Seems like everyone is getting in on the “What (fill in the blank) People Like”. There’s “Things White People Like”; “Things Black People Like”; “Things White Trash Like”; “Things Educated Black People Like”, and so on and so on. Well, I missed that train, but I DO know some things that dogs like, so I’ll run with that for a bit.
Dogs like to sleep on your bed. Or sofa. Or your favorite chair. Or whatever piece of furniture you long to occupy, for however long or short a time. Dog knows; he can read you like a book, and he will be on that piece of furniture before you can consciously formulate the thought — i.e. “I think I’ll relax in the Barcalounger for a bit”. Nope, dog is there and he ain’t gettin’ up.
If by some chance you do manage to stretch out on the bed, sofa, lounge chair or whatever, dog will land on your lap/ stomach/ chest (or all of the above) — and then not only is he not gettin’ up; you’re not either. (This scenario does not apply to the tiny toys, but when you get anything over 20 or 30 pounds landing on you full-force, you ain’t gettin’ up for a bit!)
If you’re in bed and you manage to get dog off you, dog will give you a woeful look, turn around half a dozen times, stretch out and plant his paws right in your back/stomach and take up 3/4 of the bed. There is no hope in this situation; he ain’t goin’ nowhere and if you do, you have lost that sliver of bed that you formerly occupied. And I am talkin’ in terms of a King-size bed here, and a dog of only moderately long legs. It gets worse if you have a particularly long-legged dog, like a Dane or Borzoi. Been there, done that, got the cap and tee shirt. I know whereof I speak.
Many dogs like to go for “go’s”. They know when you’re getting ready to go to the car and they will beat you there if at all possible. Pick up a purse or just let the keys jingle and dog is in a frenzy of “IwannagoIwannago!”
Sometimes this is okay and dog gets a nice little go and maybe a treat, if you’re going to the bank drive-thru or some other drive-thru that’s dog-friendly, or you’re having a craving for Whataburger. But sometimes it’s not okay if he goes, and then it can be a problem. If you manage to get in the car without smashing a leg (either yours or his) you may have to roll down the window to tell him to ”Get out of the way! I’ll be back!” And then, if dog is particularly athletic, you may find him knocking the breath out of you as he jumps through the open window and onto your lap. The only thing to do in such a situation is to postpone your errand and take dog for a go. Around the block five times will sometimes do it; sometimes nothing but a drive in the country for 2 hours will satisfy him. He’ll let you know if he’s not happy with the length of the go; he won’t get out of the car when you get back to your driveway. Then you’re right back where you started… But it’s gotta be done, so you just have to suck it up and do it. Dog will be much happier and you won’t have to feel so guilty.
Btw, fences don’t help much. If dog is athletic enough to jump through your car window, a fence won’t slow him down too much. You’ll be half a block away and when you look in the rear-view — TaDa… There’s dog, doing his best to catch up with you. You can’t win, so you might as well surrender.
(One caveat: If you are planning to take dog and it’s a trip he won’t like — as in to the vet or to “camp”, this scenario does not apply. Then you can’t drag, roll or push his ass into the car.)
Dogs like to dig. Only problem with that is, they won’t do it if it’ll help you out. You may have a dog that you know can displace more dirt in an hour than a whole excavation company can move in a day, but will that dog dig a hole for you, or even just start one, if you want to plant a tree? Nooo. He will, however, see the error of his ways — after the tree is planted. Guess where his new favorite place to dig is… You got it; the tree is out of the ground when you get up the next morning. And dog is always so proud of himself! “See what I did for ya, huh? See what I did?” Yeah, yeah, thanks for the favor…
There are lots more things that dogs like, but I’m tired after all that exertion! I’ll deal with them another time.
Sunshine and balmy breezes to ya, and don’t forget to hug your dog.
Roux
Tags: dogs, Nitnoidography, Rouxminations, what dogs like
