| |
|
New Furniture Causes Problems |
We recently purchase a new piece of living room furniture that has caused a bit of an upset in the lives of our three "just so" Shetland Sheepdogs:
 Lyric, Lily & Declan on Agility Pause Table
I refer to our Sheltie contingent as just so dogs because furniture arrangement in our house as well as agility equipment out in our yard must remain the same as it was or confusion and disharmony will descend on their precious little lives. For instance, if their crates (click to read about a vet's view on whether or not you should crate your pooch) needs to be cleaned, heaven forbid they're around to see them dismantled or moved out of their usual positions! You'd think we were re-routing Niagara Falls based on their reactions...generally consisting of incessant barking, turning in circles and otherwise behaving in what my beautiful bride refers to as a "bratty manner." The same holds true if their weave poles, tire jump, pause table or agility jumps are re-positioned outside. To Shelties, change is evil, change is bad!Anyway, back to the new furniture fiasco. We bought a recliner for our living room that replace a love seat. The latter had its back near a bay window in our house & was positioned in such a manner that the Shelties could jump up on the seat, then hop up onto the back of the piece of furniture and rest between it and the ledge from the bay window, thus providing an excellent vantage point from which they could survey the happenings in our neighborhood...all from the comfort of their home.Now, with the chair gone, they can't see out their window. When I sit (recline?) in the recliner, at least one of the Shelties usually comes up to me and gives me their "moon eyes," a.k.a. pitiful look, that prompts me to pick him/her up and place 'em on the ledge itself. It's just about large enough to accommodate their girth so it's not a problem. We have a set of little strairs given to us by a neighbor that lets the Shelties climb down when they're done scoping out the environs. We've also ordered another set of stairs from some place that's taken ages to deliver them to us; hopefully this latter set will be larger & sturdier 'cause the dogs really don't like to use 'em. |
|
Last Updated ( Dec 02, 2006 at 04:03 PM )
|
|
Deckie Needs a Headache Powder |
We just went outside about 15 minutes ago. I snapped a shot of Lily & Declan as they stood on the top step of our deck. Deckie, on the right-hand side, has his eyes closed and seems like he's saying "I just gotta get rid of this headache I'm having!"
 The Alpha Boy (Deckie) Has a Headache!
Actually, he's just rying to keep the sun out of his eyes.
And, as if this wasn't enough, here's yet another shot of Deckie (one the left side) with his eyes closed.
 Yet Another Deckie Headache
Perhaps he really does have a headache after all? And, rest assurted it's not from any strenuous activity such as running his agility jumps or through the weave poles! We didn't ask too much of our pack (or ourselves, for that matter) over the Thanksgiving weekend.
|
|
Last Updated ( Dec 02, 2006 at 04:04 PM )
|
|
Lyric's been a bad dog lately. Acknowledged by all as an "alpha wanna be," Lyric is sometimes referred to as The Enforcer: when one of the other dogs barks or gets out of line, she takes it upon herself to set things straight. Oddly enough, our real alpha dog, Declan, lets her boss the other members of the pack around & doesn't react in an aggressive way toward her. Perhaps he considers her interventions as trivial?Anyway, the tables were turned on Lyric the other day when she was temporarilly placed behind bars. Now, her incarceration wasn't for too long but the other dogs took her sentencing as an example of what happens when good dogs go bad.Here's the "mug shot" of Lyric, a.k.a. Lear Jet, behind bars:
 Lyric the Prisoner
|
|
Last Updated ( Dec 02, 2006 at 04:05 PM )
|
|
In the morning when we feed our three Shelties, we need to keep 'em separated as they're all food thieves. (A prior post addressed the feeding frenzy itself we otherwise call breakfast...read all about it HERE) Given the chance, they'd steal the meal of their fellow pack member without batting an eye. It's fair game if there's a morsel left in their bowls when they've finished their meals, but that's really an academiic statement because none have ever left an iota of food when they walk away from their respective feeding stations.Then there's Douglas, our Collie:
 Dougie on Pause Table-Thanksgiving Weekend
He's a bit different in that most times, he couldn't care less that his food is prepared, in his bowl and waiting for hm to eat it. He usually just walk by it with an indifferent air, knowing full well that it'll be there when he wants it later. But, that's true only if the Shelties don't knock down the plastic kid's gate used to enclose them in the living room, make their way into the kitchen and devour Dogie's repast. Lately, the Shelties have become veritable Houdinis in that they escape all the time and make a bee line for the meal they know is waiting for them; their mad chage to eat Dougie's food is made by Declan.
Declan, for those of you who don't know, it our alpha dog.
 Deckie & Ball-11/06
He's reently learned how to squeeze himself behind the aforementioned plastic gate & dash over to Dougie's meal that awaits his culinary pleasure. The other two Shelties generally follow in Deckie's footsteps, knocking down the plastic gate in their wake. We don't let this happen if we see it but there are occasions when they manage to scarf down all poor Dougie's food before we can react. By the way, the whole time this is going on Dougie looks on at their antic in amazement, wondering what all the fuss is about.
I'm afraid Dougie wouldn't make it in the wild if he had to support himself by scavanging for his meals.
|
|
Last Updated ( Dec 02, 2006 at 04:06 PM )
|
|
| | << Start < Previous 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Next > End >>
|
|
|
