Most days, it stands quietly in the corner. It’s not looking for trouble; it’s not looking for a fight. But sometimes… with a mighty roar… it attacks the carpet and all those who might rest upon the floor.
Ah yes. The evil vacuum cleaner.
Many dogs run in fear at the very sound of the vacuum cleaner. My Lally does — if she’s feeling especially brave, she’ll peek into whatever room I’m cleaning just to make sure I’m safe. As soon as the vacuum gets too close… she’s gone again.
But Moose… brave, bold Moose… it is his mission in life to save me (or anyone, really) from the dreaded, deadly vacuum cleaner. When the evil machine goes on, Moose comes running. First, he barks. Nonstop. But no, the barking isn’t enough to stop the horrible vacuum. The only way to save me is through very drastic measures.
Moose will run up to the vacuum (it’s a bagless upright, to help with the mental image) and grab one of the front corners in his mouth. He will actually LIFT the vacuum cleaner off the floor and try to pull it away from me. Just with his mouth. It’s pretty amazing to see! Usually I’m laughing so hard by this point that he can usually get it away from me — though not entirely out of my hands.
I’ve heard of dogs who liked to be vacuumed before. My grandmother’s cleaning lady also went to a house where the two dogs would push each other out of the way to try to get vacuumed. But Moose is the first dog I’ve known who actually fought back against the dreaded vacuum cleaner. Then again… Moose isn’t exactly a “normal” dog. He loves getting brushed, he loves bath time, and he loves listening to the local garage band practice.