What is Stuck to the Dog?

The kids were finally in bed when Pepper woofed to go outside. I opened the door for her and she skirted out into the cool night air. Suddenly I noticed a large light colored mass on her otherwise black tail. What the heck was it?

What is stuck to Pepper's tail?

The kids hadn't seen Pepper for a while, could they have done something? I looked from the window a little longer and realized it was a toy monster keychain.

the monster keychain

But how on earth was it attached to her tail? I joined her on the deck to investigate. She wagged her tail at me which made the toy monster fall off and reveal the culprit: a burdock or burr for short.

Burdocks in bloom

I hate burrs. They are rampant on our property despite our efforts to keep them at bay. They are large leafy weeds that sprout reasonably pretty purple flowers in the late summer/early fall. Bees and butterflies like them, and I like bees and butterflies so why not the burdock? Because they are sharp, sticky, and spiny. Before long those pretty purple flowers turn into brown, ugly balls of spikes that stick to clothes and best of all--the fur of my dog Pepper who loves exploring in the weeds hunting mice, frogs and snakes.

How burdocks usually appear

This happens to me all too often

 

Not my dog, but this frequently happens to her too.

As much as I hate burrs and their spiny, spiky flowers, did you know that they provided the inspiration for velcro? I love velcro because it allows preschoolers to put on their own sneakers and that is a wonderful thing. Thanks, burdock.

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