Timmy’s in the Well! …or… Loki The Brave
Jun 16th 2010
Karen RoseKaren Rose & When Goddesses Fall To Earth
We did a blog a few days ago on cat people and dog people. Well, I have both, but today I am a Dog Person.
I have a dog named Loki. He is named after the Norse god of mischief and the name is perfect for him. We had some bumps with Loki at first and there were days I wished I only had cats when he was at the height of his puppydom. But now he’s two and has settled down to be a nice, goofy, 75 pound lapdog who thinks he’s a cat.
(Sometimes he tries to get into the cats’ hideyhole, but only his nose fits. He gets so sad. It’s hyst
erical.)
Anyway, Loki is a good dog. Today, though, he is a Very Good Dog. Last night he thwarted would-be home intruders by barking and growling and snarling like he had all three heads of Cerberus. Good dog. Very Good Dog. He is now Loki the Brave. He got a mega-treat, given to him by my trembling hands. Nobody was hurt, but it was scary and I was SO GLAD he was there.
This got me thinking about dogs who do heroic things. Of course there is Lassie, whose barking always saved Timmy from the well. There are therapy dogs and seeing eye dogs and companion dogs who help people every day. You read about dogs who bark to wake their families, saving them from fires.
I like to put dogs in my books. In my second book, HAVE YOU SEEN HER
, the heroine has two identical German Shepherds, Jim and Jean Luc (yes, that’s my Star Trek nerdiness shining through). She’s only allowed to have one dog in her apartment, so she walks them one at a time so her landlord won’t know. Having two dogs helps save her life at one point in the book as the dogs fiercely protect her.
Do you have a brave pet? Do you have a favorite brave pet story? Who are your favorite fictional pets?
73 Comments »
73 Responses to “Timmy’s in the Well! …or… Loki The Brave”
insanehussein on 16 Jun 2010 at 1:31 am #
My rabbit, named Nicholas (because I made my mother decide on a name), growls at bad people. Okay, actually, he grunts, but for the sake of argument I’ll call it a guttural grunt. That’s brave. He’s a fatty with an attitude. And he’s not afraid to let mean people know that he knows who they are! Oy. O_o
cories on 16 Jun 2010 at 1:44 am #
When I was about 5 or 6, I had a mutt that my family fed (he slept indoors at night but wandered around the neighborhood during the day). One day, not too long after my family moved to a new apartment, I went exploring with my little sister (I might have been 6 so she would have been 4). Soon enough, we were lost. My sister started crying (because 4-year-olds are not very useful in such situations) and I told her my plan: all we had to do was to wait until dinnertime and then follow the dog home. I turned to the dog and told him we wanted to go home. Now, this dog was not trained in any way to the best of my knowledge, but he knew enough that we were no longer having any fun so he led us home, to the immense relief of my mother who was worried due to the late hour.
This was the same dog who would babysit (he wouldn’t play with us but would just sit there, keeping an eye on things) us kids in the afternoons, including my 3-year-old brother and other small neighborhood children. His only rule was that we children had to play nicely. Once, a boy with a toy gun was “shooting” at my brother and the dog barked until the boy went away.
cories on 16 Jun 2010 at 1:45 am #
Where did I find such a wonderful dog? He followed me home one day. I’ve always wanted a dog like him for when I have children (of course, then I would have to teach the kids to listen to the dog).
Kandy Shepherd on 16 Jun 2010 at 1:54 am #
Hi Karen, your Loki sounds like a beautiful, brave dog who is a lot of fun to have around.
I love the idea of the identical German Shepherds in your book HAVE YOU SEEN HER. It’s just gone to the top of my “to buy” list!
Tina on 16 Jun 2010 at 2:32 am #
Growing up, we did not get a dog until we were in 8th grade.
Poor Jasmine. She was scared of thunder and fireworks.
When we thought it would storm or around July 4th, we clipped her to the chain in the wood shed.
If we missed her, she would be huddled on the neighbor’s front door. Funny thing was, the neighbors were usually the source of the fireworks.
Jasmine rarely barked at anything. When she did, we always paid attention.
P.S. I finished “Silent Scream” two hours ago. Great story.
When I saw Caroline’s story at the store, it did not sound very interesting, but having read Dana, Evie and David’s stories, I’m going to go searching for it.
KellyProellocks on 16 Jun 2010 at 3:04 am #
My Acheron is a really good watch cat. He will watch you as you walk away with the computer or my tv. But he is my saviour. He saves me every day with my depression by providing me with the company that I crave. Besides I am a sucker for a furry little baby who loves me regardless and in spite of my occasional bad temper. (A by-product of the depression) His antics of playing tag with me or clawing my butt when he feels I am ignoring him.
Judy F on 16 Jun 2010 at 3:52 am #
Hugs to your Loki. Extra treats for a while for him.
My Sammy (cat) is scared of just about everything. We had fireworks sat night and he looks at me like for me to make them stop. If I have company over he hides till he is sure they are gone. LOl But when its just me and him, he sleeps with me. And is very loving and protective. I wouldn’t trade him for anything.
I loved the two german shepherds in Have you seen her.
I can’t think of any pets in stories right now. Brain isn’t in gear yet.
LisaK on 16 Jun 2010 at 4:30 am #
Although I’m absolutely no dog person, Loki sounds really cool!:)
Hmm, favourite fictional pet would be Bella the cat (you know her, don’t you, Ka-Ro?). Oh my, I loved her in You Can’t Hide and since I’ve always wanted to have a cat (okay, I’ve adopted our neighbour’s cat, but she isn’t here constantly) I so enjoy reading about Bella!
My bunny Veili (she seems to be getting quite famous here, I remember having written about her quite a few times now) is a brave pet. A really, really brave pet. She grunts, snorts, hits and even bites people. When she doesn’t like someone or something (like her new ball made from hay), she either ignores or, more tipically, attacks the person/thing and doesn’t stop ’til she’s unleashed her wrath on everything around her. (talking about epic, haha)
Besides, I have a question that is totally off-topic, but I simply have to know. Maybe some of you remember that I want to go to a school in Munich where I can study English and French. Well, I had my entrance exam on Monday and my question is about something concerning the German-English translation I had to do there.
cont.
LisaK on 16 Jun 2010 at 4:36 am #
cont.
There was something about guests and hosts and parties and stuff like that (strange text, btw, but, well). Now, I’m not mistaken when I say that “host” doesn’t have a gender in English, am I? So, when I’m talking about a random host at some random party and it isn’t specified whether it’s a man or a woman, I can use “they” as a pronoun to actually describe only one person, can’t I (oh please let it be yes…)? It’s a little tricky because in German there are two different words for a female and a male host, but since it wasn’t clarified I didn’t simply use “he” because “host” could be a woman, too, couldn’t it?
Sorry for being so totally off-topic but this has been bugging me for two days now and I simply have to know.
B on 16 Jun 2010 at 4:38 am #
I don’t like pets, real or fictional. Not even Kristen’s. In fact, most often, I disliked them. Or hate. As it’s the case with my cousins’ dog. The thing is the Devil incarnated AND I swear she wants me for dinner. Uh hu.
You know you come to a blog every day when you know the people by their pets. You see the headline and not the picture of who posted and you think: Um.. Loki… Loki… Loki… Loki is… AH! Karen Rose’s. Yup.
Margaret on 16 Jun 2010 at 4:47 am #
Was it a full moon yesterday or what? 2 of my granddaughters and my great-granddaughter went to the pool for a couple of hours yesterday. Since it’s hot, the pool and the parking lot were full. They only stayed a couple of hours before going back to one’s home so GDD could have a nap. Oldest GD noticed her purse wasn’t where she left it. No where to be found. Other GD started looking and found her wallet and GPS missing from the center console. She had left the windows cracked a smidge, but it was enough. Turned out several other cars had stuff missing which the owners discovered while the cops were there. The oldest GD had a big purse with all her Sephora make-up, credit cards, checkbook, new Fuji camera,birth control pills and anxiety meds. I think the last has street value. And some other things, of course. They weren’t in the city but at an outlying small town. They feel totally violated. I’m sure neither will ever again leave anything in their cars again that they care about.
The girls were smart. Right after calling the cops, they called their banks and credit card companies to cancel. Someone tried to use youngest GD’s debit card right after that.
Loki is def a hero!
Margaret on 16 Jun 2010 at 4:49 am #
One of the things stolen from another car was a baby’s car seat. Can you imagine?
B on 16 Jun 2010 at 4:56 am #
ps: I think, however, that Loki may be praised for her hero skills. Even if she’s a dog.
And, Lisa, English isn’t my first language, but, yup, you can you they referring to one person you don’t know the gender.
Don’t worry, you’ll be FINE! AND, Yay for German and French. I really need another language! 
Tanja on 16 Jun 2010 at 5:09 am #
I had a westy once that thought he was a rottweiler. My sister-in-law had a rottweiler who thought he was a kitten and my mother has a chihuahua who thinks she’s Beyonce. I love dogs with personality.
Bronte on 16 Jun 2010 at 5:25 am #
Hi Karen,
) dogs. One that stands out in my memory was a dog who was shot during a home invasion (he was trying to protect his owner). I also routinely treat police dogs (bomb detection, drug detection and attack dogs). I always feel especially sorry for the drug detection dogs. They get treated abominably by patrons in pubs and clubs – the police tell stories of people throwing glasses at them and trying to stub out cigarettes on their skin. Yet these dogs still remain incredibly friendly when off duty. They are really brave in my book.
Lucky you have such an awesome dog! In my line of work I get to see quite a few brave (and not so brave
Karen Rose on 16 Jun 2010 at 5:54 am #
Good morning, all!
Insane and LisaK – how funny to have brave rabbits! This always makes me think of Monty Python’s killer rabbit scene, LOL.
Cories – sounds like you had a smart “Lassie” type of hero dog. You’re right – getting your kids to listen the dog and obey will be the trick, LOL.
LoriHandeland on 16 Jun 2010 at 5:57 am #
Oh no, Karen! How scary. I’m so glad Loki was there.
Our dog is very protective of the house. If anyone comes to the door he flips out and if anyone rings the doorbell he does his “time to tear out your throat” impression. It can get annoying, and loud, but it’s also very comforting in the middle of the night when I think I hear something. I KNOW that if anyone was near the house, all I’d be hearing would be barks and snarls.
The dog we had before this one would never let anyone near the baby. If someone came to the house he would gently but firmly place himself between them and keep coming between them. If they reached for the baby he would nudge their hands away. Only Mom or Dad picked up a baby.
Karen Rose on 16 Jun 2010 at 5:57 am #
Thanks, Kandy! Hope you enjoy HAVE YOU SEEN HER
The hero has a dog in that book, too – an old English sheepdog named Cindy Lou (after the Who who was not more than two). She drools all over everything in his house. But she makes his son laugh and that’s why he lets her stay. You might read DON’T TELL first if you haven’t yet. Much of the hero’s son’s issues in HYSH come from his experiences in DT.
PJ on 16 Jun 2010 at 6:00 am #
Karen, how scary! I’m so grateful Loki was there to protect you and everyone is okay. Did the police catch the would be burglars?
My dogs have always been lovers, not fighters, until it comes to my safety. Every dog I’ve ever had would go to the mat to protect me. Bandit was 95 pounds of pure muscle, thought he was a 10 pound lap dog and was terrified of bugs and other crawly things. Seriously. If a bug jumped at Bandit, he’d be in my lap in a nano-second. One summer day, I was snoozing in a lounge chair at the side of our pool when he started barking. I didn’t pay much attention until the snarling began. When I opened my eyes I found Bandit facing his worst fear. A snake (and not a good one) had found it’s way into our fenced-in pool area and was closing in on my chair. Bandit pounced, the snake died (thankfully without biting) and I was saved. My hero!
Karen Rose on 16 Jun 2010 at 6:03 am #
Thanks, Tina – glad you enjoyed SILENT SCREAM! The dog in that book is Mojo, named after my fave cartoon villain MojooooJojo from the Powerpuff girls, LOL. Hope you enjoy DON’T TELL!
Kelly, love your cat’s name! (I loved that book!) Pets are so good when we are depressed. Studies show that just petting an animal can reduce blood pressure. I know from experience that being with my pet when I’m depressed dulls it.
Karen Rose on 16 Jun 2010 at 6:05 am #
JudyF – Loki says thank you for the extra treats
I have a cat like your Sammy. Kali is afraid of everything, despite being named after the Hindu goddess of death and destruction. GO figure. She has these eyes that are wide and never blink, like she’s always stoned, LOL.
Karen Rose on 16 Jun 2010 at 6:09 am #
Lisa K – on your grammar question, you are correct that host has no associated gender. However, I’m thinking “he” would have been the preferred answer (sorry). “They” is plural. If no gender is specified, you can say “he” or “she” or “he or she.” However, most people say “they” in that instance. It’s one of those tricky ones.
But I’m not the English queen here – that would be Claudia, so we’ll see if I get passing marks here!
Karen Rose on 16 Jun 2010 at 6:17 am #
B – no pets! I haz sad face. Not even Kristen’s cats – Mephistopheles and Nostradamus? I loved naming those cats! Mephistopheles was actually a cat I knew when I worked for a vet back in college. THe cat was nearly 20 and exactly as his name would imply. I did not like that cat!
Margaret – I’m so infuriated at hearing your gdaughters had their belongings stolen! Sometimes we get comfortable in a small town environment. Smart cookies to cancel the cards!
Mr. R had our car broken into once eons ago when we were vacationing in the UK – it was this sleepy town in Wales. The thieves stole EVERYTHING, suitcases, camera, souvenirs, everything except a sixpack of English beer and a John Grisham novel. Luckily we wore our credit cards, money, passports in money belts! It makes you extra careful and paranoid about leaving stuff in your car forever after.
I hope they catch whoever stole from your gdaughters, but realistically they probably won’t. FYI, the Welsh cops did catch our thieves – they were a car park (parking lot) theft ring that had struck before.
Karen Rose on 16 Jun 2010 at 6:20 am #
Tanja – HA! LOVE the one about the chihuahua that thinks she’s Beyonce!! The westy thinking he’s a Rottweiler doesn’t surprise me. Those big dogs, tho, I’ve met so many that think they’re kittens – especially when they want to sit on your lap!
THere’s a dog in Jennifer Crusie’s FAST WOMEN that cracks me up. It’s a dachshund that bats its eyelashes dramatically so they name her Marlena (after the actress). She always has dogs in her books, too. One of my fave characters in her books is always the dog.
Lisa Hill formerly Lisa H on 16 Jun 2010 at 6:21 am #
Oh Karen – Thank God for Loki – dogs’ instincts are so great! I am glad you are okay…I think I might still be shaking.
LOL- about the killer rabbit scene from Monte Python…that movie is sooooo awesome.
My friend and I walk every night around 8:30. She sometimes brings her little Jack Russell named “Carly” who if we encounter a large dog, will stop dead in her tracks. My friend has to pick her up and carry her until we are past the menacing creature. I guess Carly could use a lesson or two from Loki.
Again, so thankful you and your family are okay.
Karen Rose on 16 Jun 2010 at 6:23 am #
Bronte – how sad to hear about the dog shot protecting his owner. And those lousy people hurting the police dogs in pubs – I hope their bad acts come back to them a hundred fold.
I got to visit with the local K-9 cops a few months back and that was fascinating. Their dogs were wonderful – most of them are Belgian Tuverins (I think). Gorgeous dogs with IMPRESSIVE skills.
What is your line of work if you don’t mind me asking?
Karen Rose on 16 Jun 2010 at 6:26 am #
Lori, it was scary. Aw, how sweet that the dog was so protective of your babies! And good that you have a barker now – they say that’s the best defense against anyone trying to break into your home.
PJ – unlikely the cops will find them, they did increase drive throughs of the neighborhood, though.
Yeah for Bandit! A dog can defend me against snakes is worth his weight in gold, even a 95 pound dog, LOL. Ew. I’m shivering now. Can’t stand snakes.
Karen Rose on 16 Jun 2010 at 6:28 am #
Lisa H – I don’t know. Loki was chased off in the dog park once by a chihuahua. I think Carly might get some self-esteem coming around my dog.
I guess it’s good my intruders weren’t 10 pound dogs, LOL.
LisaK on 16 Jun 2010 at 6:28 am #
B, thanks for your answer, that’s exactly what I thought, too.
Ka-Ro, aaah, okay, thank you, too. I think I would have used “he” if I hadn’t thought about it too hard but well, you know that, you’re in an exam, there’s tension around you and so on and so on…
However, I’m also considering (and even almost preferring) studying German philology. It’s what I actually always wanted to do but there’s a whole lotta strange stuff going on with German educational policy atm and I was a little discouraged but now I’m back on my old way, if you can say so.
But nevertheless, thanks for your answers!
Karen Rose on 16 Jun 2010 at 6:33 am #
Lisa K – had to look up philology, LOL.
FYI – I’m coming to Germany at the end of September. I think it’s the town of Essen, but I’m not sure. It’s a crime writer festival! Am brushing up on my German after this book is done.
I can say “Please, more beer,” “Where is the bathroom?” and “Do you have a cat?”
Your English is very good – I hope you aced that exam!
Pesky on 16 Jun 2010 at 6:37 am #
Karen Rose: Firstly (((Karen Rose))) I’m so glad you are safe.
Secondly: I am petless at the moment. I’m giving myself a year before I even look at a new pet. However, I did have a german shepherd growing up called Bismark Wolfgang. He was so protective of us if we lost anything he would lie beside it until we came to get it. Dad used to have to give our mechanic food for Bismark because he wouldn’t leave the garage until the car was fixed and dad picked it up. Apparently the site of Bismark “herding” my little toddler self was common around town and we were known to share lollipops. (Yeah, it grosed mom out, but there wasn’t a heck of a lot she could do about it, and I didn’t seem to mind).
There is a story about a diaper bag that was left on the top of the car and fell off in the middle of the road. Bismark laid by the bag and traffic diverted around him for the entire day. We were in NY for the day and no one could get near the bag because Bismark would growl at them. My uncle came home was told what was going on and Bismark apparently considered him enough of a family member that he was allowed to move the bag to the side of the road.
Loved that dog.
Kay B. on 16 Jun 2010 at 6:45 am #
Congrats to LOKI……….. for loving his family so much to protect them.
Karen, I fully understand how scary that must have been. Since I moved from California to small town Iowa, I have 3 BIG dogs, well 2 are really wolf-hybreds and the other is my 76 year old Mother’s german-short hair.
We don’t worry about that here but I did all the time in California, love it here more.
Have a great week and a wonderful weekend……….I’m off to finish S.S. it’s the 1st book of yours I’ve gotten now I want ALL to read but need job first
Karen Rose on 16 Jun 2010 at 6:56 am #
Pesky – thank you! I’m still a little shaken, so all hugs are appreciated! Your dog Bismark sounds amazing – he might end up in a book someday! That is a wonderful diaper bag story.
My dog growing up would bark at strangers, but he had no concept of physical things. Bismark was a smart dog.
KayB – Loki says thank you
Hope you enjoy SILENT SCREAM! Hugs to your three BIG dogs!
Claudia Dain on 16 Jun 2010 at 7:44 am #
Oh, no! Karen, that’s awful! I’m so glad you had a big, brave dog there to protect you. Let’s hear it for Loki!
Give me a L! Give me an O! ……I’m not hearing you!
I feel SO much safer in the house knowing that there’s a big, snarly, fearless dog to protect me. I know Diesel would take a bullet for me without hesitation, and that makes my heart flop around very loosely in my chest. Diesel doesn’t like any “alien” life force to be hanging around our yard—and I’m including fireflies in that category. He watches them verrrrry suspiciously.
elsiehogarth on 16 Jun 2010 at 8:06 am #
Karen, glad to hear that you are ok and that Loki saved the day. Good Dog indeed.
The last dog my parents had was Pepe a Black Lab/German Shepherd. My Dad trained him to do lots of things like: never to eat anything outside, to search for items around the house especially apples which were his favorite, that once he ate he had to go to him to wipe his mouth with a napkin, when he went for a ride, in the car, he always sat in the front set and would buckle up etc. He was a very loving and definitely a Daddy’s boy. The one deceptive thing about Pepe was that he was trained to let everyone and anyone into the house. The problem was that he wasn’t going to let you out of the house. My Dad said that was in case they were robbed…they would see the dog lying there but once they went for the door he was in attack mode. Needless to say, my parents had to replace their front door at least 5 times and after Pepe never got another dog. My Dad said that there was no replacing the best. He now has a parrot named Fred.
Amanda on 16 Jun 2010 at 8:07 am #
I’ve been blessed to have many great pets in my life. Right now, Otto, our miniature schnauzer steals the show. I’ve written about him before, here. He is a great companion to have when Husband is off to work and kids are in school. His only hero skill to date is trying to herd the cats, which only results in scratches and hissing, but there is hope for the goofy dog!
Kathy on 16 Jun 2010 at 8:19 am #
that is a scary situation! I’d be giving Loki extra special treats for life!
my cat thinks she’s a dog.
I’ve bored you all with stories of how she fetches and likes to play catch. listens when i say stay and
now she lays down when I say sleep if she has woken me up too early.
a few weeks ago my front doorbell rang. no one who knows anyone in this building, rings the front doorbells. they all go around to our back doors. so I knew it was a pamphlet person of some sort. Sweetums shot off me when the bell rang. Growling, she posted her self in front of the door.
I laughed so loud at her bravery!
As for fictional pets, I like yours karen. it’s obvious you have many pets in your life.
my other brave pet story is when i was 16, my brother tried to bury me in a 12ft snow drift. i started panicking because I was quite covered and started screaming. our dog Bisquit came running around the corner, bit him on the butt and hung on to his snowsuit.
BAHAHAHA my brother was screaming then. have i mentioned this brother tortured me alot as kids?
AmyS on 16 Jun 2010 at 8:23 am #
How scary for you Karen! Loki deserves to be pampered today!
When I was 12 my best friend and I were saved from a rottwieler attack by her 15 year old dog Rusty. Rusty was just an ordinary mutt, but very protective. We were riding our bikes down the road one day when these seriously neglected dogs came at us. Rusty jumped inbetween us and the dogs allowing us to escape and ride the last few minutes home. I was fine, but my friend was bit once on the ankle, it could have been so much worse though. Rusty however, was not so lucky, he was badly beaten by these dogs. He lasted half a day and then succumbed to his injuries. The other dogs were taken by animal control and destroyed. The owners of the dogs were charged not only for our attack, but also cruelty to their own animals.
Search and Rescue dogs have always amazed me. How they can sniff out someone buried under all that rubble… heroes in my books.
LisaK on 16 Jun 2010 at 8:43 am #
Ka-Ro, that’s so cool about you coming to Essen! It would take me a few hours to get there but a friend of mine lives close by. A crime writers festival, that sounds exciting – you have to tell us after you were there!
Thanks for your kind words about my English. I’m trying hard to get better and better and your (all the Goddesses!) books help me so much with that. If you need any help with anything German, you can always ask me!:)
Another one on today’s topic (it’s about time! Sorry for coming up with another subject!): abovementioned neighbour’s cat – Schlumpfi – is reeeeeally cute, but really, well, heavy. I never thought it could be anything close to brave but I found out a few days ago that it has got the most frightening hiss I’ve ever heard in my life! Imagine that it was in the staircase where everything is three times as loud as normal. *shudder*
Gannon on 16 Jun 2010 at 8:48 am #
Good, brave Loki! He definitely deserves lots of extra treats! So scary, Karen! Glad all of you are okay.
My dogs bark at everyone who comes to the door or in the house. They are lovers, but when it comes to their home turf…and the family, especially me, I’m pretty sure they’d hurt someone who was trying to hurt us. It makes me feel better we have two four-legged security systems, in addition to ADT.
ladydawgfan on 16 Jun 2010 at 9:04 am #
GOOD DOG, LOKI!!! Glad everyone is okay, Karen!! WOW! How scary is that??!!
When my sister’s daughers were 2 and 4, she had a pure bred black lab named Cherokee who was the size of a small pony. He loved those girls and they, him. They used to climb all over him, including climbing on his back and holding onto his collar and riding him around the house. They also used him as a TV pillow when they watched their favorite shows on TV. He put up with whatever they threw at them without a fuss and never did more than “wash” their faces.
However, if you weren’t part of the family, you couldn’t get near the house. Cherokee didn’t like strangers, and his snarl and barking were SERIOUS. He cornered the meter reader. The post office made my sister place the mail box at the end of their driveway because the mailmen wouldn’t deliver at the door. He was a great dog!!
Candis on 16 Jun 2010 at 9:07 am #
Loki deserves a big kiss on the nose and a Scooby snack for sure!
We have two german shepherds (CJ and Maddie) and a german shorthair (Hank). Hank would invite the burglars to tea. CJ and Maddie have been known to keep most unwanted things off our property (unfortunately that has included a few of our chickens). We’ve been the proud parents of german shepherds for over 20 years and I would not be without them. Lap dogs are cute and cuddly, but I know my girls will take care of business.
When I was a kid everyone loved Lassie. Guess I was always more a fan of Rin Tin Tin.
Suzanne Enoch on 16 Jun 2010 at 9:47 am #
Yikes, Karen! Big hugs.
My autistic 4-year-old nephew escaped his house a few days ago. He likes to go pick flowers in the neighborhood, but wandered up around the corner. My bil found him because their yellow lab, Zoe, escaped with him and wouldn’t let him out of her sight.
Pesky on 16 Jun 2010 at 10:09 am #
LOL Karen, sure feel free. He has other stories. He was purchased when my mother asked my sister if she’d like a brother or sister when she was pregnant with me and The Bombshell replied, “Oh, I’d like a big dog please.” He was notorious for eating my christening ham, hating thunder and lightening storms, taking our cat Zot and her subsequent kittens for a swim in the creamery pond when he took his swims during the summer and overall just being a good dog.
The kittens were funny because my mom couldn’t figure out what was happening. She’d look out the door and there would be this wet kitten just staring up at the door. She’d dry it off and take general care of it…next night same thing. Then she saw Bismark gently dropping it off in front of the door one night and giving it a big lick before going to lie down in his dog house. Zot would take her kittens and move them over to Bismark before she’d go out hunting.
I’m becoming more and more convinced reading this that I should be looking at German Shepherd puppies next year.
Julia London on 16 Jun 2010 at 10:43 am #
I have never had anything but dorks for dogs. But I saw a man over the weekend who told me about his lab. He severed a finger trying to fix his grandkids swingset. The kids freaked out, and he passed out. The lab came over, sniffed his finger, then grabbed him by the shirt collar and dragged him to the back door.
I NEVER get labs like that. My lab would grab the finger and run around the yard full of joy that he’d stolen it from me.
Karen Rose on 16 Jun 2010 at 11:26 am #
Julia, I’m laughing! Just the picture of your dog running around with joy with your finger in his mouth. It’s totally gross and funny at the same time.
Pesky, how adorable! I had a dog once that let the kitten sleep on her back. Reminded me of the cartoon with Marc Anthony the bulldog and that adorable little kitten that he thinks gets baked into a cookie. One of my fave cartoons EVER.
Oh, Suzie, your family must have been so terrified when your nephew wandered off! Good Dog!
Rachel Gibson on 16 Jun 2010 at 11:28 am #
I had a cat that used to kill grasshoppers for me. I have a huge and totally irrational grasshopper phobia, so I loved him for ridding the yard on hopper at a time.
Karen Rose on 16 Jun 2010 at 11:43 am #
Candis, he got a kiss on the top of his head and a Pupperoni. We don’t usually feed him people food, but I must confess Mr. R gave him a hamburger. (Couldn’t kiss his nose. Too wet. That would be Loki’s nose. Mr. R’s nose is just fine, LOL.)
Ladydawgfan – aw, I think it’s so sweet when growly dogs let kids use them as pillows. Our first dog didn’t really care for our oldest. She was a little rough with him, pulling at his ears to pull herself up.
Thanks, Gannon, yes, the four-legged security systems are good to have too!
Karen Rose on 16 Jun 2010 at 11:45 am #
AmyS – how sad but valiant – Rusty fought for you with his life. It’s also sad that those Rottweilers were so neglected they became aggressive. Well-trained, a Rottweiler is very reliable.
SheridanLA on 16 Jun 2010 at 11:51 am #
Way to go, Loki!!
I grew up with German Shepherds and I love them to this day. If I could have dogs in my apartment then I would have one now. I remember as a kid, we have a lovely Shepherd named Janika.. every night, she would make the rounds and check on me, my brother and my parents then sleep in the hallway on the way to our rooms. She did this a number of times a night. She would also let mom tie a note to her collar then go find my dad to deliver it to him. She was amazing and very protective of her people.
My current cat is pretty good.. he lays on the bathmat looking out the door while I shower and will sometimes kill spiders for me. I tried to get him after a mouse once, but I guess he was not amused and that did not work out so I had to trap the darned thing on my own. heh.
Karen Rose on 16 Jun 2010 at 11:51 am #
Kathy, good dog. Bad Brother! How funny. I can see that in my mind too.
Amanda, any dog that tries to herd cats is brave. Foolish, but brave, LOL. Loki is a herding dog and even he leaves the cats alone, maybe because he thinks he is one.
Elsie – wow, what specific training for Pepe! I can’t imagine that poor Fred can possibly compete.
Karen Rose on 16 Jun 2010 at 11:52 am #
Claudia
L
O
K
I
!!
I’m glad you have Diesel. It always makes me grin to read your stories about him!
Karen Rose on 16 Jun 2010 at 11:54 am #
Rachel and Sheridan – both your cats Kill For You. That is devotion
Madeline Hunter on 16 Jun 2010 at 12:05 pm #
Thank goodness you had Loki there, Karen.
Every day she really tore into that mail good as it slid through, growling like she was rabid, teeth bared for the kill. We had very dead mail each day.
I have had dogs who would do that—-bark whenever a stranger crossed into their territory. It always made me feel safer.
I’m not sure they would have done anything more, should someone actually get in, though. Neither one was really tough that way. Lots of bark, though. And as your story shows, that can be enough.
Oh, wait, my dog Saskia would have attacked if anyone came in through the mail slot in the door
My cats have never been “watch cats” altho I know people who have those. Their cats hiss and snarl at strangers. People don’t take that well. They expect cats to be nicer, I guess.
Madeline Hunter on 16 Jun 2010 at 12:19 pm #
Lisa K, your question touches on the changes taking place in our language. Which means whether you got the question right or not depends on how much the test graders are sticklers for the traditional ways.
There is a feminine of host. It is hostess. So host would be “he” in that case.
Only, increasingly, the feminine designations in situations like this are not being used. In some cases new words are used instead (Chair, instead of chairman or chairwoman, for example. Or “police officer” instead of Policeman or Policewoman). In some cases the “masculine” word just absorbs the feminine meaning and becomes gender ambiguous (host).
Like Karen R said, in speaking often “they” is used when the gender is not clear from the context. I do not think that has been widely adopted in writing, though.
The old rule was that, in a case like, one used the masculine pronoun. I know, I know— hence the problem, solved in some cases like Karen pointed out with writing “he or she”, which is awkward but is at least equal. Also, lots of writers now will choose the feminine pronoun instead, just to make a point. Doing so is no longer considered “wrong” as far as I know.
TrishD on 16 Jun 2010 at 12:47 pm #
Wow Karen! How scary!! Big hugs to you and your family. And what a dog!! If I knew your address, I’d send Loki a chewy toy!!
We have a black lab, Homer. He is wonderful in protecting us. He barks at anyone who comes to our door, even if it’s my parents. He goes in the back yard with dd and will bark at anyone who gets too close the fence. It gives us great peace of mind when she’s playing. If she is outside and he is inside, all we have to do is look at him and ask “Where’s Abby?” and he runs outside! He doesn’t need us to let him out. As long as our inside door is open, he can open the outside door by himself. He lets himself in and out all the time.
TrishD on 16 Jun 2010 at 12:48 pm #
Having said that wonderful stuff about Homer… he hates loud noises, is absolutely terrified of them. During thunderstorms he tries to crawl under the bed. We always know when a thunderstorm is heading across the lake because he hears it long before us and runs around trying to find a hiding place. The 4th of July is torture for him. One year he ran behind the couch (no there is NOT enough room for him to do that) and ended up pulling the surround sound speaker down along with a couple frames. From out house, we can hear the hunters on the river when it’s duck season. He will go outside in the morning and if he hears the gunfire, he runs right back in… even if he hasn’t “finished his task”. Fridays are terrible for him too… it’s garbage day. Another loud noise. I’ve thought about puppy Prozac for him.
TrishD on 16 Jun 2010 at 12:50 pm #
**That’s supposed to say “From OUR house…” No… we do not have an out house!!!
Fiona on 16 Jun 2010 at 12:51 pm #
Oh Karen, how scary. I’m glad all of you are OK. LOKI deserves all of the praise and treats he can get.
Last year on Memorial Day weekend, my DH was working all night and at 2 am one of my shelties, Wynda, went nuts. She ran to the garage door, started snarling and barking, and wouldn’t calm down.
I quickly shut the windows and called 9-1-1. The police came, and looked around, but didn’t see anyone. The next day I found out there had been some vandalism and garage break-ins that night.
This year, 5 churches in our town were vandalized on the same night.
Thank goodness for furry alarm systems. I am so glad we have our two shelties.
Karen Hawkins on 16 Jun 2010 at 1:47 pm #
Kudos to Bismarck! Now that’s a family oriented dog.
Karen, what a traumatic event! I am so glad you guys are OK! I think dogs are wonderful protection. I know Hot Cop is glad our dogs will bark at anyone they see outside of our house. He says most burglars are looking for the easy, quick, dogless jobs.
I don’t know what my dogs would do if someone got inside but hopefully we’ll never find out. What about an alarm system? That might offer some peace of mind.
LisaK on 16 Jun 2010 at 2:00 pm #
Madeline, thanks for the explicit answer!
Ah, okay, now I’ve got it. It’s so difficult when things in a foreign language are gradually changing because you always have to keep up with what is up-to-date and what is not. In German, you would use the masculine form meaning both host and hostess but you’d also stick to the masculine pronoun then, so there isn’t any problem like that.
My, that’s so confusing.
I have a feeling that I’ll find myself studying German in a few months. Not because I don’t like English anymore or because of that strange entrance test but because it’s my passion. *sigh*
Solveig on 16 Jun 2010 at 4:03 pm #
TRIPLE HIP HIP HURRAY! FOR LOKI! :Ö)
I´m afraid at my house growing up there were only chickens, cows and sheep. No dogs and no cats.
Today I´m one of those weird people who have a great aversion to hair :Öþ I love dogs and I can
tolerate cats but I could never have either because I HATE hair. My dream dog would be a Jack Russel who never sheds any hair but I guess he´ll remain a dream. *sigh*. My favorite fictional dog is Terry Pratchett´s Mr. Fusspot who is a great judge of character and is chairman and owner of The Royal Bank of Ankh-Morporkh. Can you get any higher than that I ask you? :Ö) His mother was a spoon hound but as the story goes he is the son of many fathers :Ö)
Karen Rose on 16 Jun 2010 at 4:10 pm #
Karen, I’ve heard that often – that burglars are looking for dogless jobs. I’m glad my dog is a barker!
Fiona, I’m glad Wynda is a barker too
You were smart to close the windows and call 911!
We’ve had some break-ins in the neighborhood and reports of intruders creeping onto lanais in the middle of the night (our enclosed back patios). It’s scary to think that the place you think is safe … isn’t always.
Trish, I feel for poor Homer! I had a dog that would be so scared of thunder that she’d jump our 4 foot fence when she heard it. We’d run to bring her inside at the first thunderclap. Once I wasn’t home and Mr. R had one of the kids on the changing table (this was 15 years ago or so, when they were in diapers). The thunder came and before he could get the baby changed and get outside, she’d jumped the fence and ran away!
We did find her, thankfully, but we had to watch her carefully in thunderstorms!
Karen Rose on 16 Jun 2010 at 4:11 pm #
Solevig, I’ve never read Pratchett’s books, but that sounds fun!
Madeline, how funny – we had a dog once that would attack the mail slot, too. Evil, evil mail!
Sabrina Jeffries on 16 Jun 2010 at 4:42 pm #
Karen, we’re all SO relieved you had Loki! Very, very good dog!
When I was a kid, we had a burglary and our not so very good dog was absent, having run over next door to visit the neighbor’s dog (he was a yard dog). Of course, when the police showed up, our dog was back, barking like a fiend. Yeah, gee, thanks. *G* Dad joked about that dog for years.
It was my DAD who scared the burglars into running. He was coming down the stairs, brandishing a baseball bat, and when he saw them climbing in through the window, he yelled, “Robber, robber!” in Thai. They practically killed each other trying to get out of the gate. My dad is a fairly large man, certainly much larger than most Thai men. He probably scared them as much as they scared him!
Louisa Cornell on 16 Jun 2010 at 5:06 pm #
((((((Karen))))) and one for (((((Loki))))) What a great dog! So glad to hear all is well and that you have such a great protector. Word will get around that you have a ferocious watchdog!
I had a Rottweiler named Psycho. Got him from an abuse situation. He HATED men. I was driving home from Birmingham one night and as I was going through Montgomery I stopped at a red light. Two guys approached the car. One knocked on the driver’s side window and held up a big knife. The other managed to open the passenger door. Neither saw the 120 lb Rottie asleep on the back seat until he came over the seat and scared the guy coming in the passenger side so badly the guy fell down on his butt screaming like a girl. His buddy took off! I grabbed Psycho’s collar and hit the gas. I didn’t slow down or let go of my boy until I spotted a state trooper. They never caught the guys, but I know if I had let go of Psycho’s collar he would have killed mister girl screamer. I had him for 9 years. Lost him to brain cancer. Miss that brave dog.
My female shepherd, Taku, used to go blackberry picking with me. If there was a snake in the blackberry patch she’d herd me away. If she growled, no berries that day
Mikki Mouse on 16 Jun 2010 at 5:49 pm #
The town right next to ours had a dog for a mayor. I guess both candidates running for mayor sucked so bad someone nominated their dog and he won. I think this was the mid-80’s. There is a whole restaurant in his honor. The actual dog is taxidermied and on display in the bar area of the restaurant. ( That’s just plain creepy in my opinion. ) Our next door neighbors took their holiday photo in front of the stuffed dog. Now those are some lasting holiday memories, right there.
Kayte Vayne on 16 Jun 2010 at 6:00 pm #
Whoa Karen, I’m so glad everyone’s ok!!
I’ve luckily never experienced a break-in (::knock on wood::), I can’t imagine how terrifying it must be!! My mother is allergic to the dander cats, dogs, and birds produce so we’ve always had to have poodles, since they don’t shed or produce a great amount of dander. Until this past Saturday we had 5 (2 big 3 small) poodles!! We had to put one of our big dogs, Suzy, down this past weekend which was a lot harder than I thought it was gonna be. She was an older, sick dog so it had to be done, and she had a good life.
Last winter I fell asleep on the couch with one of our standard-sized poodles, and my father (who had just come in from the backyard so he had a hat and turtleneck on) decided to sneak up on me and tickle me. Well, as soon as he got close Mo-Mo (the sleeping dog) woke up and attacked my dad like some sort of hellhound. Teach him to try and tickle me!! ;D
Solveig on 16 Jun 2010 at 6:35 pm #
Karen, Terry is not everyone´s cup of tea but you should check out his books. They are a brilliant :Ö) He gives us a comic but very astute view of almost everything in our world; war, post office, police, backwater cultures, banking, university life, media, death, travelling, religion, christmas, football etc. etc… through the eyes of many different species; humans, dwarfs, vampires, ghouls, the undead, banshees, warewolves, trolls, orcs, golems, goblins… I could go on and on :Ö) His imagination is truly amazing.
KellyProellocks on 16 Jun 2010 at 6:36 pm #
Karen, my cat Acheron wound up with his name because of that book and oh yeah I loved it too. A hero dog that I know of is my mum and dad’s dog Scrappy (named after Scooby Doo’s nephew). Anyway almost a decade ago my parents had to be in Brisbane because they had to be with my sister and her then boyfriend (now brother in law) because my niece who was 4 days old was dying. Anyway, the minister of my church came to pick me up and take me to his place to be with his family while mum and dad were away. He knocked on the front door but because I only got to sleep at about 4:00 that morning I didn’t hear him so he thought that he might go around the back and knock on the back door. Bad idea really as when he put his hand in the hole in the 6ft high fence to let himself out the back, Scrappy went for him. This dog is only a medium sized dog with a big dog attitude. So the minister quickly withdrew his hand before it was bitten and if I remember correctly he called me to let him in. Scrappy was in no way attack trained but even now he is really protective of my parent’s place. When my sister and I used to walk him around the area that we grew up in we would stop at some fields that had
KellyProellocks on 16 Jun 2010 at 6:46 pm #
cattle in it and I think a steer got there and challenged Scrappy and so Scrappy went for it. Heck this dog has even been known to take on a Rottweiler and win and the Rotty wasn’t a small dog either. Mum and dad’s first boxer freaked out several people who came to the front door when I was younger. One of the people was a guy who used to deliver orange juice and Sam sensed that this guy was bad news and was trying to eat her way through the screen door to get to him and another guy who had the fear of God put into him was a Mormon who was doing the rounds and Sam stuck her head in the man’s crotch, sniffed then barked. Strange how he didn’t stay long after that. There was a boxer that I knew of who took on a little yappy dog when a friend of the family’s wife used to go for a walk and would be worried that this little dog would attack her so he walked her to where she wanted to go and when the little yappy dog went for her is boxer just went “woof” in a fierce voice and scared the snot out of the little dog.
Karen Rose on 16 Jun 2010 at 8:52 pm #
Sabrina, love the chatty-dog story!
Louisa – Psycho the dog, 1; big mean man with a knife, 0. Good Psycho. (Incidentally, that was one of Mr. R’s nicknames in high school. It was a wrestler thing.)
Mikki M – okaaaay. I’d have loved to have gone to that town’s meetings! And I agree, the stuffed dog is creepy.
Kayte – hugs on the loss of your sweet Suzy. I’m so glad you had long, good years with her!
Kelly – poor minister! I’m glad he didn’t get bitten!
E.R. on 18 Jun 2010 at 12:48 am #
Aaah, all of the stories are so sweet! Very nice of everyone to share their fave pet stories.