Dog Keeps Itself Busy By Playing With A Door Stop

One must never be bored. This young beagle sets an exemplary standard for this ethos. In this respect dogs are not much different from little kids, who want the most technologically advanced computerized squirt guns for their birthdays, or play stations for Christmas presents, but in an hour may be seen playing with mere sticks or beach sand. That’s because play really takes place in the imagination.Show more

How long can this dog tap the springy doorstop? Notice how he varies his style, trying out different patterns to see what happens. Not much, but who knows? The next try may open a magic door to a food cellar, or a hidden doggy park. This is a pet’s version of a fidget spinner. It could go on indefinitely, if it were not permanently mounted to the wall.

“I love this thing. Thanks!”

No. Thank you for brightening up our morning with such trivial entertainment. You have shown us how to reduce those vacant time segments of life to near effortless simplicity. We don’t know what you’re thinking as you pull back the springy door stopper and let it go, but it’s a good guess you’re not thinking much.

Or, maybe you’re an errant philosopher pondering the ineffable, but that’s something no dog can convey to us humans, because you can’t communicate symbolic thinking in terms we can understand. You have the answer to…everything! But that answer is locked inside your bony noggin. Are we getting close?

On the other hand, that springy effect almost makes the door stop look like a living thing. It oscillates with vigor, but then slowly dies down, down, until it is dead. Is it really dead? Let’s try that again—no! It lives yet. Let’s face it, you have no idea what’s going on here. This little thingy can go on forever. It is the perfect time waster.

You certainly do look ever so thoughtful. You test it with methodical grace, sometimes holding it back for a second, as if analyzing the mechanics of the device. There is a little bit of an engineer in you, even giving it a sniff test…OUCH! One thing is for sure, it has a mean back bite on the nose.

This is a lot of fun. “I’m really allowed to play with this for as long as I want? I won’t get into trouble?” Amazingly, there are some things in the house you just can’t hurt. The door stop can play as long as you can, it never gets tired. We didn’t even have to make a trip to the pet store. And they’re really cheap, too. Don’t worry if you think it makes you look ridiculous, you’re fine. You’ll never know what all this hullabaloo is for. The deal is this: We take good care of you, and in return, you make us feel good.

“Hey, Mac, can you explain this thing to me?” you seem to be asking, as you stop to look toward the guy holding the camera. The camera man is too busy making you a star, little fella. Carry on.