Crime fighting!

It’s often the small and sometimes obscure clues that once revealed, lead the detective or forensic specialist into solving a baffling crime…

And in our case, it was my partner’s bedside lamp being on. I heard suspicious noises in the bedroom and having just changed the bed linen and knowing that my beloved Pluto loves fresh bedding, I jumped up to confront the little rascal, just as he sauntered past me looking innocent. I went into the bedroom and wondered how my partner’s bedside lamp had turned itself on? Our lamps don’t have switches; you touch the base to turn them on. My startling conclusion was that someone had been in the room and had ‘accidently’ turned the lamp on. But had a crime been committed?

So in homage to some of the world’s finest literary detectives, I lit a pipe and decided to investigate further…

There were distinct doggy style foot impressions on the duvet. I surmised then that the little git had indeed been on the bed, but why turn on the lamp? Since when did he need a well lit room to commit mischief? So I checked her bedside table and sure enough found evidence of a heinous crime… her ear plugs were missing!

Pluto had pushed open the door, jumped on the bed, searched her bedside table, found and ate her earplugs, accidently turned on the lamp with his nose, and then quietly left the scene of the crime. But he hadn’t factored in my extraordinary detective skills.

Of course the bigger mystery is why the hell Pluto likes to eat earplugs in the first place? Apparently it’s very common in dogs. But it's just plain weird if you ask me…

Ear plugs

There was a battle of wills this morning at no. 88. It involved me, my dog and my ear plugs.

Now for reasons that escape our mere human thinking, Pluto likes eating ear plugs. We actually find it slightly revolting but for him, they really are a delicacy. I woke later than usual and he bounded in to greet me absolutely delighted to be reunited… until he spotted the ear plugs… after which, they were the only thing that occupied his doggy mind. He wanted the ear plugs. I wanted coffee and another 4 hours sleep.

He edged closer, trying to look innocent until I growled NO. He then looked at me shocked and hurt and backed off. With no concept of time, he then immediately edged forward again, sniffing and snuffling, ever closer. I said, again, NO, leave! He then looked at me pleadingly as much as to say, pleeeeeeaaaasssseeee give me the earplugs! To not let me eat them is as bad a denying vitamin c to a person with rickets! (He’s a very imaginative dog.) Which he then followed up with a low level whine – which he can do for hours. I sighed, put the plugs away and masterfully distracted him by tickling his belly. Finally all was well again…

But really, it’s a lot to deal with just after you’ve woken up on a Tuesday.