Things your dog does that you find interesting

Catsi

New Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2008
Messages
922
Likes
0
Points
0
#1
Maybe this is only interesting because it's my dog, but one of Gracie's habits fascinates me.

She is a very confident stafford, she has always taken everything in her stride. I suppose you could describe her as 'bombproof'. I'd take her anywhere. She loves people and has no problems with encounters with new things that she may not have had experience with before. I was once being a bit naughty and patting the very friendly horses around the corner from my house when I had the dogs (on lead) and I was deliberately keeping Gracie a little away from them because she's never been socialised with horses. I was patting one horse when another came over and stuck it's head over the fence at Gracie. I wasn't sure how she'd react but they both sniffed each other respectfully and Gracie was just her usual gentle ball of love to living creatures. So she's very easy going and confident.

What fascinates me is that there is one situation that she gets worked up about and that involves people in water.

Say I go camping/to a water hole with my friends. The dogs may choose to hop in or they may decide not to. I might leave them with a friend who isn't swimming so I can have a quick dip and cool off. Abby doesn't care. Grace stresses out. She 'sooks', she never whines usually, but this sets her off. When I hop out, she'll still sook over my friends in the water. She doesn't really like us being in the water (so it seems) so usually I take her for a walk to get her mind off it.

She loves the beach and plays in the shallows, crashes into waves etc. Absolutely loves it. Doesn't stress if I come in as well. She'll swim to a sand bar with me no worries. But a water hole? She's just not that keen. If she does hop in, it's for a small swim and that enough. I never push the issue. But she certainly doesn't like it when her human friends are in the water.

It's one of those times where I truly wish I knew what was going through her head. Any ideas?

Are there situations that your dog's reactions seem out of character? I suppose it's a bit like a quirk thread really.
 

Slick

Kristina
Joined
Sep 1, 2013
Messages
429
Likes
0
Points
16
#3
Leo does that same thing. He personally hates water, but the one time he will voluntarily go near it is if anybody is in the water. Then he will whine and pace, and even flail his legs in the water (but not actually jump in).

When we lived in an apartment complex, our apartment faced the pool, and he would always check out the pool area when we came and went. He would whine for anybody, even perfect strangers.

He has other quirks, but I can't think of them right now. Maybe I will post again later.
 

Maxy24

Active Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2006
Messages
8,070
Likes
2
Points
38
Age
32
Location
Massachusetts
#4
Tucker has to stretch before he goes out. Every. single. time. It's one of those big bow stretched so my dad calls it loading the poop cannon.
 
Joined
Mar 5, 2014
Messages
73
Likes
0
Points
6
Location
Northern MN
#5
Nero cracks us up because he is low man at our house and has a tendency to lose bed spots or be slow to claim one, so he's learned that if he zoomies across the house, in front of the desired but taken bed and back a few times, one of the girls will eventually get sucked into "playing" and jump up to chase, then he doubles back super fast and lays down. His other endearing quirk is his fear of ferrets, he just backs away really slow like you would a bear or something.

Jersey has her own bedtime and will either act like she needs to go potty and just run to the stairs instead or will go stand and stare at them until we bring her up to bed at night, she thinks 9pm is plenty late, doesn't want on the bed because we might touch her and wants to sleep in Nero's crate.
 

Snark

Mutts to you
Joined
Mar 27, 2006
Messages
4,023
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Midwest
#6
Riley has had a 'thing' about water running downhill, although he hasn't done it this year. When I dump the water out of his wading pool, he'll follow the stream, talking and growling at it, then starts digging in front. When the hole fills up, he moves in front again, digging furiously. No idea what he's trying to do... keep the water in one place? Become a muddy mess? I guess one out of two ain't bad.

 

*blackrose

"I'm kupo for kupo nuts!"
Joined
May 11, 2010
Messages
7,065
Likes
3
Points
38
Age
33
Location
WI
#7
Abrams is full of quirks, but I have to say the newest thing he's been doing I find really amusing. He's decided that a game of normal fetch is boring, and once he gets his OMIGODTHEBALLRETRIEVETHEBALL out of his system and he can actually think straight, he likes to give me the ball to throw, and then either down/stay or stand/stay (without me cuing him) while the ball is moving, and not run to release it until I give him the okay. :p

I would have him hold a down/stay on occasion while the ball was thrown to practice impulse control, but I don't know now why he does it uncued of his own volition. I guess it is a good thing and shows that he DOES have impulse control, but I just find it funny. Clearly he wants to be a hunting dog and he's pretending the ball is a shot/dying duck and he's waiting for my signal for him to go retrieve it.
 

pinkspore

Bat Ears Only
Joined
Aug 8, 2014
Messages
976
Likes
1
Points
18
Location
Central California
#8
Brisbane got bit on the nose by a rather intimidating Muscovy duck when he was around a year old, and spent a couple of years terrified of all ducks. He's still a little leery despite a lot of work.

All the ducks had gotten out one night, and they all got eaten by coyotes except for that Muscovy. His name was Duck, and he was damned scary for a duck.
 

Members online

No members online now.
Top