For Thanksgiving Day my wife had holiday decorations abounding about the house, as is usual for the holidays. Especially nice was a large copper kettle placed on the hearth of our fireplace and filled with luscious squash. On Thanksgiving day after our glorious feast, family and friends were sitting together facing the fireplace. All of us were feeling quite full in the stomach and were beginning to relax in our seats while concluding one of our dinner time discussions. Also facing the fireplace our small, brown and black miniature poodle, Cookie, was seated on top of a lounge chair. Usually quiet and unobtrusive, she blends in with the furnishings due to her small size and color. Cookie appeared to be sleeping after her heavy meal -- so we thought.

Wandering about the carpet, almost unnoticed as we adults talked, was the newest addition to our potbellied pig populace. (My wife and daughter already have three mature pigs.) A Missouri Bella, hardly three months old, looked upon the holiday decorations as something wonderful from nature's bounty. However, Bella was soon to get her first lesson in what is permissible and not permissible to feast upon.

As the sounds of people talking increased, Bella saw her opportunity to move closer to the hearth's kettle of squash. Keeping her snout to the floor, she focused her eyes on a green, plumpish, goose neck squash. When Bella fell the adults were beyond distractibility, she casually turned toward the squash, sinking her teeth into the long, narrow neck.

Immediately, Cookie leaped from on top of the chair. Landing between the squash and Bella, she barker twice! Almost instantaneously, all conversation in the room stopped. Bella startled, backed up a few feet. Laughter erupted! Cookie stood her ground. All broke out into clapping of hands. Afterwards I mused. No need to train each of the pigs to avoid holiday decorations. Just train one dog to train the pigs.