There are times when I swear she can literally talk to us ... not the usual dog-speak like arf, woof, yip, yap, or bark. No, she communicates through a series of moans, groans, sighs, and obvious attempts at forming words. It may seemed far-fetched to some, and if I were the only one who heard these conversations, I too, would think my upstairs light bulb was a bit dim. But the rest of the Jolivet household sees and hears it on a daily basis.

Border Collies are said to be one of the smartest dogs on the planet, and Igor is proof positive.

But that doesn’t mean when Denise, Emilie and I gather for our nine-day Divine Mercy prayer sessions Igor prays along with us. Quite the contrary. Our devil dog does what she can to distract, disturb, and disrupt us. I swear she gets a kick out of it.

Just as there is a different prayer intention for each day of the novena, Igor comes up with nine varieties of canine entertainment.

Since we pray the novena around the crucifix above my bed, Iggy has the perfect queen-sized stage on which to perform.

On day one, she makes a point to trample, sit on, and lay across the computer printouts we use to pray the novena. We’ve never had a set of prayers make it past the first day without wrinkles, tears, and holes.

She knows when it’s prayer time, and when we head upstairs for our session, el diablo is well-prepared. Day two, she brings a ball with her, tosses it around the bed, then nudges it to the floor, staring wistfully all the while emitting a faint moan until one of us retrieves the orb and starts the process all over again.

I’m sure some of you may say, “Why don’t you just close the door and not let her in.” A valid suggestion, but Iggy would sit outside the door expressing her displeasure in dog-speak — arfs, woofs, yips, yaps, and barks. It’s easier on us and our neighbors to just let her in.

Over the next few days, while we grab our rosary beads, Igor grabs balls, bones, and chew toys.

It doesn’t take much for Emilie and me to share a giggle or two or three while Iggy performs. But it’s doubly entertaining when the devil dog makes Denise crack. This Border Collie can smile, and it’s at those moments when she looks more like the Cheshire cat than a canine.

Iggy saved her best for the last day. When prayer-time came to recite the chaplet on Divine Mercy Sunday, she brought along her brand new Easter toy, Cuz. The name is branded on the item, so I’m not sure of the pronunciation, but I think it’s similar to that of Boston Celtic great Bob Cousy — Cooooz.

Cuz is a cross between Mike Wazowski from Disney’s “Monsters, Inc.,” and Pac-Man. Cuz has the loudest and most obnoxious squeak-maker I’ve ever heard. And Iggy has the quickest jaw movement I’ve ever seen. The combination of the two, made for one interesting Divine Mercy finale. Denise cracked. Igor smiled from ear to fuzzy ear.

Servant of God Father Patrick Peyton said, “The family that prays together, stays together.” I’m not sure he meant to include family pets in the equation, but if that holds true, it will be show-time for Iggy for years to come.

I don’t want to give the impression that our novena is said irreverently. It’s not. The intentions are heartfelt and soulfelt. In fact, I think the Good Lord is impressed with our tenacity. Igor is a test sent by God — a four-legged, fun-loving, tail-wagging test from God. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.