by Kathy Rusniak

Created on: August 20, 2007

If you've ever owned a dog, you know they can do some quite unexpected and downright surprising things. My half pitbull, half chocolate Labrador is always causing a commotion. For one, he's very inquisitive. Also, he has an intense hunting instinct. When I say intense, I'm not overstating the fact whatsoever. For example, he started barking maniacally at the ceiling one night, and after much scrutiny by myself and my husband, we were amused and annoyed to discover a tiny little spider the size of a tick scuttling around the rim of the living room light fixture. This keen interest in insects is the focus of many of my funny dog stories, including the following.

One morning I was getting ready for work very early, and so was only half awake as I shuffled around getting dressed and fixing my hair. The house was silent. Then I went into the kitchen and started preparing breakfast and a lunch for later in the day. As usual, I had an instant audience the moment I stepped into the kitchen. My two dogs sit at my feet and try to look cute in case I ever feel like giving them a treat or unintentionally drop something at my feet.

I glanced over at the pitbull-Labrador because instead of standing under my feet and trying to trip me, as usual, he was near the refrigerator and snuffling around the floor like a bloodhound hot on the trail of some scent. Then he stuck his nose in the space between the refrigerator and the floor. He sniffed excitedly, as if someone had left a steak under there. I chuckled a little and continued with my preparations.

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw some quick movements and turned to look. My pitbull-Labrador still had his nose down, but now he was shaking his snout with quick, short jerks. Still not thinking much of his antics, I half watched him as I put the final touches on a cheese sandwich. Probably sniffed up a dust-bunny, I thought.

But suddenly he opened his mouth slightly and started making a weird coughing noise. It wasn't that whole body type of retch a dog will do when it wants to be sick, but more of a strangled coughing that happens when something is sitting lodged in the throat. I've never seen a dog choke before, but the first thing I thought was that the dog went and got something stuck in his throat or windpipe. I surely don't know about rescue maneuvers for animals, but the thought flashed through my mind that maybe I'd need to try to give my poor dog the heimlich maneuver!

As the dog continued coughing, I rushed to

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