The Smelling Game

John has two panaceas that he keeps on his bedside table. There is not a lot in this world that can go wrong with you that can’t be cured, or at least helped by either Absorbine, Jr. or Vick’s Vapo-rub. He uses the AJ for muscle aches and discovered that is also helped acne. I don’t know how; that discovery predates me. But he is often willing to suggest that AJ will help some physical ailment I have. The Vick’s is more for clearing up sinus or chest congestion. He has also tried it as an anti-snoring device. So it is important to keep these two items close at hand.

Petey was on the bed one day when John was medicating himself with one of his two favorite cure-alls, Absorbine Jr. Being the true supervisor (nosey) that he is; he went over to investigate (sniff) the situation. John pointed the bottle towards him so that he could get a good sniff. Petey started leaping around on the bed and barking like crazy. After a few moments of this, he went back over for another sniff. John let him have it. Again he jumped around, barked and dug at the sheets. John wasn’t sure if this was a happy dance or an upset dance, so he didn’t let him smell anymore that night.

A couple of nights later, John was again applying Absorbine, Jr. before bedtime and Petey came to check things out. John pointed the bottle at him thinking that if Petey didn’t like it he would remember and leave it alone. AJ has a very strong smell; you do not have to get your nose right up on it to smell it. Petey marched right up, got a good whiff and started the ‘dance’ again – lots of jumping, barking and pawing at the sheets. He would also run to the far end of the bed and back. Every time he came back, John would let him have a sniff and Petey would do the whole routine again, again, and again. Thus the smelling game was born.

Petey would get on the bed and walk to the corner where John’s bedside table was, and start sniffing. When John saw him there he would let him have a whiff of the AJ. In time, John let him smell the Vick’s, same reaction. Then he let him smell perfumes, potpourri, after shave, whatever he could find – all got the same reaction. He went around looking for things for him to smell. It didn’t matter, Petey reacted the same way.

One day John picked up a small decorative item on his night stand, and held that out for Petey to smell. I don’t know why, probably because he had trotted out every thing else in the house for him to get a whiff of. Petey did the same thing – lots of high pitched barking, jumping, and carrying on. That didn’t last very long however, after a while Petey realized there was nothing there to smell.

The best we can tell Petey is having fun. He keeps wanting to do it. He doesn’t act all strange afterwards like he’s gotten a buzz or anything like that. As long as he likes it, they’ll keep playing.