Whiny Dog

My setter Dugan is a whiner. I've shared my life with 4 setters over the years and they all whine a little bit, but Dugan has taken doggie whining to a new level. An art form really. He whines when he wants to eat (which is all day every day). He whines when he wants a treat (ditto). He whines when Caelan is sitting in front of the doggie door, the stairway or any path he wants to take (which is quite pathetic to see as he is twice her size and could plow past her if he wanted). He whines when it's too windy, too rainy, when a jogger wearing neon passes behind our house or when he feels he's not getting enough ear scratches. He's whiny.

We've gotten used to his whine, so much so that last night I was out on the deck grilling dinner and I heard the whine I didn't even turn around. "Simmer down Dugan" I responded to the oft heard sound of unsubstantiated despair. I flipped the kabobs and looked behind me to see Fiona laying quietly on the deck. "Hmmmm, I thought, that was odd. I thought I heard Dugan's whine." I went inside and set the table and went back out for another grill turn when again I clearly heard the whine. This time I was alone in the backyard. Thinking I was crazy I went inside and found Dugan sleeping soundly on the living room couch. I went back outside. A few minutes later I heard it again...coming from the pine tree in the back yard. It was then I realized Dugan's whine was being recreated by a bird. A grackle to be exact. I knew a little bit about grackles but had no idea they could mimic things. A quick check of the internet (while dinner preperation was completely ignored for this life altering information) confirmed this fact. Grackles can mimic human voices and animal sounds.

I've noticed the return of the grackles the past 2 weeks, kind of like the evil cousin of the innocent robin they are a sign of spring returning. They nest in our pine tree yearly and bully all the birds out of our feeder while carelessly throwing seed everywhere as they gobble. I've never really liked the yellow eyed devils. A few years ago I once witnessed them attack a mourning dove with the intention of eating it. "Cannibals!" I screamed as I rescued the dove from their pecks and drove it 45 minutes to the wildlife rehab, who assured me the injury was not life threatening and the dove would be re-released after healing. Since then I kind of looked at the grackles as the Scott Farkus of the bird neighborhood - he had yellow eyes too remember.

Yesterday though I looked at those big meanies with a new founded respect. They are mimicking my Dugan! How brilliant! You see any villain can be redeemed if I view it as a compliment to my dogs. So now as if Dugan's whine is not annoying enough we can look forward to the "previously recorded and recreated" sound of his whine courtesy of the grackles. Now if I could just teach the grackles to say something useful. I see more internet research on the horizon.