Some small parts arrived this morning for the Triumph 750 that I'm getting back on the road. I opened the packet and took out a new brake light switch (mostly rubber boot) and a gearbox oil drain plug. Put them on the kitchen worktop - Jack the 12 month old black lab/collie cross has not thieved anything off there for many weeks. They'll be safe for a few minutes.
The wife's out. You can see what's coming...…
About 20 mins later I found the remains of a small plastic bag on the hall floor. Not a good sign. Checked the worktop - brake light switch but no oil drain plug.
The plug is a steel tube, about 2" long, 1/4" dia and with a big nut on the bottom to screw into the gearbox sump. Oh oh.....
Checked very carefully and methodically, at least twice, all the areas Jack had had access to over the past half hour. Nothing. Normally, when he's picked up something he shouldn't, we hear occasional crunching noises, or rattles or some such, giving the game away. A quick check in his mouth and we get whatever it is back. Soggy, usually chewed beyond further use, but we get it back.
Nothing this time. No crunching, nothing. Just a dog looking completely normal and with nothing to say. No blame being admitted. No sheepish look (we can tell). No invitation to chase him to recover whatever it is he's picked up.
Began to panic. He can't possibly have swallowed it, but I can't find it. Rang vet. Do I make him sick? It's got too many sharp edges to let nature take its course - and anyway, I want that part back asap.
Vet went to consult, came back. It'll be Ok. Wait until it appears. And just then, mid-conversation, I spotted a silver tube poking out of his mouth. The bloody animal had been concealing it for 20 minutes. Because there were no tell-tale sounds I didn't check his mouth.
Much apologies to the vet and relief on my part.
Fortunately it wasn't the brake light switch as that would not have survived the ordeal.
Labs have a defective gene. They think they are hungry all the time and must have something in their mouth. We thought he'd got over thieving food from the worktops.
Labs.
And breathe.