

My girl grabbed her and yanked her inside for a real long bath. A soapy, bubble bath that smelled of raspberries.

I peeked my head into the bathroom. That dog was smiling, I tell you. My dumb dog was playing me, I just know it. Worming in on my affections. Muscling in on my kipper snacks and feasting on the table food we held out to her when "stuck." Getting in a free nip, to get me back for all the times I stuck her in the kennel. That dog is brilliant. She was low on affection so today she stole the love from all five of us. 

"Oh, you poor thing."

"Please, come out Yoder."

Tear, tear. Love, love. Fresh fish. Fresh clean raspberry coat.

I don't have a dumb dog. The Chicken Dog is a formidable opponent. Next time, I will not be so easily fooled.