Zeppy and His Turkey Obsession
Our 5 yr Pem boy Zeppy has had a lifelong addiction to turkey. Chicken is good. Duck is nice. But nothing, absolutely nothing beats turkey. All 3 of our corgis always have a Thanksgiving dinner of turkey bits, roasted pumpkin (leftover from making pies), and steamed green beans (my little weirdos love them). They all enjoy it immensely. But with Zeppy it is practically a religious experience. Family members actually come over early to witness the Zeppy Turkey Mania. |
Zeppy on his first
Thanksgiving (4 years ago) with Gingko keeping an eye on him
from up above. This is after they ate their turkey and are in
what I call a "food coma".
Ginkgo's so overprotective that she's fighting sleep to keep an eye on 'her' puppy and Zeppy is completely out, no doubt dreaming of more turkey. |
First when the bird goes in the oven there is a ritual doggie cha-cha that must be danced across the kitchen many times. Then once it has settled in the oven, Zeppy too settles in about 4 feet from the oven to keep an eye on the turkey. He stares intently thru the glass on the oven door as if he could, if he concentrated hard enough, will the bird out of the oven onto the floor in front of him. He periodically licks his lips and sighs. This can go on for hours.
Then phase 2 starts when the foil comes off the turkey. This is when true mania kicks in. Zeppy whimpers, whines, repeatedly licks his face, shakes his little nub almost constantly, starts shaking and trembling with excitement every minute or so.
Then comes the best part: he begins to wag so hard his tushy levitates about an inch or two off the floor and he begins to dust the floor with his fur pants usually moving in a strange zig-zag pattern, eyes never leaving the bird. This reaches a frenzied point about 15 minutes before the turkey is done and Zeppy throws himself down on the floor, begins drooling and shows his tummy to the oven hoping his submissive stance will convince the oven to share with him. Either that or he's worshipping the oven as a deity at that point.
Submissive puppy whines and drooling continue until the bird comes out of the oven. Then the ritual doggie dance begins again. It ends when I start carving the bird. Zeppy sits quietly, breathing deeply, and waiting. I always shred some of the meat off the wing and give it to him as soon as it cools since he surprisingly doesn't beg and carry on once it's done.
Jean Brady, Massachusetts
Ginkgo, 8 years PWC (Girls are so much more dignified)
Zeppy, 5 years PWC (But it's turkey!)
Gustav, 20 months PWC (Now that I know what turkey is, I will do the dance next year)
05.12.2011
