The Hound

Belle's a Basenji-Schipperke mix, making her one of the more aloof dogs you'll ever meet.  She views other dogs as inferior beings and isn't crazy about most people either.  With one exception...

Belle loves one of my neighbors to an embarrassing degree.  Gone is every touch of haughtiness, replaced with utter submission and lots of whining, making a spectacle of herself until she gets enough attention.  The last time I talked to my neighbor, she said she'd have a treat for Belle next time we saw her.

Today, I opened my mailbox to find a curious object.  Once I brought it out into the light, I saw that it was a hoof wrapped in cellophane.  Great, I thought. 

The hoof itself isn't the problem.  The problem is that Belle has three hiding places for her treats, none of which are convenient.

• Between the cushions of the couch, usually accompanied by Belle pushing imaginary dirt over the object being hidden with her nose
• In my usually open sock drawer
• Under my pillow

And don't get me started on her outrage when you dare discover one of her disgusting treats in its hiding place.  I'm taking wagers for where I find the well-gnawed hoof around bed time.  My official guess is under my pillow.