Cujo?

© shoutingforha

Our dog, Brick, is a rather imposing fellow. At a hulking 87 pounds, he strikes fear into the hearts of nearly all who enter our home for the first time. For most, their worry is short lived when they realize what a sweet dog we have.

Sadly, not everyone is willing to look past his beastly exterior. In fact, a very nice man who lives around the corner has given Brick the nickname of "Cujo." Stephen King would be so proud.

I recently watched the substitute mail carrier fall and claw her way across our yard after hearing Brick bark when she knocked on our front door. It was like a scene from a horror movie, except for the lack of creepy music and the simple fact that no one was chasing her. Brick and I just stood on the front porch and watched, dumbfounded.

I have to admit that I find this phenomenon slightly amusing. The beast is such a gentle giant that I cannot imagine him hurting a fly... well, except when he decides to actually eat flies. Seriously though, Brick is a pretty good judge of character and generally only growls at people that have no business being on our property.

The hubby, who is a hermit at heart, loves the fact Brick makes people nervous. He would say that it keeps all the bad people away. If that doesn't make him a prime candidate to volunteer with the Welcome Wagon, I don't know what will. 
I'm off now to drag poor Brick inside for the night. He is out in the yard making quite a racket, no doubt defending his turf from intruders like the dreaded opossum or squirrel. I will sleep peacefully knowing our yard is varmint-free.

***In the interest of full disclosure, I cannot take credit for the photograph at the top. That warm and fuzzy shot was taken by the boy, who managed to catch the beast mid-yawn. I thought it would be a perfect addition to this post.