To Catch a Thief

The boys after our run

I have raised a thief. Actually if I think back..I've raised two thieves. Years ago when Little Darling #2 was about 2 1/2 years old, he and I were out shopping one day. As we went through the checkout line he spied a package of bubble gum and begged me to buy it for him. Slightly harried I denied his request and turned my attention back to paying for groceries. A little while later we were in the bathroom at McDonald's and as I helped him pull his pants back up I felt something crinkle in his pocket. "What's this?", I asked him...."Nothin'," he answered turning away from me so I couldn't put my hand in his pocket to see what was in there. OK now that's a sign that something was up! I persisted and discovered the package of gum he had coveted in the store.  After explaining why it was wrong to take the gum..I insisted we go back to the store and he tell the lady what he had done My little blonde headed boy's lip quivered as he stood before the dour looking lady and said..."I took 'dis..sowwy." He looked very apologetic indeed and I knew he had learned his lesson. Now the second thief I have raised isn't so apologetic. Rufus steals gloves. He steals gloves from little old ladies in wheelchairs. He steals gardening gloves from the elderly man down the road every time we stop to say hello. Knowing his penchant for gloves..we are always on guard when we wear gloves. Wait did I say "always"?? Yesterday I took the boys for run in the big field near our house. I was walking through the field keeping an eye out  for skunks and not paying attention...WOOOOSH....Rufus ran past me at the speed of light. He slyly grabbed the glove off my hand and took off at warp speed across the field with Remy in hot pursuit. "Rufus.....Rooooofus...RUFUS COME," I yelled. I saw him look over his shoulder at me....SMILE....and keep running! I noticed they were headed for the swamp....."Oh Rufus NO...not the swamp," I yelled. SPLASH...a wall of water sprayed up drenching Remy. Rufus continued to dash through the swamp...this way and that with my red glove hanging out of his mouth. Now for those of you who have Goldens...maybe you know what's coming next...but for the uninitiated, I'll explain. Water equals excitement for my Goldens and excitement equals...ZOOMIES! They run...they run fast. They zoom, zig and zag, leaving uprooted grass, trees and the occasional person in their wake. They completely lose control of themselves and go berserk. So there I stood in the middle of the field with the wet,smelly swamp things racing past me spraying me with swamp water. When it was finally over...Rufus promptly dropped onto a dead animal carcass and rolled around on his back...with my now soaking wet red glove still in his mouth. I approached him and told him to give me the glove...."Rufus...drop the glove....Rufus...get up and give me the glove...Buddy...give me the g....." off he went again. Apparently the zoomies weren't over..he was just taking a break to roll in the irresistible dead thing. He ran around the field for several more minutes while Remy and I stood aside and watched the show. When it was over...Rufus calmly walked up to me, dropped the glove at my feet and sat in front of me so I could clip his leash to his collar. The three of us started to walk home....soaked through to the skin, wreaking of swamp water. As we rounded the corner and headed towards home, Remy jumped up and stole my glove. And so begins the career of another glove thief.