The puppies, Flounder and Feather, turned eleven on MLK day this year. We know they were born in January, but years ago, we forgot the exact date, so we chose the Reverend King's birthday as an easy date to remember. I don't know if he liked dogs, but he was a good man and I don't think he'd mind.
At eleven, they don't bound out to greet me EVERY time I drive up ... like they used to. It's not that they don't worship me as much, it's just the whole bounding thing has become more of a challenge as they've aged.
This week, for some reason, they have gotten up from their cozy porch nest of pillows and blankets to come trotting over and welcome the JEEP and I.
Flounder can still manage to stand up and lean into the doorway, but Feather (who's a little chubby) no longer climbs up. This means Flounder gets the first lovin', scratchin', and ear rubbin', while Feather has to wait.
That drives her crazy as she LOOOOOVES me and is a little jealous. She's talking away in this picture ... not barking, but honest doggy attempts at speech. I've never owned a dog who "talked" so much ... but, then again, Feather is a girl dog.
Rest assured, after Flounder let me out, I got down on the grass and gave Feather the full ear and belly rub treatment.
After which, she took my forearm in her gentle mouth and led me to the feed can on the porch.
It's good to feel welcome.
14 comments:
awwwww...the only thing that could melt my heart more is a Chocolate Lab. My little dog is also a very jealous dog, and she gets very angry when I give my attention to any other animal.
One of the best welcomes in the world comes from a loving dog. They ask so little and give us so damned much. I can't imagine life without a dog.
Weird, but that's what Thunder does when I come home! An ohhh, how he loves the belly rub too!
I am usually overwhelmed by the welcoming treatment I get from the pups. Sometimes I don't know why they like me so much; if they only knew I'm not complimenting them when I call them idiots!
Poor old Feather, LOL! Buddy knows how she feels, as he sometimes has to wait to get help to climb in the car and he'll look sadly at us, as if it's a blow to his ego.
There's nothing like a warm doggy welcome, is there?
I would not have passed your shell test in the post below, so I came back to check the answers!
I love a dog that talks. When I was young, we had a collie/samoyed mix that talked to us all the time. He really tried to convey information. He was such a cutie. I am surprised that Feather and Flounder are already 11. They look so young. Give them a little scratch and some affection from me, will ya? Thanks.
BTW-- I tried to leave a comment yesterday, but Blogger wouldn't let me. I couldn't identify the shells, and I just wanted to let you know.
OK Lightnin's comment aside (I'm neither confirming nor denying), Our cat meets us at the door almost everyday.
By the calculations I have she (the cat)should be about 81 years old(cat yrs, 16 in people yrs) so she's not that spry anymore. Oh she talks to us too, but I don't get the feeling that she's happy to see us. It's more like: "Close that door!", "Where have you been all day?", only in a Cat/English mixed language.
I saw a T-shirt yesterday that said, "If only we would greet everyone the way our dogs greet us". Of course, maybe not all the slobbering and licking (except for a few) but you know, just the loving sentiment! The world would probably be a better place.
HTeen,
That's the nice thing about Labs, they get jealous, but never angry jealous. It's a big dog thing.
POP,
Ditto. I could not imagine it.
Lightnin,
Just watch out for his new scars :)
Deb,
Yes, it's good they don't understand too many words.
Laura,
No test stress, that was just a practice quiz.
Poor Buddy. It's tough to grow old at a 7X pace.
Robin,
Those shells were such east coast items, don't fret over the quiz. I'm sure my students could not ID a gooeduck.
I will tell them their tuck in belly rub is from Robin :)
I reall will.
ThunderD,
Wow, the catlifeometer really runs fast.
Edifice Rex,
LOL!
Yes, life would be very interesting if we adopted doggy greeting methods.
What a happy face! Our dog talks to us, as well. Sometimes she'll stand there and just go on and on, probably wondering why we're not following her instructions. She's an Aussie/Border collie mix and the second smartest dog that ever owned me.
I gave my half Lab/half who knows fresh straw to add to what she had kicked out and squished down for the returning cold nights. She, however, is using it for a quite comfy snoozing place during the day so that she can stay up and bark all night protecting me. I am so safe. (And the closest neighbor isn't all that close and is not hearing her, so at least I don't have to worry about that.)
After a few too many years in the fine field of "customer service", I came to really appreciate the bumper sticker that says "The more people I meet, the more I like my dog." So true for me.
FC, Actually I was told that it's the same for dogs and cats. Here's what I was told (by an animal "expert"). Dogs and Cats both age very fast in the first two years, but then like us their metabolism slows down, so here's the equation for Dog and Cat Years:
Figure 25 years for their first 2 years, and then 4yrs for every 1 for the rest of their life.
So for Stinky The Cat (16 Human yrs):
25 + (4*14) = 81 in Cat yrs.
Sorry, I should have used an x instead of *:
25+(4x14)=81
ThunderD,
Thanks for that update.
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