Poised and Ready

This is the family dog. He goes by Tucker (mostly). When on a leash or chain he is fearless. Otherwise he is fearful. He is a happy dog, unfettered by things like, 'smarts', or common-sense.
A couple of weeks ago, in an uncharacteristic move I was allowed to sleep in until 9:30. I got out of bed went downstairs and heard a fluttering noise in the dining room. A sparrow was trying to fly out through the wall mirror (big surprise, no success), and while he was doing that I glanced into the living room and saw the fireplace was barricaded. I thought why did they all leave with a wild scared bird in the house? It took me about 5 minutes to get the sparrow outside and free once again.
You may be thinking where was the crack security dog in all this? Why he was at his post, under my bed, firmly asleep, poised and ready for the next call to danger.