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My Dog

Aug 10th 2007Claudia Dain
Claudia DainMy Life As A Plebe

I have a dog. My dog is 120 pounds of black German German Shepherd, which means he’s not an American German Shepherd. German German Shepherds are bigger, have wider muzzles, and a more German disposition than Americans do, which only makes sense.

My German dog loves order. He likes things to be as they should and he gets very upset when anyone, like the cat, upsets the apple cart, or as it happened on Tuesday, the raw hamburger meat thawing on the kitchen counter.

This is how it happened: my DH and I returned home from a short walk and the minute we entered the house the dog started whining and whimpering, his big black head pressed to the ground in abject misery. We honestly thought he’d hurt himself and my DH was checking for broken bones when I discovered that the meat had been chewed upon with very cat-like bites.

I could almost hear my dog whining, “I didn’t do it! That cat is OUT OF CONTROL!”

Very much a rule-follower, my big German hunk of dog.dog.JPG

My dog also shows his DNA by the shows he likes to watch on TV. Yes, my dog watches TV. He hates The Dog Whisperer because those dogs are always breaking all the rules. He finds that very disturbing and after watching for a few minutes will leave the room. He loves shows about the military or the police and gets very interested, ears up and staring hard at the screen, when there’s any gunfire, explosions, men skulking around with guns drawn, or dogs attacking things. Now that’s good television! The first time he saw someone in a black hoodie, hanging back in the shadows in a dark alley, his ruff stood straight up and he growled at the television.

I feel so safe in my house with my German bodyguard.

He follows me from room to room all day long, but he never stays in the room with me; he always positions himself at the top of the stairs or outside the entrance to the room, guarding access to me. At night, he sleeps outside my bedroom door, but he waits for me to close the door on him first and gets very upset if I leave the door open.

I do what I can to accomodate him. He’s very particular about how things are supposed to be and how we’re all supposed to behave. He is German.

Any pets? Are your pets American or imports? Please share a cute story about a pet, past or present, so I can feel better about my adorably strange dog!

61 Comments »

61 Responses to “My Dog”

  1. Maggie Robinson on 10 Aug 2007 at 7:50 am #

    We used to have an Old English Sheepdog that bit moving cars. That did not do much for his teeth. When we traded our car in, the salesman asked if we’d been in an accident. I explained the dog ate the car, which he did not believe. This dog (his name was Taxi, so I guess we cursed him) once interrupted his manly duties with a female we had fixed him up with to chase a truck. Puppies were eventually born, but not until we had the dogs do the deed inside.

  2. Lisa H on 10 Aug 2007 at 8:06 am #

    I have two cats. One is a lovely black tiger cat, whom my daughter named Trixie. We took her to the vet to be spayed and found out she was a he. The name however stuck, so he is named Trixie.

    I also have a beautiful white short haired cat (not sure of her breed) Her name is Lily because we got her around Easter time. Both cats were for my daughter who is a cat person. The rest of the family simply endures them!

  3. Santa on 10 Aug 2007 at 8:23 am #

    We own a white boxer named Blizzard. She is the best dog EVER and trained so well. She never goes upstairs into the bedrooms. She never goes up on the sofa set in the living room. She always lets you know when she needs to take care of business. She listens when you tell her not to jump up on people (providing they are not giggling and giving her love, then it’s a lost cause). She adores the little people who live in the house with us and acts as if she hasn’t seen the DH in years when he comes home from work.

    And, she eats our futon. Yes, you heard right. Loves to get her fill of cotton, matting and foam. I don’t know what she thinks is hidden in its depths. We’re thinking of taking stock in that bitter apple spray stuff. Personally, I think she’s part goat and not the pure breed we were told she was.

  4. Karen Hawkins on 10 Aug 2007 at 8:29 am #

    I’ve got 2! My son’s pure bred Golden Retriever is named Duke, though his nickname is “The Perpetual Teenager” because he wants to play all of the time and is just adorably cute. He is a nose boinker. When he wants to play, he’ll boink you with his nose. That was cute when he was little, but when he got taller . . . now, the men in my family curse him and shout, “I’m going to have to wear a cup around that d*** dog!”

    My other dog is a rescue dog and we call him a purebred LBD (Large Brown Dog) that we’ve had for almost a year. He’s very needy and co-dependent. If I move from one room to the next, he follows. If I am happy, he is happy. If I am sad, he is sad. He probably need therapy, but right now, we’re treating him with dog biscuit and lotasa lovin’ therapy. He’s chilling a good bit, so I think it’s working.

    We also have a cat who is very catlike. Those of you with cats know what I mean. Those of you who don’t– she tolerates us, but that’s it.

  5. Nicole Jordan on 10 Aug 2007 at 8:37 am #

    Love your dog story, Claudia!

    My latest horse story is not so cute. She stepped on my foot last weekend and left it there for a long long long time, not realizing anything was wrong, even though I was howling in pain. Being a teenager she’s still figuring out where all her body parts go and what she’s supposed to do with them when I ask. My foot turned very pretty — swirling shades of black and blue and purple that only just now are fading.

    At that moment I would have traded your dog for my horse.

    NicoleJ

  6. ladydawgfan on 10 Aug 2007 at 8:42 am #

    We have two cats, Pebbles and Bam Bam, who rule the roost. They are the Abbott and Costello of the cat world, with Bam playing the straight man to Pebbles’ goofball routine. Pebbles is the goofiest cat we have ever had. She likes to spend her time on the cat tree looking at the world upside down. She also likes to watch people in the shower, draped over the side of the tub (she has gotten her head wet this way).

    Of course, Bam has his moments. His favorite toy is his tail which he chases constantly, even when he is on the top shelf of the cat tree. He is also a complete bed hog, preferring to sprawl out >across the bed instead of curling up on it like a normal cat. This usually leaves his sleeping human with about 12″ of leg room on a queen bed. If you move him, he sits on you until you move off of his original spot.

    We laugh a lot with these two.

  7. Emmiebee on 10 Aug 2007 at 8:46 am #

    Oh my, a topic dear to my heart!
    I’m a veterinarian, so everyone who knows me also knows to move away quickly when I have that “kitten pusher” look in my eye. However, there are always some broken, abandoned animals that are “unplaceable”. So, of course, I bring them home. Yep, my cats all ride the short bus. My oldest gals, Circe and Scheherezade, only have old gal problems, but the young guys are weird. I have Pavarotti, who was run over by a back-hoe at two weeks old- severe brain damage, needs to be hand fed three times a day, but is happy as a clam, the little bugger. Mr. Spock is paraplegic, but can jump up onto almost any surface just using his minimal hind leg function and his massive upper body strength. Pippin is asthmatic with only half a tail (I amputated the injured portion when he was six weeks old). And the baby (well, only a year old), Grace O’Malley, has a mitral valve defect in her heart, but the cardiologist thinks that she should live a normal life span!

  8. Emmiebee on 10 Aug 2007 at 8:48 am #

    By the way, does anyone in the Boston area need a one year old neutered male cat (the love of your life!), or an eight week old male tiger kitten(who can resist a wittle tiny kittie?)? I can hook you up!

    -Emmiebee

  9. doglady on 10 Aug 2007 at 8:58 am #

    Bless you, Emmiebee! You are what I call a Fairy Cat Mother! My Dutch shepherd is very much like yours, Claudia. They are used in Holland for police work. He thinks he is in charge of everyone, including me! Anytime one of my neighbors comes to visit, Bane positions himself between us and there is a set space into which they cannot venture. He is getting old, 12, but is still THE BOSS. His best friend is Frodo, the chihuahua. I call him the burglar alarm, even if the burglar is just a squirrel on the roof. I have three cats. Rebecca thinks she is a dog, my late Great Dane raised her. Tigger and Pooh weigh in at 17 and 23 lbs and Pooh is deaf. Tigger just pretends to be deaf. I have nine outside dogs - all rescues - living in big dog runs with tin roofs, patios, now that it is HOT AS HECK, kiddy pools that I fill every morning. My newest addition? A half dachshund half Basset puppy named Adelaide. She is keeping Bane busy! When I leave for work I say “Mama has to go make dog food money!

  10. Claudia Dain on 10 Aug 2007 at 9:00 am #

    Maggie, when I was a teenager my parents had an Old English Sheepdog and a cocker/poodle mutt. The mutt used to lead the very trusting Sheepdog into the woods behind our house…and come out without him, a huge smile on her face. We’d say, “Where’s Oliver?” She’d look guilty, squint up her eyes the way dogs do when they’ve been caught. “Go get Oliver!” and she’d sigh, slunk her shoulders down, and walk back into the woods to get him. They’d come out a few minutes later, poor Oliver never even knowing that he’d been ditched by a mutt.

    True story.

  11. Claudia Dain on 10 Aug 2007 at 9:03 am #

    Oooh, Nicole. I feel your pain! I was riding bareback once, got scraped off under a low branch (completely intentional on the horse’s part) and then the brute reared back and stepped on my foot.

    I had a pattern on my foot very similar to yours!

  12. Claudia Dain on 10 Aug 2007 at 9:06 am #

    Emmiebee, we got our cat from our local vet and, even though she got into the meat, we just adore her. So many lovely animals out there, just starving for a loving home. What good work you’re doing!

  13. Claudia Dain on 10 Aug 2007 at 9:08 am #

    Santa, we had a dog we rescued from the animal shelter and she ate drywall. Yup, would chew down our walls. Sweet dog, but very strange. My son thought she was alien possessed. It’s possible. LOL

  14. Claudia Dain on 10 Aug 2007 at 9:09 am #

    KarenH, I loved your dog pix earlier this week! I wish I had a camera like that. And why is it that you can’t take a bad picture of an animal? They always look adorable.

  15. Freshechelle on 10 Aug 2007 at 9:41 am #

    My family has 7 cats all rescues. 2 are strays brought home from Aruba who couldn’t be sweeter. 2 are sisters that are black and white mixes who we called “the Nuns”. I was once stuck house sitting 8 cats, 5 of whom had colds, when a blizzard hit that trapped me and the cats in the house for 3 days. The cats’ plumbing got a little messy from their feline cold medicine. God bless the scary looking neighbor who looks like Jack in The Shining who shovled out my car so I could make it to the vet on day 4.

  16. Sonja Foust on 10 Aug 2007 at 9:42 am #

    I have a little black lab mix. She is the most vocal dog I’ve ever known. It’s almost like she can talk with all her very specific noises.

    She, like your dog, watches TV. :) Every time a four-legged animal comes on she, barks as if they’re invading our living room. She especially hates cats. There’s this commercial with cats on it for some allergy medicine, and if she’s in the bedroom and hears the jingle on the commercial, she’ll come tearing down the hall, hackles raised, just so she can bark at the allergy commercial cat.

    She sounds scary, but she’s actually kind of a chicken. She doesn’t like the floor HVAC vents in our house and if her toy lands on one, she’ll stare at it and whine until we pick it up for her. But no WAY will she go near the vent, even for her favorite ball.

  17. Julia London on 10 Aug 2007 at 9:44 am #

    Ohmigod, there is not enough space in this white box to tell you about my two fat and useless labradors. They have never been good for anything but fetching. They do not alert us to intruders, but will alert us, in the middle of the night, to the fact that a floaty is floating around the pool. They are water dogs, but hate baths and love every mud hole that ever showed up in Texas. They have paws the size of dinner platters and tails that mean our Christmas tree is only decorated from the halfway point up.

    They are old, they are stinky, they follow me from room to room, and if I sit, they think that’s where we’re all supposed to sit. They can’t hear, they can’t see, they pant really really loud all the time because its hot and they are old, and in the last year or so, they have decided they are through being good, obedient dogs. If they don’t want to go outside, they ain’t going.

    I love them to pieces. Their names are

  18. Julia London on 10 Aug 2007 at 9:46 am #

    Hugo and Maude and they are 13. Even though I curse them for being constantly underfoot and barking at floaties and waking me as soon as the sun comes up for their breakfast, I cannot bear the thought of them not being here.

    Great blog, Claudia! What I wouldn’t have given for USEFUL dog!

  19. SuzyQ on 10 Aug 2007 at 10:10 am #

    I had a Siberian Husky that I got from the pound. I think she was raised with a cat because she used to arch her back up when stretching and also before she pounced on you when she wanted to play. If she was on the couch, she jumped off of it on all fours, not front legs first like most dogs.

    She also loved bananas. Whenever we had some on the counter, she would help herself to one (one was her limit per day it seemed). Somehow, she would make a slit in the skin and work the banana out, and clean it out completely. We tried to see her do this, but she would never eat it in front of us. I guess she didn’t want to give away her secrets. I miss her terribly.

  20. PJ on 10 Aug 2007 at 10:27 am #

    All my dogs have been rescued from shelters. I currently have two. Smokey is an 11 year old Chocolate Lab mix who is probably the smartest dog I’ve ever had. We have “conversations”. Seriously! lol She taught herself to bring in the paper when she was a pup and still does it every day. She’s never gotten on the furniture, never jumped on anyone and potty trained in 3 days. We call her the Queen because she’s always had such a regal air about her. When someone comes to visit she meets them at the door, sits and very regally presents her paw to be shaken (or kissed), we’ve never been sure which. She’s very “tuned in” to emotions. When my husband was in the final stages of cancer she never left his side and, after he died, she never left mine. She tells me when to get up by nudging me in the neck with a wet, cold nose (works every time! lol) and when to go to bed by closing my book with her nose and giving me “the look”. I love her to pieces.

  21. zambonigirl (zambi) on 10 Aug 2007 at 10:28 am #

    Your dog sounds awesome. Seriously. And he’s such a little cutie! Look at those ears!

    I’ve mentioned my strange little bird before. He’s very different. For one thing, he doesn’t understand that he’s basically a shot glass with feathers; he thinks he’s King Kong. He thinks that he’s entitled to everything in the house, too, from my dinner to my water. I fell asleep one time while he was out. I was sick, and I had a wide-mouthed glass full of water next to me. I woke up because he was IN MY GLASS, taking a bath and sprinkling water everywhere. The cat was alive then, and she was also there, drinking from my glass. I was too sick to do anything about it, if I remember correctly. Last night I was cuddling with my guinea pigs, and he came flying over to try and break that party up, but he got sidetracked by the closet mirrors and ended up chatting himself up for an hour. When he finally made it onto the bed with us, the pigs huddled next to me and “growled” at him like they were afraid.

  22. Sabrina Jeffries on 10 Aug 2007 at 10:34 am #

    We don’t have pets, but when I was a kid, we had a dog named Snuggles, who wasn’t allowed on the beds. So everytime he had a bath, he ran through the house afterward, jumping on and then off the beds, just to show that he could. And that he knew he was clean. :-)

  23. PJ on 10 Aug 2007 at 10:36 am #

    Cassy is a 10 month old Black Lab/German Shepherd mix and another shelter rescue. She was the result of two college students who had a lab and a shepherd and never bothered getting them neutered then dumped the whole litter of puppies at the shelter. Grrrrrrr. Thankfully, they took them to a no-kill shelter. Cassy is such a delight. She’s filled with such joy and boundless energy. She loves every person and dog she meets and is sure they were all put here to play with her. She also thinks every bug was put here for her to play with! She loves sticks and is forever chewing on them but hasn’t chewed on any furniture…yet. She loves to snuggle with me and her favorite position for sleeping is the “dead cockroach”. She loves to watch dog shows on TV but Smokey doesn’t think that’s a very good idea. Smokey places herself between Cassy and the TV to protect her little sis from those big bad dogs on TV. Yep, a constant source of entertainment.

  24. PJ on 10 Aug 2007 at 10:37 am #

    Claudia, what a very handsome dog! I love that picture of him and, boy, do I recognize that expression! lol

  25. Christina Dodd on 10 Aug 2007 at 10:38 am #

    Oh, great. I came back to check yesterday’s blog and you’re talking about your dogs. I can resist everything but that.

    I’ve got two dogs, Lizzie, a German Shephard Chow who looks like a German Shephard that washed her in really hot water and she shrank. She is like your dog, Claudia. When she sits by me, she turns her back to me and watches. She thinks her brother is worthless, who by her standards most definitely is.

    Ritter is a sweetie, a yellow lab/golden retriever mix. We raised him from the time he was 11 weeks until he was 19 months, trained him as an assistance dog for the handicapped, sent him off to college in San Diego, he was there for five months, and the kid flunked out. He was afraid of men in Care Bear suits. Really. I’m not kidding. These dogs have to be ready to go anywhere, anytime, with the person they’re assisting, and he freaked about mascots and those guys wandering around in stores or standing on the corner in costumes.

  26. Christina Dodd on 10 Aug 2007 at 10:38 am #

    On Squawk Radio, we did a tour of our office, and I thought it would be funny if we took a photo of Ritter sitting at my desk with my glasses on, typing, and claim he was my ghost writer (author of JANE AIREDALE!) I said, “Take a lot of pictures so we’ll have one that’s good!” Totally forgetting, of course, that only people take bad photos. Dogs always take good pictures. So we have 40 pictures of Ritter with his paw on the keyboard and my glasses on his nose. He is beyond cute.

  27. zambonigirl (zambi) on 10 Aug 2007 at 10:49 am #

    Emmiebee-You’re making me cry! God bless you, you’re the salt of the earth. You’re giving those kids a chance-without you, they would have been put down ages ago.

    There’s nothing wrong with the short bus. The short bus is less crowded, less bouncy, and a lot more comfortable.

  28. Karen Rose on 10 Aug 2007 at 11:02 am #

    I love dogs - DH and I always had a few from the time we got married - always Bearded Collies. I loved my shaggy dogs. We lost the last one a few years ago when she was 16, which is old for a Beardie. They were total dodo heads, but we loved them. They were Lord Byron, Shelley, Roxy and Maggie.

    Now we have a cat named Bella who brings me kibble. This is true. I’ll get up in the morning and find a small pile of kitty kibble at my place at the kitchen table. She must carry it one piece at a time from her food bowl. As you’ve guessed, she’s a house cat. I’m glad she doesn’t bring me dead things! The kibble is cute and doesn’t make a mess.

    The thing that brings Bella running is the sound of the ice dispenser on the fridge. She will meow loudly until you put ice cubes in her water bowl.

    We love our kitty!

  29. anneriailin on 10 Aug 2007 at 11:25 am #

    Years ago I had a Siberian Husky named Bandit. He was a cute adorable puppy but wasn’t the loyal dog I wanted that would follow me around and be lovable. I loved him all the same though. I was the one that wanted him but he slept on the exes side of the bed. Go figure. I wasn’t sure how he’d be when I had my first son. I shouldn’t have worried, because he slept under the crib and at the first hint of a sound from my son he would come get me and run between me and the crib until I got there, impeding my progress the whole way. When I brought the second son home, he gave me a long suffering look as to say, tell me you didn’t do this to me again. But he slept with him just as he did with his older brother. I never realized what a protector he was until one night I woke up in the middle of night and couldn’t go back to sleep. I heard Bandit get up and thought he was going for a drink or wanted out.

  30. anneriailin on 10 Aug 2007 at 11:29 am #

    To continue….Bandit walked into my oldest sons room, then to my younger sons room, then he came to check on me then he checked on my ex and I guess everybody was alright because he laid back down. A few years later, Bandit got sick and we had to put him to sleep. I stayed with him until it was all over and then cried for the next 2 hours. I still miss him.

    –dorothy

  31. foreverdelayed on 10 Aug 2007 at 11:33 am #

    I have two cats. Zippa and Zeeba. They are the sweetest kitties I have ever had. Zippa has a bit of a drinking straw problem. She loves them and carries one around the house with her. Zeeba is very vocal and the second I get home from work he talks to me non-stop. He especially likes to help me cook dinner. I love my babies!

  32. cail on 10 Aug 2007 at 11:45 am #

    no pets here. i’d love a dog. when i was little i named my brother butterbaum and made him walk around on all 4s pretending to be my puppy. the great thing about little brothers is that they learn tricks a lot faster than real dogs. my father still occasionally refers to the now 6′3″ 20 something as butterbaum.

  33. Ann in IL on 10 Aug 2007 at 11:52 am #

    When my nieces were 5 & 9 , my sister gifted them with a pure bred cocker spaniel. That pup chewed the electrical cord off the bottom of my sil’s car three times. Each time she didn’t know it until some nice law enforcement person stopped her for no tail lights. The pup was then assigned to the back yard. While there it chewed it’s way through the huge electrical wires for the central A/C unit. That was IT. No, the dog wasn’t hurt ! !!!!!!! But she was given a new home one day while the kids were at school.

    The rest of my family is all about German Shepherds. They are so protective of the babies. If you try to tap their fingers and tell them no, or raise your voice, you get those jaws lightly clamped over your hand and a look that says “I dare you to touch that baby”. How can you argue with a 110 lb dog?

  34. Christina Dodd on 10 Aug 2007 at 12:12 pm #

    Hey Suzanne Enoch! Have you seen this?

    Top 10 Romance Fiction by Booklist (covering the period of time since last Sept 15th issue to the present)

    Billionaires Prefer Blondes. By Suzanne Enoch. Avon.

    Well deserved! It was one of my fav books of all time! Congratulations!

  35. Claudia Dain on 10 Aug 2007 at 12:18 pm #

    This is my first German Shepherd, so he’s taught me a lot! When I was a newlywed our first dog was a Belgian Shepherd that a family had abandoned. Can you believe that the family moved out of their house and left their dog behind? The poor thing was just devastated, staying by the empty house, trying to protect it, living off the scraps the neighbors fed it.

    Sob!

    Anyway, we got the Belgian as she was being walked into the animal shelter and she was an incredible dog. She was always the first one who knew I was pregnant because from that second on, she’d never leave my side (which made getting out of bed for those 12 a night potty runs a bit tough). LOL

    The sad thing was that she couldn’t bear to be left alone; her abandonment trauma haunted her.

  36. twolilhahas on 10 Aug 2007 at 12:48 pm #

    Well, I do not like animals (except horses). I used to, but then I got pregnant and hormones changed me for good. I cannot stand animal fur.

    That being said, I live with my parents and my kids right now. My Mom and my daughters are both animal lovers. So, we have a menagerie here. The list is as follows:
    1 Guinea Pig
    3 Rabbits
    1 Flying Squirrel
    1 Baby Mouse
    7 Chickens of different varieties
    4 Yard Dogs (One of which is a Police Dog type German Shepherd)
    6 Hunting dog puppies and some other various hunting dog grown-ups. lol
    2 Horses

    I think that covers it all. :)

  37. colinfirthfan on 10 Aug 2007 at 1:01 pm #

    I too love Billionaires prefer Blondes! Yeah Suzanne E.

    I love dogs. I am DYING to get a dog.

    Had a dog when I was growing. She was the best behaved darling ever. She was so gentle and patient. Lived with us for 13 years. I was sitting with her as she was dying, bawling my eyes out, and she heaved her head up put it in my lap and died a minute later!

    I have a picture of her in my office.

  38. dbrown3400 on 10 Aug 2007 at 1:57 pm #

    Congratulations Suzanne. I’ll bet you haven’t come down from the ceiling yet.

    Sorry I missed you yesterday, Christina. I’m loving your new series. Does that answer all the questions?

    I’ve had several cats but only one dog, who stayed a puppy for eleven years. Her papers said Wilhelmina Spritz, but she was always Spritzy to us. She barked at most anyone coming to the door, even cars driving up, except the few she seemed to recognize. Spritzy was quick to learn tricks, i.e., standing on her toes, twirling around reaching for a ball. Of course, I had to demonstrate for her to learn. She chose to protect me at night rather than the rest of the family by sleeping at my feet. Everyone else got to relax while they slept. Her run-in with a moving car wasn’t too positive one of the few times she ventured into the street. colinfirthfan, I understand.

    Cat story follows.

  39. krystal on 10 Aug 2007 at 1:57 pm #

    I never thought that I would ever live with a cat, let alone actually like doing it. Growing up, all we ever had were dogs. I now have a stripped gray kitty who I call Boo-Boo. She will be 2 years old in November.

    My brother and his friend found her and brought her home when she was a couple of months old. She was covered with grease and oil, so they brought her home, cleaned her up and decided to keep her. I was living with them at the time and she got really attached to me.

    When I moved out, I had accidentally left a bath mat at their place. She would drag this rug around the house and sleep on it. They also said that she would sit at the door and just cry. My brother decided that it would be best for everyone if they gave the cat to me.

    I took her and can’t imagine life without her now. She is my baby.

  40. PJ on 10 Aug 2007 at 1:57 pm #

    Claudia, my niece’s black lab was the same way when she was pregnant. He refused to leave her side. Then, from the minute they brought the baby home he became her protector, sleeping on the floor beside her crib and guarding her 24/7. She’s now 18 months, walking and exploring everything. He continues to guard her but from a safe doggie distance. lol

  41. Darla on 10 Aug 2007 at 2:07 pm #

    Claudia your dog sounds wonderful!

    I have three dogs.

    Lego is my 6 year old Golden Retriever, the escape artist…I swear if theres a way to get out of something he’ll find it, his nickname is Houdini Dog.

    Bear is my 5 year old Heinz 57, hes part aussie shephard and black lab…we think. Hes a very gentle dog, but stubborn and hard headed. Bear’s nickname is Sir Pal which stands for Sir Pees-a-lot. I have never seen a dog that goes for as long as he does, I’d swear hes all bladder.

    Nurf is my 9 mo old Mini Aussie. I’ve always had large dogs so he is a change for us. Energy galore! Hes does the cutest little butt wiggle when hes excited. When I leave the house my DH says he lays down by the door and waits for me. If I’m gone for some time he will occasionally jump on my recliner and keep a look out for me.

    Together they are a hoot to watch…wouldn’t trade them for the world.

  42. dbrown3400 on 10 Aug 2007 at 2:10 pm #

    Our cats were always strays and outdoor cats. We took them to the vet for appropriate care, but they seemed to prefer being outside, except for Quincy. She was a beautiful silver tabby that had been hanging around for a few days at our club.

    One of the attendants began feeding her since she made no move to leave. Finally, she looked at us as if to say take me home. She and Spritzy were great companions their entire lives. Quincy would crawl onto my chest sometime during the night and I’d wake up wondering why I couldn’t breathe. We lost her to cancer not long after Spritzy.

    If our building allowed animals I would love a kitten of a small-breed cat. My luck with cat-affection (?) has been good but that might not hold up since there would be no one else for it to aggravate.

    Donna

  43. Claudia Dain on 10 Aug 2007 at 3:00 pm #

    I always have a cat and a dog, at least one of each. I don’t know why, but my cats have all been very affectionate, very well-behaved. My cat follows me around outside while I’m weeding or watering;she’s very companionable!

    When my kids were small we had a Newfoundland. What an amazing dog he was! I was watching from the kitchen window while my kids and the dog were playing outside; my youngest (about 2) picked up a brick and smacked it right between the dog’s eyes. If any dog ever had the “right” to bite, he did. But all he did was…blink.

    Do you know that in the history of the Newfoundland breed, not a one of them has EVER bitten a human? Wonderful family dog, and also a Houdini!

  44. Ellen on 10 Aug 2007 at 3:46 pm #

    Five years ago, my Mom passed away from ovarian cancer. Needless to say, my entire family was dreading the first Christmas without her. She always made it so very special for us.

    Since I purchased my parents home, I knew that I had to step up to the plate and try to bring some happiness into our lives. I gift wrapped a crate and had it in my living room from Thanksgiving on. My son and all the nieces and nephews were dying to know what was in the huge box. All I would say is “Santa said he would fill it up with something very special on Christmas Eve. (Added bonus: The kids drove my sisters crazy asking “is it Christmas Eve yet?”)

    On Christmas Eve, I let each child shake the still empty box and try to guess what was inside. Then I sent them upstairs to keep an eye out for Santa. Sure enough, he showed up bearing gifts for all the children. He told them that their Grandma was smiling down from heaven. It was a lovely exchange.

    When Santa left and SOME of the commotion quieted down, my son noticed that something was moving in the box.

    It was a yellow lab puppy, promptly named….Phil.

    There are few greater gifts than a puppy from Santa.

    Always,
    Ellen

  45. Brandy on 10 Aug 2007 at 3:47 pm #

    I have 7 cats and all are….quirky. *g* Two love to play what I call the “ice hockey” game, I swear they hear me getting ice from the refrigerator even if they are upstairs! The next thing I’ll know, I’ll turn around and there they are patiently waiting. So, I end up hitting the button for the small shredded pieces of ice and will hold one in my hand swinging it and counting: one, two and on three I’ll release it. Wherever the ice lands they chase it and play on the kitchen floor with it until it melts. One loves to catch and bat them in mid-air on the throw. He’s jumped as high as three feet to smack it in the corner, like a goal. *g* I read above where somone has a kitty that likes straws! *waving HI!* I have one that does that, too!

  46. gannon on 10 Aug 2007 at 3:49 pm #

    We currently have 2 very affectionate cats. Mr. Bean is a two-year old orange and white tabby and he is just a big ol’ love muffin!! Sweetest cat in the world! And last week we adopted a 9 week old brown tabby from the Humane Society and his name is Farouk–another sweetie.

    It took a few days of adjustment, but now our two kitties are buddies and even groom one another. Awwww! Now, in December when we get our Golden Retriever puppy, I think things will get really interesting! :)

    I’m so bummed I missed Christina’s blog yesterday. :( I tripped and sprained my ankle and ended up in the emergency room! Just a severe sprain, so they put on an aircast and I’m on crutches for a few days. But they did give me some lovely pain meds, so it’s not all bad. Plus, I have an excuse to sit on my butt and read!! Doctor’s orders. :)

  47. Claudia Dain on 10 Aug 2007 at 4:13 pm #

    Brandy, I love the “ice hockey” game your cats play! I’d love to be able to see that. Maybe Utube someday? LOL

    Gannon, I hope you feel better soon. Ouch!

    Ellen, what a wonderful Christmas memory you created for your family.

  48. catslady on 10 Aug 2007 at 4:51 pm #

    I too have 7 cats and used to have two dogs. My oldest cat (16) will turn complete summersaults if you breathe in and out real fast and loud (and don’t ask how we found this out because I haven’t a clue lol). If you keep it up too long she’ll run at you and attack you. Guess it wouldn’t work too well on an intruder roflmao.

  49. darkshire007 on 10 Aug 2007 at 6:51 pm #

    I have Max (which was his name when we adopted him from German Shepherd Rescue) and Shilo (the vet told me she is a Sheba Inu) whom I rescued from death row, literally. Around the house they are affectionally called Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee but they can be very aggressive when the door bell rings. Shilo has to do a perimeter search every night before she comes in; keep in mind that she is all of 35 lbs. Max is more than ready for bed at night and tries to squeeze his 115 lb frame in between Alpha 1 and myself! LOL! They are great dogs and I would not trade them for anything.

  50. TinaLouiseF on 10 Aug 2007 at 7:25 pm #

    My mother used to have a Sheltie named Jasmine. That was her name when mom got her.
    She loved to bite at the front wheels of the 4 wheeler when someone was driving it. Unfortunately she got ran over a few times.
    Jasmine was scared of thunder and fireworks. If we didn’t get her on the chain in the woodshed before the noise started, she would run over to the neighbor’s house. Their wooden gate had only 1 foot openings, but I’d find her laying on their doorstep. The stupid thing was the neighbors were usually the ones shooting off the fireworks.

  51. TinaLouiseF on 10 Aug 2007 at 7:27 pm #

    Two of my brothers 2 year old horses played soccer with the salt block once.

  52. Judy F on 10 Aug 2007 at 7:44 pm #

    oh I love pet stories. I just have one cat now. Sammy is an anti social cat. He runs and hide if someone comes in the apt. My mom is convinced I don’t have a cat cause she has neve seen him. He likes to play fetch, he brings me the rings off of the milk cartons that I have tossed to him and then I throw them for him. Its cute, I find them in my purse sometimes. LOL There was a fly in the apt the other day, OMG he was going nuts trying to catch it. He knows the words treat and nap. The important words for a cat.

    Sammy doesn’t like to snuggle but will sometimes sit on my lap while I am on the computer or will lay next to me in bed.

    Now my cat that passed away two years ago Dusty was a snuggler. If I was sick, she was right there. she loved to lay by me or ON ME. LOL She was very patient to be fed, would just sit there. Now Sammy he lets you know if you are a second late and has no concept that I don’t get up at 5:30 on the weekends. LOL

  53. Claudia Dain on 10 Aug 2007 at 9:09 pm #

    I love hearing all these pet stories. The thing that always amazes me is how different each pet is. It’s what drives me nuts when people say, “I don’t like cats.” or “I don’t like dogs.” Which cat? Which dog? They’re not interchangeable.

    Of course, all *my* cats and dogs have been wonderful, but I’m sure that’s just because I’m lucky.

  54. pri.r. on 10 Aug 2007 at 9:49 pm #

    i have a golden labradour… not really sure of his nationality but three words dear readers…. toilet paper fettish.
    not cool :P

  55. twolilhahas on 10 Aug 2007 at 9:55 pm #

    Claudia, that picture of your dog looks exactly like the new dog Mom brought home the other day. He’s huge…and he’s still a puppy. Mom calls him a police dog, though not as in he’s been on the force, as in he is the breed of Shepherd they use on the force. Is your dog really called a German German Shepherd? I looked up that term but didn’t get a lot of results. I”m curious about him.

  56. Ronlyn on 11 Aug 2007 at 10:58 am #

    Chiming in way late, but…I LOVE your dog!!!
    I’m such a dog lover and miss my dogs so much (we have a cat and fish currently.) My cat however, is a wonder-kitty. We named her Stormy after adopting her from a program that our local animal shelter has where if someone is leaving an abusive relationship they can house their pet for free at the shelter while they make their transition. Unfortunatly Stormy’s prev. owner left her there for 3 months before putting her up for adoption, so she was all additude when we got her.
    I got pregnant with our son several months after we brought her home and she went from being very elusive to following me around and being concerned when I was sick. I’ll never forget one time in particular when I was ill and she kept running out to my DH and “yelling” at him until he finally came into the bathroom to be with me. Such a sweet girl.
    I will get a dog eventually, I swear I will. I miss my dogs.

  57. Kathy on 12 Aug 2007 at 1:16 am #

    His name was Red. We knew he was ours the minute we laid eyes on him at the shelter. We took him home. He was not only our delight, but the whole neighborhood. The postman, and the staff at the high school next door all knew Red. He was a little wire terrier with bad hips that ran like a deer and jumped like Michael Jordan at basket. I miss him. I love you Red.

  58. Lismore on 13 Aug 2007 at 11:08 am #

    Emmiebee, the world is a better place because of people like you!

    Love everyone’s stories. We have a shitzu who liks to ride in a baby stroller. When he was a puppy, DD would take him out in the stroller and he got used to it. It is embarrassing because he sometimes tries to jump in stollers that are already occupied by kids. :)

  59. TheNightPoet on 13 Aug 2007 at 11:45 pm #

    We have a dog named, Biscuit. He’s a cocker spaniel, which a few of you have heard about him from a previous post earlier this summer. I am glad to report that he is doing really, really well! :) He is so spoiled. He has a lot of chew toys, gets to take walks with his masters every night (except for lately b/c of the weather. it’s too hot to take him on any kind of walk, though we have taken him on short walks), and gets lots of attention and love from not only us (my parents, brother and I) but our friends as well. :) Here’s a story about him. Recently, we bought him a bone that he can chew on and the current game he likes to play is hide the bone where we can’t find it. But if we catch him trying to hide it or find his hiding spot for it, he will take it and try to find another spot to hide it in. lol It’s an ongoing game that is just hilarious.

    Andrea

  60. Selfish Addict on 19 Aug 2007 at 9:41 pm #

    I am a dog addict. We’ve had them since I was a baby. Can’t stand not having one. Ours are people. The hardest part in getting a new pup,is all the retraining. It’s amazaing though how quickly they get me retrained.
    I had a poodle who in the evening decided she would like a treat. She would whine and fuss a bit. If we ignored her she go to a folding door we have and hit on it till we paid attention. When I’d get up she would get me to follow her to the refridgerator. On top were three treats. Two hard bone treats7 chocalate kisses. (We trained her to poop outside with the kisses.)She then wanted me to pick her up. She would sniff each one then,bump the one she wanted with her nose. No she didn’t always pick the kisses. After she got her treat all was cool.

  61. Alayna Staggers on 21 Mar 2008 at 10:06 pm #

    The “Love of My Life” got sick last Oct., laid her head over on my arm and she was gone. Life will never be the same. She was a 9 yr. old pomeranian.
    Nothing fills the void. It is now March. I have a German shepherd and a white pom who is 4 who was her constant companion. He mourned her loss too and now acts like a grumbly old man. (The GS I have had almost a yr. but Karma even went to college with me. She was the best Karma and everyone loved her gentle ways. I am still sad! Alayna