Good Things Come in Small Packages

[leih merigian]

This is such a small thing on the surface, but it's the kind of small thing that is so huge in it's significance. At least, to me .

Geyser just turned 8 months today. She is doing so incredibly well in so many ways!

Here's the thing that sent me over the moon this week...

We were in the bathroom, where her job is to remain on the bathmat/rug until released. There she was, lying on the rug, and I saw her look at the kittys' water bowl, and start to get up for a little sip (just the very beginnings of movement here, more of an intention than a move...). But then, she remembered herself and that she was supposed to be staying on the rug, and she relaxed back down onto the rug and looked at me. I let her know how happy I was and told her to go get a drink .

I love being able to see their minds at work in this manner, to witness the actual outside evidence of the thought process going on inside...to know that there are thought processes going on inside .

So, any other examples out there? What has your dog done that may have seemed on the small side, but just warmed your heart with it's meaning to you?

[Marjolein]

I had the best one ever, but it's most funny when you actually SEE it I guess...will try to tell it juicy

In our old house we had a small extension to the living room, with a windowsill in it. We made a bench out of it, which became Dingo's favoutite spot, here's a pic to illustrate:


Ivil as a pup on the windowsill

We learned Dingo that if we had visitors that did not like dogs (pretty rare) or if he was irritating them/us, he had to go to this place and stay there, like Geyser on the rug. One day, he was on there, and had to stay, when something happened in the backyard. He heard something and wanted to go and look, So he jumped off, head first and when his frontlegs touched the ground, hindlegs still on the bench, he remembered he had to stay It was SO funny, he was almost vertical, butt in the air, moving his front legs backwards rapidly to try and climb back on the bench in reverse Offcourse he did not get his body pushed back up, it was about 80cm. high, and he fell off, turning around and jumping back on the bench immidiately, to go and lie down again, looking at us with a "nobody saw me, right?" look in his eyes He had made a hell of a noise trying to scratch back up on the bench, but no, we did not see it and he got away with his brief disobedience

[leih merigian]

Marjolein, that is so funny! I can just see it...

[vneerland]

It is called a bay window Marjolein.

3 month old Keeah, the new baby, loves to run to the kennel dogs when she is out and they start barking. Nothing is more fun than stirring them up even more, by racing from run to run, barking her head off. I do not share her sense of humor in this matter, so we had to do some firm correcting on it, since there is nothing I despise more than a dog that wants to 'fight' other dogs. I had to put her on a long line and make it clear that her chasing was not allowed. She was pretty confused at first, but they next day, she did not want to pass the barking kennel dogs when she was on lead. It only took some tasty bribes for her to get over being leery. This morning (day 3) she followed a bit subdued, but very politely, and when she turned around in her kennel for me to take the leash off, she nudged my hand for a treat. Wow! SMART kid! (of course...she is after all a brindle)

[Marjolein]

It is called a bay window Marjolein.

right. Thanx, google translate didn't tell me that

[FG167]

Madix has loads of things like this - little personality quirks where I can literally SEE his mind working. The first thing that came to mind was this morning though. I am working on Perch work with him for Schutzhund - to teach proper positioning, rear-end awareness and a flip finish. I was using treats but my TD said he was 2-3 lbs overweight (!) so I have switched to using his breakfast instead. Needless to say, he has great food drive and for breakfast (after I've already fed my other dog) he is VERY eager.

So, he's up on the perch and he's hoarking out on the kibble in my hand and it's flying around and he's hopping off the perch to snare it while I'm trying not to spill it - and I decided this looked ridiculous so I told him to leave it and nudged him - once. The next time, he started to hop off the perch, looked at the kibble on the floor, wagged his tail and put the one foot back on the perch and then gave me "that look" - the "I deserve a treat for that right?!" look. I LOVE it when he wags his tail at himself - like a congratulations for remembering the proper response LOL

One other thing - he KNOWS he's not allowed to sniff, lick or beg at people's plates - namely, mine. If I set a plate on the coffee table, full of delicious food, I can tell EXACTLY when he's thinking about it. He'll walk by without glancing, tail in his normal half-curl. Then all of a sudden he'll walk by, BARELY glance and his tail will be going like crazy. That's how I can tell when he's thinking of being naughty or has been naughty and knows it - he'll wag his tail like "no Mom, we're happy with this - see, look how happy I am!" LOL

[leih merigian]

I love all these stories! How can anyone live without the joy they bring to our lives?

[Marjolein]

I love all these stories! How can anyone live without the joy they bring to our lives?

I can't, and I won't

[GSDNanny]

I love all these stories! How can anyone live without the joy they bring to our lives?

I can't, and I won't

DITTO!

[Dutchringgirl]

The stories have me laughing, so cute !

Sadie, 4.5 months, is doing great with "leave it". But I need to have a camera ready to catch her face though when she is caught With it. She will have a mitten or winter hat and Ill see her and say "leave It" and she will stop in mid chew and look up at me with the floppy ears and the guilty light brown puppy eyes as if to say " Um....Nope..... Nope.. not me"