Things Dogs Do and Other Ponderings re: Dogs

[JMFS]

So this one popped into my head as I was entering information into QuickBooks (booooring). :rolleyes: I decided to take a break and to address the daydreaming so I can get back into work mode.

 

I was thinking, Gertie, why on Earth do you do that?! She was "playing" with a bug in the grass. Pouncing, hopping away, pouncing, nosing, scratching . . .. She finally killed it, sniffed it, nudged it, and walked away. I mean, what was the point of it all?

 

Then I was wondering . . . do dogs think things are cute? Such as, a baby cooing. Baby gurgles and acts all cute and dog tilts head, head then tilts the other way, dog runs around in a circle, comes back to baby, tilts head, bows, maybe chuffs a little . . ..

 

I know they kick the grass after they poo in order to spread their scent.

I know they roll in icky gooey grossness in order to mask their scent and better hunt their prey.

I know they chase their tails either out of boredom or because they're trying to get rid of excess energy.

 

But what about the Other stuff they do? I had many examples, but of course as soon as I started typing they Wooshed right out of my head. I would love to exchange brains with Gertie for an hour. And preferably at a time when there's nothing icky, gooey, and gross to roll in . . ..

 

Oh! Why do they sniff the Same spot Every time they go outside - nothing has changed and it's boring ol' concrete, yet that Very spot is, for some reason, beyond fascinating and absolutely Must be investigated at every opportunity no matter how many times rain has washed away any scent. What happened there to reinforce that spot as being so interesting, and how do I bottle that so I can use it to train something like "give paw?" :D

 

Gertie will jump right into the pool but if I get a squirt bottle she'll run for cover? She's never been squirted with it!

 

Why are dogs inherently fearful of brooms? Every dog I've known is scared of brooms to some degree, whether they've had an experience with it or not. Gertie sometimes shies from it and sometimes she'll try to sniff it while I'm using it - sweeping is difficult around here.

 

Does anyone else have musings about dogs? They're just so weird sometimes.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi Jennifer,

I was thinking of you the other day as I was reading a great book about dog noses: "Being a Dog, Following the Dog Into a World of Smell" by Alexandra Horowitz. One chapter explains how smell to a dog is never the same. Every day, every moment it's as if those doggy noses capture different nuances and facets of life. It might be scent of pollen from weeds and flowers wafting through the breeze, the scent of bugs, animals and people, or humid molecules associated with distant thunderstorms. Every day there are new scents and dogs seem to never grow tired of exploring them.

 

To quote the author "Each departure from the house brings a new scene, one never visited. Each day, each hour, wears a new smellscape. There is no such thing as “fresh air” to a dog. Air is rich: an olfactory tangle that the dog’s nose will diligently unknot."

 

To us microsomatic beings a spot may just seem like the same each day, to our dogs, macrosomatic animals par excellence, there's surely a lot going on there. It's hard to imagine how the world must feel to a dog when us humans can just detect 1 teaspoon of sugar in cup of coffee, while our dogs can detect a teaspoon of sugar in a million gallons of water. Crazy as it sounds, that's just about the size of two Olympic-sized pools!

[JMFS]

Wow! I feel even more insignificant than before when compared to a dog, lol. That comparison with the swimming pool is kind of like my cigarette detection ability. :D We went on that vacation this weekend and there was a casino in which smoking was allowed. Ugh! I'm the worst kind of non-smoker - an Ex-smoker. It's been 21+ years and when I smell it now I can't get away from it fast enough. I have to wonder what dogs think about cigarettes, perfume, halitosis, foot funk, and all other manner of smells. How do they not have a headache 24-7?!

 

While they were at the boarding place they got to go out into the little yard with fake grass (smart!) to play and the owners take lots of pictures each day and post them to Facebook. It was interesting going through them to see Gertie is quite the social butterfly and she usually paired up with the largest dog, or two or three, to play with. Momo was the loner walking the fence line and the only pictures of him playing were a couple with Gertie and one of him sniffing a Dachshund. Otherwise he was in the frame alone or as a creeper watching everyone, haha. Now, if I had him on a leash walking and there was another dog he'd be all about getting over there to say hi. He does the same at dog parks. Can't Wait to get through those gates to run free and then . . . stand Right by my legs. :rolleyes: I even try to push him away but he's Glued to me. At the house, though, he wants no part of cuddling. Gertie, is all wiggles, bows, bumps, and play with everyone and anyone. They both came back to me in good moods so I can only assume it was a positive experience for them.

[CherylHampton]

I was watching Shiloh after his bath today he was relaxed and curled up next to me for a nice nap. While he was sleeping(I know some pups look like they're chasing rabbits in their sleep😊) he was making sounds and moving his mouth like he was sucking a bottle. Kind of like babies do when they sleep. It was cute but I couldnt get it on vid without waking him. Never seen that before