I Watched

I watched a group of boys running down the street, hanging bags on doors of houses to collect food for a good cause.

I watched two moms talking with each other, clearly outnumbered by this group of boys and knowing it, so going with the tide instead of fighting it.

I watched my now 40+ pound puppy, with big, white, shiny teeth, excited by the activity on the street in front of his yard. I watched him running back and forth across the yard and barking, the hair on the back of his neck standing slightly at attention.

I watched the boys, behaving in a pack-like manner as boys tend to do when gathered in groups, teasing my puppy with faces and taunts and chants of "You can't get me," which my puppy certainly could have done if he wanted to.

I watched the moms, waiting for one to intervene and tell the boys not to tease the puppy, but watched them instead continue their conversation and ignore the boys.

I watched my puppy obeying the flags that warned of his invisible fence boundary, even though all of his instincts were urging him to play, Play, PLAY with those boys.

I watched one of the boys stop and make gestures as if he was shooting and killing my puppy over and over again, after which he yelled, "That's what you get you bad, stupid dog."

I watched the moms, sure that would do it, and watched them continue walking ahead of the boys with no indication that a lesson was forthcoming on why it is wrong to instigate strange dogs.

I watched my puppy obey his fence boundary, disappointed that no one would be coming in the yard to play with him.

I watched the group pass down the street, grateful that my puppy's collar did its job and that Indy stayed in his yard and did not go after those boys and chase them and nip at their ankles, which is how my herding breed puppy tends to play.

I watched Indy walk inside, past the table by the door where his invisible fence collar sat having been neglected to have been put on him by me before I let him outside earlier.

And I watched a scene play in my mind of a puppy playing with a group of boys who in that puppy's mind so obviously wanted to play, and that puppy getting taken from his family because he likes to nip ankles and I forgot to put his collar on.