The other night we had a storm roll in at around 4AM with lots of lightning and thunder. Sarah was visiting with Rowdy's buddy Wrigley. I usually don't let Rowdy up on the bed, but when there is a thunderstorm in the area, he gets scared, so I will make an exception and usually pull and old blanket up for him to lay on. Thought this time I didn't get the blanket, I let him up anyway thinking he would lay down by our feet.
Well the little rat nosed his way up between Sarah and I where there was just enough room to barely squeeze in. Then, after a minute or so, he managed to wiggle onto his back for me to rub his chest. I did momentarily rub it and then drifted back off to sleep.
Next thing I knew, I woke up at around 8:30 and Rowdy hadn't moved a muscle. He was still on his back, sandwiched between us with his feet up in the air. I couldn't believe that he got that comfortable and just laid there like that for over four hours. Oh, and Sarah smuggled Wrigley up under the covers too.
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
He'd Rather Hold It!
I can't believe how long this dog can go without going to the bathroom. As of the time I am writing this, he had been over 15 hours since he ate his dinner last night without going.
When I went to let him out for his final break last night, it was raining. He won't hardly go out in the rain unless he has to go really bad, so he didn't go. He got me up early this morning like he usually does, leads me to the door to go out, but it was still raining and he wouldn't go. Finally, a few minutes ago I conned him to go out, by telling him to go get the squirrel. Then he went outside and did a very long number 1. I quickly shut the door on him so he wouldn't get distracted and just stand at the door. Then I watched him thru the window as he did his business and came back to the door, to be let back inside. Whew!
There have been times when the weather is good and he still won't go out. I guess maybe he really doesn't need to go, but he does have a bit of an established routine, so I wonder why he doesn't go. Hummm, wish I could hold it that long!
When I went to let him out for his final break last night, it was raining. He won't hardly go out in the rain unless he has to go really bad, so he didn't go. He got me up early this morning like he usually does, leads me to the door to go out, but it was still raining and he wouldn't go. Finally, a few minutes ago I conned him to go out, by telling him to go get the squirrel. Then he went outside and did a very long number 1. I quickly shut the door on him so he wouldn't get distracted and just stand at the door. Then I watched him thru the window as he did his business and came back to the door, to be let back inside. Whew!
There have been times when the weather is good and he still won't go out. I guess maybe he really doesn't need to go, but he does have a bit of an established routine, so I wonder why he doesn't go. Hummm, wish I could hold it that long!
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Talk To Me!
Lately, Rowdy has just been a regular, good, obedient dog. I probably harass him more than he does me. I wish I felt better and could spend more time playing with him or taking him for walks and such.
I have however been engaging him in conversation, or at least talking to him for a response. Using key excitement words like Squirrel or Cat, which he loves to chase, gets his attention and he'll whine and shake his head around making a kind of wa-wa or continuous changing pitch wa sound.
Other key words, phrases or sounds get him excited, like pointing to my watch and saying, "Is it time?" referring to time to eat his dinner or 'chow'. This riles him up enough to bark with the whining.
His body language is so cute when he gets this excited as he wags his tail 90 miles an hour, squirms and wiggles around and raises up on his haunches to do a little begging act. Put it all together with the whine and bark and he puts on the cutest show!
I have however been engaging him in conversation, or at least talking to him for a response. Using key excitement words like Squirrel or Cat, which he loves to chase, gets his attention and he'll whine and shake his head around making a kind of wa-wa or continuous changing pitch wa sound.
Other key words, phrases or sounds get him excited, like pointing to my watch and saying, "Is it time?" referring to time to eat his dinner or 'chow'. This riles him up enough to bark with the whining.
His body language is so cute when he gets this excited as he wags his tail 90 miles an hour, squirms and wiggles around and raises up on his haunches to do a little begging act. Put it all together with the whine and bark and he puts on the cutest show!
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
How Does He Know?
How does he know? How does Rowdy sense when I am about to do something and he jumps up to follow me? What nuance do I have? What body language do I present? What is it that he tunes in on?
There are certain repeat behaviors that I do, when I am about to go do something. When I go to bed and turn off the computer, there is a Microsoft sounds ding at shut down that when it goes off, he jumps up to follow me to his bed, which is his dog crate close to my bed. He knows that when he hears the ding, I am going to get up out of my chair. But lately, if he is alert, he will jump up when I am only clicking on the shut down icons before the ding. How did he know I was clicking to shut down? I could have been clicking on anything like a Youtube video, or an item on eBay or Craigslist. What did he sense to know that I was shutting down and going to bed? Where he lays, the computer monitor is out of his direct sight, but he has proven to be blind to what is on the screen, so he can't see the change on the screen when I log off the internet to shut down, so how did he know?
Another scenario; When I am out working in my workshop and I am going back to the house, before I am ready to walk out the door, he jumps up off his pillow to follow me. This was when I first noticed it and have been monitoring my behavior, to try to determine what causes it. There are two main signals that he usually tunes in on and jumps up to and those are when I take off my glasses and/or pump the bottle of hand cleaner. But, when I don't do those things and are about to run to the house for something, he will still jump up. What did I do that he tuned in on, to know that I was going to the house? I'm moving around a lot and move toward the door many times in my movements, but I am not leaving the shop. In this case I may not remove my glasses or pump the hand cleaner, but still he knew that I was going out the door this time and jumps up to follow.
Depending on what I am doing, I may take my glasses off several times too, but he doesn't jump up till I am ready to walk out the door. How did he know that was in my thoughts? How did he know at that particular moment that I was heading for the house? Did he read my mind, or was there some subtle change in my body language to signal my intent? How does he know?
There are certain repeat behaviors that I do, when I am about to go do something. When I go to bed and turn off the computer, there is a Microsoft sounds ding at shut down that when it goes off, he jumps up to follow me to his bed, which is his dog crate close to my bed. He knows that when he hears the ding, I am going to get up out of my chair. But lately, if he is alert, he will jump up when I am only clicking on the shut down icons before the ding. How did he know I was clicking to shut down? I could have been clicking on anything like a Youtube video, or an item on eBay or Craigslist. What did he sense to know that I was shutting down and going to bed? Where he lays, the computer monitor is out of his direct sight, but he has proven to be blind to what is on the screen, so he can't see the change on the screen when I log off the internet to shut down, so how did he know?
Another scenario; When I am out working in my workshop and I am going back to the house, before I am ready to walk out the door, he jumps up off his pillow to follow me. This was when I first noticed it and have been monitoring my behavior, to try to determine what causes it. There are two main signals that he usually tunes in on and jumps up to and those are when I take off my glasses and/or pump the bottle of hand cleaner. But, when I don't do those things and are about to run to the house for something, he will still jump up. What did I do that he tuned in on, to know that I was going to the house? I'm moving around a lot and move toward the door many times in my movements, but I am not leaving the shop. In this case I may not remove my glasses or pump the hand cleaner, but still he knew that I was going out the door this time and jumps up to follow.
Depending on what I am doing, I may take my glasses off several times too, but he doesn't jump up till I am ready to walk out the door. How did he know that was in my thoughts? How did he know at that particular moment that I was heading for the house? Did he read my mind, or was there some subtle change in my body language to signal my intent? How does he know?
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
He Smelled It!
Around 2 in the afternoon, I went outside with Rowdy running ahead of me. Soon as he got outside of the door, his ears were at full attention and looking left and right, like he is when I alert him to a squirrel in the yard. I didn't know what he was tuned into, but he was sniffing and smelling all around and up on top of the deck. I told him to "Get that squirrel" and he hunted around and under the deck. He was under the deck for several minutes when I called him out. He came over to the storage building where I was working and laid by it, still keeping a keen eye on the deck.
About 30 minutes later, he got up and like a cat, slowly started to creep toward the deck, with his head low and his cackles up. So I peered out of the building and I saw the squirrel moving across in front of my back door and told Rowdy to "Get Him!" Rowdy took off like a shot and chased the squirrel till he made it to the fence and a tree for safety. I realized later that he may have had the squirrel cornered under the deck, because he was reluctant to come out from under it when I called him.
Rowdy always gets great praise and sometimes a treat when he chases those squirrels out of the yard....."Did you get um? Did you get that squirrel? That's a boy! That's the way to get that squirrel!"
About 30 minutes later, he got up and like a cat, slowly started to creep toward the deck, with his head low and his cackles up. So I peered out of the building and I saw the squirrel moving across in front of my back door and told Rowdy to "Get Him!" Rowdy took off like a shot and chased the squirrel till he made it to the fence and a tree for safety. I realized later that he may have had the squirrel cornered under the deck, because he was reluctant to come out from under it when I called him.
Rowdy always gets great praise and sometimes a treat when he chases those squirrels out of the yard....."Did you get um? Did you get that squirrel? That's a boy! That's the way to get that squirrel!"
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Sitting With Some Chow
Though it is normal for dogs (especially Rowdy) to usually stand up when eating their food, sometimes when I have given Rowdy a treat when he is in the seated position, he will remain that way while devouring it. Though, when I feed him his regular meal he always stands.
But, when we were over visiting his buddy Wrigley and he was fed, he sat at his bowl eating it. It may have been because he was lying down waiting for it in the place where he is usually fed, when we are over there. I think he just stood up on his front legs when the bowl was placed in front of him. I don't know if it made a difference, but he is on carpet over there and on tile at his own home. It was just kind of funny to see him eat that way. Of course, he is a silly dog anyway!
But, when we were over visiting his buddy Wrigley and he was fed, he sat at his bowl eating it. It may have been because he was lying down waiting for it in the place where he is usually fed, when we are over there. I think he just stood up on his front legs when the bowl was placed in front of him. I don't know if it made a difference, but he is on carpet over there and on tile at his own home. It was just kind of funny to see him eat that way. Of course, he is a silly dog anyway!
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Get That Cat!....... Or Maybe Not!
If you holler 'Cat' or 'Squirrel,' Rowdy is up for the chase. I believe 'chase' is all he does, because when he catches up to it, it becomes a standoff, or it is up a tree and he can no longer reach it.
So the other day, there was a cat roaming around in the street in front of my house. So I got Rowdy's attention by hollering 'Cat' and he came running up to the door. Then I said, "Get the cat, get the cat!" and he tore off after it at full speed. The cat ran away for a short distance and then turned, arched it's back and stood it's ground. Rowdy stopped within 3 feet of it, stood there for a few seconds sizing up the situation and then backed away. I laughed and called him a chicken dog and called him back to the house. The little chicken dog came running back to the house all proud and happy from his chase.
So the other day, there was a cat roaming around in the street in front of my house. So I got Rowdy's attention by hollering 'Cat' and he came running up to the door. Then I said, "Get the cat, get the cat!" and he tore off after it at full speed. The cat ran away for a short distance and then turned, arched it's back and stood it's ground. Rowdy stopped within 3 feet of it, stood there for a few seconds sizing up the situation and then backed away. I laughed and called him a chicken dog and called him back to the house. The little chicken dog came running back to the house all proud and happy from his chase.
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