I'm tired, I've spent 4 days in the past week shopping for Christmas and the accoutremont that goes along with the holiday season. So I'm taking a break. I'm going to tell you about my dogs, my wild crazy neurotic love-able dogs.
At the moment I'm slightly surprised that there is not a major ruckus going on, there are birds all over the backyard picking through the lawn and eating bugs. My dogs don't share well with others especially not their backyard, at least unless those they are sharing with are four legged furry canines who have an invite. The birds in the backyard travel in herds, they are white ibis and if they land on your roof it sounds like a herd of elephants, hard to believe for a pack of birds.
So the dogs.
Bailey our first dog is going on 12 years old he is brilliant, smart, sweet, love-able and possibly the best dog I've ever known. He became ours when he was 9 months old, we adopted him from another family who decided he was too energetic for them. He is a Wire Hair Fox Terrier, that breed is related to the Jack Russell terrier (Wishbone, if you've ever seen that kids show.) He is the dog that people joke about being "wired" on espresso, he was that energetic and believe it or not he actually does like a good cappuccino or latte. I learned the hard way to put my mug on the end table instead of on the floor while I peruse the newspaper on Sunday morning because I have caught him nose deep in my mug lapping up as much as he can before he's caught.
He is getting a little older these days and slowing down gradually, but he does have his "mad minutes" still a wild run about the yard or living room where ever he might be when the fancy strikes him. Somehow this sweet little dog can also induce some of the best naps you've ever had, let this sweet little bundle of soft fur curl up next to your or on you after a nice meal and watch out before you know it zzzzzz.
Bailey loves to play, lately he is insistent on playing a good round of fetch in the morning usually around 9 a.m. and occasionally he will bring his toys back and try for a second round of the game at 3 or 4 p.m. in the afternoon. He is a very good communicator he can lead you to what he wants or needs, that could be as simple as going outside, being fed or to have his water bowl refilled with fresh water to actually asking for a bath. Asking for a bath is not his favorite thing in the world but Bailey is a sharp looking dog and he's well aware of this, so when he's not feeling so sharp or fresh he will do his best to "dirty" it up digging and just making himself a general mess. I can see how you could think 'oh this is just a dogs sort of fun' but you should see him prance after his bath when he's clean dry and fluffy again.
Bailey is fluent in English he may have trouble speaking it but he understands perfectly, there was a time when you could ask him to get his squirrel toy and he could distinguish what was what between three or four stuffed animals each of a different furry species. He has begun to lose this ability, I attribute this to his sister Daisy's inability to speak English and distinguish one animal from another. I could be mistaken about this but I do think that Bailey acquired his mastery of the English language from our long (one sided) conversations when James was still in the Navy and out to sea.
Bailey is also an excellent travel companion he is comfortable around others (he's actually never met a stranger, he loves everyone equally) and likes to explore. He enjoys car rides and who doesn't enjoy a nice walk to break up a drive, so he makes trips a few minutes longer you'll be healthier and happier when you reach your destination. So if you haven't already figured it out Bailey is a wonderful dog he's earned a place in our hearts and will remain there. Being so fond of him I may have actually forgotten to mention some of his more neurotic habits but just wait his sister makes up for all of that.
Daisy is a beautiful distinguished looking dog, she is sweet loving and neurotic as all get out. She can be smart when she wants to be, she was house trained in a little over a week and at two weeks she had taught herself to r
ing a bell hanging from the front door knob when she wanted to go out at first she accomplished this with a wag of her tail and later by nudging it with her nose. This was such a surprise and so wonderful when she was a puppy. As she got older she did this more as a request to play and run rather than asking for potty breaks, so deciphering one request from the other became confusing. That said she is an athlete she is an American Fox Hound and German Shepherd mix so a large breed dog, calling her Bailey's little sister of course refers to age not size.We believe Daisy could of been a wonderful tracker, she may be flaky as any blond bombshell you've ever met but she has a great nose. She could be outside and you can drop a food item on the floor, give Bailey some of the same after having picked up what was dropped, let Daisy back in the house. She will sniff Bailey get a good whiff of what he's eaten and she will sniff around and seems to alert where she finds the scent on the floor. She's tracked rabbits and even deer through wooded neighborhoods and yards our own and some we visited when we lived in GA.
When Daisy was growing up, she loved to play tug-of-war she would let Bailey drag her from room to room as she held firm to whatever furry toys Bailey wanted to play with. Daisy was a clumsy little girl, you could see it, she desperately wanted to run and keep up with Bailey but she could trip over her own feet trying. From her neurotic crazy side though when she was a puppy and we would take her out in the evening when the time came to go back in the house you could see the gears in her head spinning, she had a big issue with door ways. She did not want to go through them, if she paused and realized that to get from point A to point B she would have to pass through a doorway she had to think about it, then get a running start at it.
As Daisy grew she learned she could outrun Bailey. Bailey found this infuriating and he barks and nips at her tail and heels to remind her he belongs in front, he's in charge. The tables have also turned now that Daisy can easily pull Bailey from room to room if he grabs hold of toys and won't let go. Daisy also learned her size and height is a benefit. As she grew she learned to be a toe poacher; she'd circle the living room and pass in front of the couches, if you were lounging there and happened to have your bare foot sticking out she'd brush past and graze your toe with her teeth as she passed by. Now that she's full grown she's found that if she passes near and pauses by feet and toes sometimes she'll wind up in the perfect position for a good belly scratching. So you can see she is pretty good at getting what she wants and if the toe poaching and whatnot don't work there's always boxing.
Daisy does appear to think she is still somewhat the lap dog, she does not actually climb up and rest in my lap but she loves to cuddle and will curl up next to you. Don't let that fool you though if you'd let her she would settle down and sleep on your lap if you let her. However sometimes when she climbs up next to me on the couch it is because she is seeking something. Daisy does not have a good grasp on the English language, she has a harder time communicating what she wants, so she leaves us guessing. Thats where the boxing comes in, when Daisy is at the the point of wanting something so badly she is literally ready to plead and beg for it she will climb up on the couch next to me and hit me with a right hook. I can ask her what she wants, run through a list of words, she'll cock her head and stare me in the face with this look that simply says why are you so dumb? How do you not know what I want? When this occurs the only thing I can say that she will eventually recognize after repeating two or three times is the word outside, she is always pleased to go outside. So this usually ends these boxing matches, but in the end if what she really wanted was for me to refill the dry food bowl or refresh her beverage well she missed the boat. She simply has to rely on my intuition and knowledge of her habits to fill these needs when she wants something, it usually works out for her.
Daisy has another growing neurosis luckily the bit about the doors has faded somewhat over time occasionally you will notice her stare at a door before going through it but the hesitation is less. However now Daisy is afraid of thunder and lightening. This actually makes me so sad for her she gets so panicked and upset, she will pace and whine and cry. She looks for quiet dark places to hide and I actually think if she could she would hide under our bed. Our bed has drawers underneath it though so this is not possible for her, the next best thing is the laundry room or our closet and if I am home I will open doors to let her hide in there. Lately though I am happy to say that if we are home and relaxing or resting Daisy will pace and whine briefly and when coaxed just a little she will come lay down and eventually fall asleep. If we don't happen to be at home though well things have gone awry, very very awry, we had come to trust our dogs when we are out they have had the run of the living room, office and kitchen plus hallways.
Daisy in her panicked state though has now learned to rear up on her hind legs and scratch at the closed doors which led to her opening closed doors... if she had simply opened doors and thats where it ended we'd be fine with this. She has a penchant for laying on beds and as most dogs do she likes to mess up the covers digging and scratching and circling to get them into the pleasing pile she likes most. This has led to some damaged quilts and other various bedding so no it isn't OK and we have had to return to crating Daisy when we leave the house. I can't say with any certainty but I think Daisy is actually OK with this practice, she willingly goes into her crate, yes she does get treats upon doing this so there is some conditioning involved but its large enough she has a nice pillow and she has fresh water. So this works for everyone.
For all the strange traits Daisy has she has a couple more that are even more wonderful. Nearly everyone she meets is a stranger even if she's met you several times before, this makes her rather shy. Once she's established that you are a friend though she's your buddy and pal, if she acts shy again give her a few minutes she'll come around. But her shyness also makes her a great protector, she has a ferocious bark, a better home alert system not possible, there is no ignoring her when she alerts to a problem. She is also a fabulous judge of character I've only seen this happen twice but if she doesn't trust you, you better look out, if she isn't kept under control she will control you. Nuf said.
So as you can gather from the descriptions of all the crazy wonderful traits our dogs have we love our dogs. Between the two Bailey may be the more civilized but both are loved, I can imagine both being very loved by others too but I cannot imagine parting with either and at times I can't imagine anyone else caring for them like we do.
Well the birds have returned and they did not go without notice this time so I'd better close this entry and let them have a run. Have no fear though the birds are pretty quick to fly away.
Well see you later allig8tors.
