It’s been many years since we had a dog in the house. I’d forgotten some of dogs? habits, routines, dominances and passions.
First a review: Shayna is a pre-owned, 15- month-old, neutered, Husky, Hound, Shepherd, etc.
? Dogs have to pass you in the doorway to make sure they get there first.
? Left alone they will self-entertain.
? If you’re cooking, the dog has to be in the kitchen.
? Dogs are friendly to some strangers and not so friendly to others.
? Shayna can stare down a deer.
? She is also scared of our neighbor’s scarecrow.
? Dog toenails are sharp.
? Shayna sheds — a lot.
? When you find the right spot to itch a dog a hind leg will twitch.
? Dogs recognize their names at their leisure.
? They have as much fun with a stick or stone as they do with fake bones and stuffed stuff.
? They find a way to tie their cable, rope or chain tie-out lines in knots.
? They can save you money you might spend at a gym by continually making the owner walk around them in kitchens and hallways and forcing you to get up often to let them in and out.
? A dog’s need of attention is directly related to the owner’s viewing of a favorite tv show, a crucial part in a ball game on the tube and the owner’s nap time.
? You’re the master when the dog lets you be master.
? Left alone long enough they will destroy something.
? A dog’s wet nose, touched in the owner’s tender, sensitive places, can be oh so cold and surprising.
? A dog may never be perfectly trained, but the owner can be.
? With our adopted dog came these notes: Make sure your dog gets some confined quiet time. (I add, make sure the owner gets some confined quiet time.)
If you want to correct a dog from a wrong you must catch them when they are doing it. They forget it in seconds, though you may remember it a lifetime.
If you find your dog doing something wrong don’t hit him, or retaliate in any way, just distract him from it by clapping or saying ‘Ah-ha? to get him to stop.
I believe they were serious about these thing.
? Dogs wear the same coat all their life and it never goes out of style.
? Play-time between dog and master is determined solely by the dog.
And, in Tom Burnam’s ‘Dictionary of Misinformation,? this: ‘Dogs do not sweat through their tongues, as is often said. There are some sweat glands in dogs, but the only ones of any significance are on the soles of their feet. There are no sweat glands anywhere near a dog’s muzzle. Dogs cool themselves primarily by rapid breathing, which is why they pant after running. But when a canine sticks the tongue out, he does so because it is moist and evaporation helps cool it, not because he is sweating.?
And, from Robert Byrne’s, ?637 Best Things Anybody Ever Said, ‘Old age means realizing you will never own all the dogs you wanted to.? — Joe Gores