The Stalker

I guess I always figured that pointing was something you had to teach a pointer. Not so. They come with it hardwired into their bird brains. Most of the time I'm walking Otis around the block he's pointing- birds, cats, pigeons, a plastic bag scuffing down the street, a homeless man lurking in a doorway. As he creeps up on the pigeons ever so slyly his muscles ripple and bulge and his whole body shakes with excitement. One day he was doing this down by Pike Place Market and some young Japanese tourists took pictures, giggling. A few days later he was pointing a squirrel in the park and a cop sitting in his cruiser drinking coffee called out, "He's got a nice point on 'im, that one!"