Category: dogs

Brush ME, no ME

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Rosey always loved being brushed!  Since we’ve had her she gets excited when she sees me picking up the brush.  I was given one of the “brush” mitts.  I wasn’t sure she would like it but it seems that she likes it just as much as the brush.  Whether I get the brush or the mitt out, she is so excited she can hardly stand it.  

She’s always first.  I begin to brush her and she stays still and soaks up all the attention.  When it’s Clarks turn it becomes very comical for us.  She runs around him; she tries to get between Clark and the brush and she rubs on the back of it (while I’m brushing him).  She dances around and around wanting to be brushed again.  No matter how much she’s brushed, it’s never enough.  It’s amazing how much energy this 13 1/2 year old dog with arthritis has when it’s brush time.

Iron Gut Rosey

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Our old dog Rosey has an iron gut.  She can eat anything and she does.  She eats anything she get to.  I feed her plenty and she gets a special treat during the day, yet she goes over the kitchen floor better than a roomba.  She even used to get multiple, daily treats before our other dog had to be on a special diet.

The other day I was sweeping up all of the lab fur that had accumulated on the kitchen floor. (Which incidentally is a constant effort.) I turned to the closet to put the broom away and get the dust pan and brush.  It only took moments and yet Rosey was scouring through the pile of dog fur for whatever other crumb of food or dirt was collected in the pile.  Oh my, I laughed.  She acted as though there as a snickerdoodle cookie broken up into the pile.  She had lab fur all over her nose.  Ha ha 

I’ve probably mentioned it before … Rosey is like a toddler. She picks up anything and everything, even fuzz from a stuffed toy.  If I come towards her to get it, she swallows it as quickly as she can.  

More “new dog” tales/tails

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It was last April that we rescued a sweet old girl.  She has great energy, no longer acts her age and makes me giggle every day. 

Well we rescued another dog.  My old lab passed last January.  I’ve had labs for about 40 years.  I love labs and I love big labs.  I’ve wanted another, although I felt it was more important rescue a dog that really needed a safe and loving home. 

I’ve been looking at many shelters for about 2 months.  I have certain criteria also.  Over 4 years old because I’m too old and my mother is way to old for a puppy or very young dog.  It must be good with other dogs and cats, as well as young kids because I still have young grandkids.  I also want a black dog.  Black dogs are my favorite but also they are often not adopted. 

We thought we found a dog that would fit our home well.  He wasn’t large but the same size as our Rosey who was adopted last year. This one to needed a safe, loving forever home as much as Rosey did when we found her.  As it turned out, they told us that he didn’t like kids  but had forgotten to mention it in his description.

As far as labs … I first had black labs.  Then when my kids were young we had yellow labs.  We had a beautiful 100 lb, (white) yellow, female.  Later I had a black lab again.  I also prefer the English labs with the stocky body, shorter nose and block heads.  My older son has only had and only wants chocolate labs.  I never imagined getting a chocolate lab but there they were.  If you know me at all, you know that when it comes to dogs … my preferences mean little as as soon as I’m face to face with them, I love them all.  The bigger they are the quicker I melt.

Two chocolate labs were at the shelter.  This big boy is 4 years old; good with other dogs, cats and little kids.  One of the labs was a beautiful 100 lb boy.  We were instantly drawn to him.

We went to see them, brought our dear old dog, Rosey and left the shelter with Clark.  He is the most lovable dog.  He is the biggest love.  He wants to be loved on constantly, which is difficult for me to resist because I melt.  He isn’t energetic.  He’s kind of a lazy boy.  The ball thrown 4 -5 times is good for him and he’s ready to roll in the grass or watch Rosey play.  Walks is how this boy will get exercise I believe.

Water Dogs?

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I’ve had labs (Labrador retriever’s) for over 40 years. They are water dogs, well typically they are. One of my labs was a beautiful 100 lb female. When it rained, she would not go out until the rain stopped. She would also avoid puddles. That was hilarious to watch her tip toe through the yard, stepping around the puddles.

I had another lab who also didn’t like stepping in anything wet. When we’d go for walks he would refuse to step in any wet grass because he didn’t like his ankles getting wet. If it was raining outside and I’d open the door to let him into the back yard, he wouldn’t go. If I went out with him and made him go out, he’d rush to go potty and then back to the door to get back inside. He didn’t like it if I let the grass get to his ankle height either.

Our newest rescue dog is similar. If it’s raining outside, she does not want to go out. I have to coerce her into the yard by pretending like I’m going to run out there. She start to run into the yard and of course she goes potty and rushes back.

What is it about me that my dogs don’t like being in the rain or getting wet?

Hostage Dog

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In the early 1990’s I saw a large dog roaming our neighborhood. This was concerning because we were/are pet lovers, had five of our own fur babies and years earlier out dogs got out of the yard when we weren’t home.

I got a long rope and got the dog to come to me. I tied it up in front of our house so hopefully its owner would see it. I gave the dog bowl of water, a couple of gnawing toys and of course a couple of biscuits.

I also looked at the dog’s tag. There was no phone number but the rabies tag was from the same vet that we took our animals to. I called the vet and with the rabies number they were able to give me the owner’s phone number.

I called the owner, told him who I was and that his dog was roaming our neighborhood and that I I had his dog tied up in our front yard. With an angry tone, the man said, “No you don’t! My dog is in my yard”! I asked him to go look because … I had his dog. He got back on the phone, very angry now and asked who I was and what I wanted. I told him who I was, where I lived and again, that his dog was wondering around our neighborhood and I tied it up in our yard so that he’d find it safe and sound.

This conversation lasted much longer than I ever thought it would. This man was convinced that I was holding his dog hostage because I wanted something from him. I finally told him to come get his dog and I wouldn’t even come out of the house so he doesn’t have to interact with me.

Yikes … someone had a guilty conscience.

New dog misunderstandings – Part 3

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Have you seen a video of or have had a cat that you put a harness or sweater on? Well, I put a harness on our new dog so there wouldn’t be a strain on her neck while she’s learning how to walk on a leash properly.

Much to my surprise, she behaved as though the harness weighed 20 lbs. She stopped moving instantly and acted like it was too heavy for her to walk. Once I did get her to start moving, she dropped to the ground and laid on her side, just like I’ve seen cats do in videos. Although I did my best not to laugh at her, it was hilarious! Did I mention that she is not a small dog.

She must’ve been raised with cats because there are a few things she does that I’ve only see cats do. For instance, when I point at something that I want a dog to look at, typically a dog will look where I’m pointing. When I do the same with a cat, the cat will look at the finger that is pointing.

Is this because cats believe they are more intelligent and superior to dogs and don’t want to look silly and a dog doesn’t care? Ha ha … who knows?.?. Our new, old dog looks at the finger not at what I’m pointing at. And to be honest, it makes me feel silly to keep pointing when she clearly doesn’t get it.

She also does this when I’m putting a treat in her dish. She looks at me like, “I just saw it in your hand. What did you do with it? Are you magic? Where did it go?” I can point to the dish where the treat is sitting and yet she will continue to look at my hand.

Other areas, she learns really fast so I know she’s capable. So much FUN!

New dog misunderstandings – Part 2

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If you’ve seen the movie, “BIG” there is a scene where Tom Hanks tastes caviar and doesn’t spit it out so much as lets it fall out of his mouth before he wipes it off his tongue. This was hilarious (to me) and one of my favorite scenes.

I know you might think you know where this is going.

I’ve always had canned pumpkin on hand in case my dog gets an upset belly. A few table spoons, a few times a day most often did the trick.

I had a dog that was on a non-chewable medication. I would use a plastic spoon to get a large scoop of pumpkin and put the capsule in the center. We had it down so smooth that the pumpkin (and capsule) would slide easily down his throat. He’d then get another two scoops to ensure it went down.

I was thinking our newest dog might have a belly ache within the first week of rescuing her. I got out the plastic spoon, loaded it with pumpkin and THOUGHT she’d open her mouth to take it. She didn’t so attempt number two.

I didn’t make the airplane sound or gestures but did try to get her excited about it. She opened her mouth and in went the pumpkin. She opened her mouth, tipped her head downward and out plopped the pumpkin. She wouldn’t even lick it off the floor. I have NEVER seen a dog do that before. It was hilarious.

A while later we tried it again and, yup … had the same results. The next time, I put it in with her food. Yay! Success

New dog misunderstandings – Part 1

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We rescued a senior dog from a shelter 10 days ago. She is 12 years old and it doesn’t seem that she’s had the greatest life. She doesn’t know what a toy is and doesn’t know how to play, other than what appears to be how she played with another dog. She isn’t house-broken and doesnt know any command either.

She’s turning out to be an amazing dog. She is kind and gentle. She doesn’t make a sound and we were sure that she must’ve had her larynx removed but a few days ago she heard something and barked. Yay! In this short time, she has come to trust me, which at times takes awhile for a rescue animal.

She’s doing great at learning to potty outside and head for the door when she needs to go. So I thought the next thing is to learn something new.

I decided to teach her to fetch so we got a couple of toys that belonged to my other dog. We stood at each end of the hallway and tossed a ball and a toy back and forth. My hope was that if we acted excited about the game, she would join in. I could swear that each time we tossed a toy, she’d look at me as if to wonder why on earth we were doing that. I think I caught her rolling her eyes at us too.

Ok, so that didn’t work. She had absolutely no interest in the toys, any of them. A couple of times she got excited and began nibbling at a cushion and a throw blanket. This got me thinking, she needed something to naw on and she didn’t like what I had out for her. I got 5 old socks that were in a bin to be used for dusting, (a couple of them were heavy winter socks). I tied two knots in each of them. Years ago I had dogs that loved to play tug-of-war with old socks with knots. I did my best to encourage her to play with it but she wasn’t interested in them. The next day she’d occasionally pick one up and naw on it a bit. The next day she’d pick one up and carry it to the couch with her.

Yesterday she brought three of them to the couch, one at a time. YaY! She has something of HERS that she loves. Here’s my chance to teach her to play fetch, right.!?

I took the heavy sock that she seems to like the most and threw it a couple of feet. She ran to get it! I cheered her on and encouraged her that this was a great thing that she just did! She came running to me and I cheered her on again! I took the sock from her and threw it further. I cheered her on as she got it and started running back towards me! I was so excited, we were playing fetch … but oh, I guess we’re NOT. She ran by me and went into the other room with her sock.

Today I attempted to play fetch again with the same results. I know, I know the same thing will produce the same results. Clearly she did NOT understand why I’d cheer her on and then take it away from her.

One day we’ll get it down, I’m sure of it … really I am.

Guard dogs? The mom dog

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There was a time, many years ago when we had a small dog (terrier-chihuahua mix) and large labs. When the doorbell would ring the dogs would all bark like crazy. The small dog would jump up and hit the door at about 5 ft high. With the combination of barking dogs and the thump of the door being rammed, the person on the other side would have no idea how many beasts were ready to pounce on them.

We could see out the peep-hole that often times the person on the other side was wide-eyed and had backed up, 10 ft from the door. What they didn’t know was that the little dog was the biggest threat. She wasn’t as loveable as the large dogs.

One time, a cable person came to install or adjust something (I really can’t remember). As he was tinkering behind the TV, this little dog sat and watched his every move. He asked me if she was going to bite him and I said, “I don’t know, I suggest no sudden moves”. What a great little guard dog she was. I was sure she wouldn’t bite him and would have felt awful if she did. What I did know was that there was no way he was going to get to close to me.

When this little dog was younger she wasn’t very friendly with strangers and did not like kids running and yelling. She was the second mom in the house. When my youngest son would run through the house, she would nip at his ankles to tell him to slow down.

She was also the boss of the labs. When they’d do something she didn’t want them doing (like playing too rough), she would nip their bottom lip (probably because at a quick jump that’s what she could reach). They would lay down and stop what they were doing.

When one of our labs had puppies, she wasn’t completely interested in attending to her pups like I believe most moms would. Our little dog again stepped in. Although she couldn’t feed them, she would be close by if they needed anything. She was very attentive to those nine puppies. At five weeks old, they were the same size as she was.

As she got older, she learned from the labs that the nicer you are, the more strangers will want to pet and give attention to you. Her name was Sugar, although Spice would have been more fitting. We had a cat named Spice that we had adopted as a kitten close to the time that we adopted Sugar as a sweet little ball of fluff.

My dog thinks he’s very clever

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My lab thinks he is very clever. There are certain times of the day he needs to go outside to go potty, especially first thing in the morning before he gets breakfast and right before we go to bed.

The rule is that every morning he goes outside to do his business (both) before he comes in to get fed his breakfast. He gets so excited to eat (he’s a lab, he always thinks its time to eat), that he pretends to do his business. He does this sometimes at night too.

He’ll do one thing and then look to see if I’m watching him. Because he does this often, I have to watch him, like he’s a 5 year old kid. When he sees me watching him, he’ll go behind a bush and just stand there for a moment and then come running to the door. I tell him that I know he didn’t finish and to go potty. He’ll go back out into the yard and do it again; stand behind a bush, peeking at me. Sometimes he’ll go behind a bush, see my watching and find another bush and continue that 3-4 times. All I need to do is stand at the door and point to the yard and he’ll go back to recalculate his next move, like it’s a game. Sometimes I need to go outside and wait, and then he’ll finish going potty.

It’s hilarious how clever he thinks he is.

Dogs like kids

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I’m not sure why I tend to get the pets who have funny quirks. Hmmm, what does that say about me? (Yes, that is a rhetorical question, because we know the answer).

I had a lab years ago that didn’t like to get her feet wet. She would stand under the patio cover for hours waiting for rain to stop so she could go in the yard and go potty. Even then, she was very careful not to step in puddles. She didn’t care if she was a water-dog breed, she didn’t like water.

I had a very large cat that would hide so people couldn’t see him. He’d hide under covers; under a rug; and … in the clear (heavy) plastic bag he liked to play in. It was hilarious to see large humps in the blanket and rug and even funnier to see him in the plastic back believing that we couldn’t see him there.

I have an older black lab now. Over the last several years he doesn’t always want to go potty when he’s told to; particularly in the mornings and evenings before bedtime. Often times when I send him into the back yard to go potty I watch him. I stand by the window or door. The reason for this is that I rescued him when he was two years old. He has serious abandonment issues and wants to know where I am at all times. He seems to be comforted when he can look towards the house and see me.

I can’t help but shake my head and laugh when he’s been told to go out to potty and he stands behind a bush peeking at me to see if I’m looking. He’ll stand there a few moments and then coming running like he just went potty. When I remind him that I can see him and he didn’t go, he’ll go back out. Sometime we do this a few times before he’ll actually go potty.

Oh these dogs and kids, not realizing we’re on to them.