Aquinnah deigns to launch a charm offensive for a child

Our chocolate lab Aquinnah (aka Quinn) has a fan club, which is not surprising because he’s such a handsome boy.

There’s an apartment house up the street whose residents go outside to smoke, presumably because they are not allowed to smoke inside. The area where these smokers congregate is on Quinn’s walking route, and the smokers include two middle-aged women who positively fawn over Quinn whenever we pass by.

Day after day, week after week, these women treat Quinn like some sort of canine deity, possibly because he rarely deigns to even acknowledge them in any way. This seems to make them all the more determined to win him over, but he simply walks by with nary a glance.

This is a bit out of character for Quinn, who is 11 and has well-established preferences. He likes women more than men, children more than adults, and girls more than boys. But for whatever reason, he wants nothing to do with these female smokers, even though they speak softly to him in an almost pleading tone of voice as they try to coax him over.

Yesterday, when Quinn and I rounded the corner near the apartment building, the smokers’ lineup had changed. One of Quinn’s female fans was in her usual spot, chatting with another woman who lives across the street. But the group also included a third member whom I did not recognize, a slim, dark-haired girl who appeared to be about 12 years old or so.

Spotting us as we approached, Quinn’s admirer lit up. Lowering her voice, she gave very precise instructions to the girl. Don’t move. Stay perfectly still and maybe he’ll come over to you. Maybe. Be quiet. Very quiet. He’s kind of shy. You don’t want to scare him off.

Quinn and I crossed the street, heading toward the women and the girl, who seemed to be holding their collective breath. Quinn walked slowly towards the trio, inching his way ever closer. The women and the girl didn’t know what to expect. Neither did I. I half expected him to simply veer off at the last minute and head up the street, as he normally does.

Ah, but the dynamics were different. This time, there was a child present. And not just any child. A girl we had never seen before. Quinn continued his slow progression. He was only inches away now. He showed no interest in the women. But the girl had caught his eye. Quinn walked right up to her. He stopped right next to her. Then he gave her a big sloppy kiss on her right cheek before turning away and resuming his walk.

A range of emotions seemed to overcome the smoker who has tried so hard for so long to win Quinn's affection. Confusion. Amazement. Glee. Jealousy. With the right audience finally in attendance, Quinn had worked one of his minor miracles.