Playtime's Over

Barley, a dog, pointedly ignores a toy duck that appears to want her attention.

One of Barley’s more curious quirks is that her desire to play flips on and off very suddenly, like a switch. She might, for example, bring me a toy with a hopeful look, tail wagging, and proceed to chomp, tug, thrash, and keep-away with all due enthusiasm. And then, just like that, sometimes after only a minute or two, the mood will pass. The toy, which she had been so happy to imagine as conquered prey, becomes inert in her eyes, just another pebble on the road. Even, as pictured here, when the toy would very much still like to play.