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Monday, January 21, 2013

Modus operandi

"He ran off.  Grab the keys," said with an urgency that belied the early morning glow of scoffee.  With six little words he was off, down the driveway with the sad, empty leash dangling.
 
I first headed off on foot assuming he would not be far while they cried out pleas to the wayward pooch from the car windows. "Come," they begged, "come on boy." It was brisk and the wind was already blowing that morning.  None of us were dressed for an early morning walk and the wind made it hard to discern the rustle of brush from the scuffle of a runaway dog, so I headed back for my coat and car keys. 

"Do you think he ran after a deer?" I implored?
"I don't think he would do that."  
"Let's check down by the pond, just in case he ran after a deer," I muttered, half hoping but really knowing we would not see him in the pre dawn darkness.

Admittedly, there was a moment when I was remembering a collie who loved to run and who, many years ago, was found after many sleepless night, at the pound.  Admittedly, I thought, for a moment, that if we didn't find him, he could end up at a pound.   

"He's probably sitting on somebody's back step, scratching at their door now," she said softly, half wishing and hoping and half knowing her pup's modus opereadi. "There was a missed call," she murmured breathlessly.  "Do you have my dog?"

Just two driveways away, he was happily engaged in an early morning "play date" with the little white pooch at the house.  "Yes," they said, "he was scratching at our door and begging to come in.  We gave him a dog treat because he looked hungry and we worried he might have been out in the cold all night."

Ah, yes, early morning lessons*
* If you run away, you get loving when you return home.
* If you run away, you get dog treats.
* If you want a playdate, scratch at a nearby door!

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Modus operandi (plural modi operandi) is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "method of operation".[1] The term is used to describe someone's habits or manner of working, particularly in the context of business or criminal investigations. In English, it is often shortened to M.O.
The expression is often used in police work when discussing a crime and addressing the methods employed by the perpetrators. It is also used in criminal profiling,[2] where it can help in finding clues to the offender's psychology.[3] It largely consists of examining the actions used by the individual(s) to execute the crime, prevent its detection and/or facilitate escape.[1] A suspect's modus operandi can assist in his identification, apprehension or repression, and can also be used to determine links between crimes.[4]
 

8 comments:

Nanc said...

Looks like you got some exercise. I love the pooch stories...thanks Anita. I also loved the lesson list. I miss my beagle that loved to run to any barbeque in town. XO

Stacey Shubitz said...

Those early morning lessons are good ones! I am sure I could come up with lists like this about my daughter too. ;)

Tara @ A Teaching Life said...

A happy ending to this story, I am glad to see. Years ago we had a dog who would bolt out of the house every chance he got. It used to be exhausting!

maria.selke said...

So glad for the happy ending! Our dog used to do the same thing - dash over to the neighbor's house to play. I love how you added the definition at the end.

BK said...

I was hanging on by a thread. So glad there was a happy ending.
Bonnie

Ramona said...

I love the way you used dialogue to make me feel that I was right in the story with you. Your story reminded me of a dear friend whose dog loved to wander. I helped look for him on more than one occasion.

Anonymous said...

I heard the concerned voice in the way you described it- soft response, begged, sighed, half hoping, half knowing, murmuring breathlessly... thank goodness for the happy ending!

Linda B said...

So alarming when the dog goes. I've been there with various ones through the years, & often they are being fed at someone's home because they thought it "was hungry" (aren't they always?). So glad it ended happily, but sorry about the cold.