99 Word Prompt: Watched
February 16, 2017 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story that includes a watcher. It can be a sentinel like the Watchman formation that overlooks Zion Canyon, or a Big Brother conspiracy theory. How can you use a watcher to set a tone or present a twist?
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“Dingo,” his master called out, opening the gate to her country home. “Let’s walk.”
A head peeked through the dog door. “YiP-yIp-YIP!” he announced his joy.
Ears up, eyes alert, each bush an adventure, he ran toward an all-you-can-sniff world of possibilities.
Feet fluttered over a carpet of pine needles. Tail up, head outstretched, he sprang forward.
Zagging around a flora of obstacles, he jumped at the squirrel scurrying up an oak tree, missing the back legs by an inch!
“Dingo!” A scolding voice yelled. “I’m watching you!”
Tail tucked between his legs, head down, he lumbered toward home.
Yepper! Our little ones push the envelope every chance the get.
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They have a hunting instinct that is SOOOO hard to resist. 🙂
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Loved this as I see it so often. My neighbour refers to this dog behaviour as catching up on the pee mail. Great take Joelle..
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Thanks. 🙂
Yes, and they do love to wait in line to pee on the same bush. It’s hilarious to watch.
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Well I must take more notice of that…lol
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“he ran toward an all-you-can-sniff world of possibilities.” Absolutely perfect! Love this. 🙂
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Thanks. 🙂 Sometimes the words just roll of the fingers that way.
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A great glimpse into the life of Dog, and when it comes to squirrels I think they watch (and taunt) the canines just as much as they get sniffed out. I found this to be a clever expression of a yip in varying the size of letters: “YiP-yIp-YIP!”
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I have a dingo mutt and their sounds are musical yips. Thanks for noticing, and appreciating, my attempt to put into writing what I hear every day. 🙂
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When I was younger, my family had Queensland Heelers. Great cow dogs, and I understood they had dingo in their breeding. Must be a smart dog!
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He’s part Carolina Dingo. I’m not sure about the differences in the breeds, just that they both yip. 🙂
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I have two and instead of squirrells its the bush turkeys, possums and sadly blue tongue lizards. You got it down yip yip yip perfect.
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They’re very loving doggies. When the yipping is at it’s highest, you have to hold your hands over your ears. 🙂
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I empathise. I am trying to train my young one to stop barking on command. I don’t know what is worse – her barking or my command.
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How I feel exactly! And their hurt little faces make it even worse to have to reprimand them.
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Loved your descriptions of a dog’s life; realistic and ‘an all you can sniff world of possibilities’. I liked that phrase and how you cleverly used ‘“YiP-yIp-YIP!” for the bark of the dog. And such an obedient one! My uncle’s poodle would have sat herself down at the trunk of the oak tree and waited for the long-gone squirrel to scurry back down again. The only way to get her to move was to go get her, pick her up and carry her away.
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Thanks. 🙂
And I have had to carry the 40 pound Dingo mutt before. He hates baths. 🙂
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