Weird things dogs have done

I hear you, Susan. I've got a shepherd that will be 4 months old and I'm a bit nervous thinking about the year ahead.....

I've spent a fortune on toys and gear, but the best toy for the pup and his old man uncle have been--- fruit boxes from the supermarket. So much king-of-the-hill stuff on top of them, and complex games involving taking toys, dropping them into the kiddie pool (it's hot here), grabbing them again and tearing around the yard to drop them dripping into the fruit box. Hey, whatever gets them tired......

Not weird but just annoying.

I have a shelf full of house plants and puppy has decided that it's fun to bite all the plants and try to tug them off the shelves. He's attacked the asparagus seedlings beheading several and one of the epiphyllum's has two sets of teeth marks.

Just as well he's so cute.

Tereza Okava wrote:I hear you, Susan. I've got a shepherd that will be 4 months old and I'm a bit nervous thinking about the year ahead.....

I've spent a fortune on toys and gear, but the best toy for the pup and his old man uncle have been--- fruit boxes from the supermarket. So much king-of-the-hill stuff on top of them, and complex games involving taking toys, dropping them into the kiddie pool (it's hot here), grabbing them again and tearing around the yard to drop them dripping into the fruit box. Hey, whatever gets them tired......

Tereza, you are so right! Anything to tire them out.  They're smart dogs and need mental stimulation too. Ax loves finding things in boxes too.  She LOVES water and this summer I swan with her every day.  They can't stay puppies forever!  Post a picture if you can.

I'm a professional dog walker so I've seen dogs do some pretty gross stuff. One time a dog was struggling to poop, it looked like he had swallowed some rope? Upon closer inspection he had eaten his walking harness whole. When I told his mom she said 'Oh, I've been looking for that!'

One of my favourite clients is an English Bull Mastiff. He's incredibly gentle/curious, so I didn't think anything of it when he approached a woman carrying a baby at the dog park. I turned around to tend to another dog and saw him chewing.. Apparently he had very gently and carefully removed the baby's shoe and was eating it. I apologized profusely and offered to replace them but she was understanding. It's become a bit of an urban legend story at the dog park.

My own dog is a rescue Frenchie, riddled with health issues due to a truly horrible breeder who bred her despite a very crooked spine. You'd never know it though as she is sweet and happy, she's a little touched in the head but we love her to bits.

C Murphy wrote:I'm a professional dog walker so I've seen dogs do some pretty gross stuff. One time a dog was struggling to poop, it looked like he had swallowed some rope? Upon closer inspection he had eaten his walking harness whole. When I told his mom she said 'Oh, I've been looking for that!'

One of my favourite clients is an English Bull Mastiff. He's incredibly gentle/curious, so I didn't think anything of it when he approached a woman carrying a baby at the dog park. I turned around to tend to another dog and saw him chewing.. Apparently he had very gently and carefully removed the baby's shoe and was eating it. I apologized profusely and offered to replace them but she was understanding. It's become a bit of an urban legend story at the dog park.

My own dog is a rescue Frenchie, riddled with health issues due to a truly horrible breeder who bred her despite a very crooked spine. You'd never know it though as she is sweet and happy, she's a little touched in the head but we love her to bits.

The shoe story is priceless, and so is your Frenchie!

Our large, white dog, Zoey, loves taking mud baths with the young pigs.  They all coated themselves in mud, and then rubbed it all over our just painted red barn when the paint was barely dry.   It was red clay mud so not too much darker than the paint anyway.  We left it.  One day she came fresh out of the hog wallow and ran up to us and shook mud all over us.   Not an endearing moment at the time, but we think back and laugh about it now.  

I always get so amused at some of Pup's sleeping positions. How can he be comfortable?

I answered on the cat thread about a cat, and now a story about one of my dogs from the past.  When I was in my early 20s I used to have Rottweilers.  At one point I owned a female and at the time I was in a very macho career and my co-workers were often at my home.  Since we were all alpha males in a tough guy career we speculated on what my dog would do when and if a burglar tried to break into my home via the back yard.  We surmised that the burglar would encounter my dog and alert me so I could come out and take care of business.

One night after coming home late I thought it would be interesting to test my ferocious guardian of my yard and home.  I had a wooden fence so I approached the fence in the darkness.  Oh the barking was fearsome!  My dog growled, snarled, and made a great deal of noise.  A bit uncharacteristic for the breed I thought, but I decided to ratchet up the pressure.  I jumped up on the fence and before I could even clear the fence to the other side there was a pathetic scream coming from the position of my dog.  I truly believed that my dog would have scented me but apparently in her panic her senses were somehow inactivated.  

I never thought that it would be possible for a bobbed tail to try to sneak between a dog's legs as it turned and ran but as I recall I saw that remnant of a tail straining to get between her legs.  She seemed to stumble as she made a panicked dash to the other side of the yard.  By that time I had cleared the fence and I was in hot pursuit of this dangerous killer.  I was running after her and went in a "U" shaped path to the other side of the house.  

Finally I found her shivering in the deepest corner of the yard, in the corner of the fence.  As I stood over her and stared she finally realized that it was me.  She went from a look of terror to a look of humiliation.  She sheepishly came from her corner, humiliated.  Whether her reputation remained intact is a question you can ponder.  

My dog Dyson enjoying our recent snowfall and making dog snow angels.

Pup uses pillows like a people.

Cris Fellows wrote:A few decades back, we lived in Amish country,  in a little trailer backed by woods.  We had a fun little rust colored beagle mix named Rusty (I know, so original).  He was simply allowed to run.  He did have a great deal of fun chasing Amish buggies.  Sometime during his life we moved to the city.  He had to be placed on a run lead when he was outside.  But he would watch and wait for the unsuspecting visitor or less than careful person to hold the door a second too long.  Off like a shot and he would not be caught...several times we just had to wait the 24 hours until he came home, tail between legs.  His favorite was running the two blocks to Market Street and going to the middle of the road,  barking at both lines of traffic.  How he made it to old age, I am not certain.  But he left us when he was old and happy, sunning himself on the driveway.

Great life story! Rusty seems like he was wonderful, funny, commanding companion!

There has been a schedule adjustment.   Our dogs used to patrol together. Due to issues of age , we are taking our Australian Shepherd in on nights when the weather is rough and let him out in the morning.  So, now the Border Collie has the night shift by himself and sleeps all day on the hay.  That leaves the Australian Shepherd with the day shift.   Of course, the older dog only has to bark once to get a back up.  It is amazing how fast they adjust.

This is an ongoing thing.. At 8, every morning, our dog comes by the bed and makes annoyed sounds. ”brrrr. rrr. rrrrr”

You would think that he was asking to go outside or something but nope, if I get up he just runs to the sofa and curls back to sleep. If I dont get up he either jumps in to the bed, goes to his own bed or to the sofa, either way, back to sleep.

A bit annoying as we usually sleep up until 9 with the toddler. I have no idea what is up with him. Maybe he’s just checking that we are still alive. Oh well.

Saana Jalimauchi wrote:This is an ongoing thing.. At 8, every morning, our dog comes by the bed and makes annoyed sounds. ”brrrr. rrr. rrrrr”

You would think that he was asking to go outside or something but nope, if I get up he just runs to the sofa and curls back to sleep. If I dont get up he either jumps in to the bed, goes to his own bed or to the sofa, either way, back to sleep.

A bit annoying as we usually sleep up until 9 with the toddler. I have no idea what is up with him. Maybe he’s just checking that we are still alive. Oh well.

Thanks for that story!  I'm getting over being sick and picturing  him making that  ”brrrr. rrr. rrrrr” sound  me crack up.  That is so bizarre and funny.  Well, funny for me; not funny for those trying to sleep.

Saana Jalimauchi wrote:This is an ongoing thing.. At 8, every morning, our dog comes by the bed and makes annoyed sounds. ”brrrr. rrr. rrrrr”

You would think that he was asking to go outside or something but nope, if I get up he just runs to the sofa and curls back to sleep. If I dont get up he either jumps in to the bed, goes to his own bed or to the sofa, either way, back to sleep.

A bit annoying as we usually sleep up until 9 with the toddler. I have no idea what is up with him. Maybe he’s just checking that we are still alive. Oh well.

He's a watchdog, and the alarm on him is set for 8AM!
Maybe daylight savings time will get him going off at 9

An early Border Collie of mine went through a period of exterior decoration as well as den building.  Giving him credit, he found the perfect spot for a den. He excavated under a concrete pad

Susan, you’re welcome, I’m glad it made you laugh! I do laugh at it too, it’s not like he’s waking us up in the middle of the night or anything. Most mornings we just continue sleeping nicely for a while and if not, it’s not that bad. And soon the spring comes and earlier mornings are welcomed!

Pearl Sutton wrote:
He's a watchdog, and the alarm on him is set for 8AM!
Maybe daylight savings time will get him going off at 9

Oh of course he is! Too bad I have lost the manual.. I have tried booping the nose but it doesn’t work, the button might be broken. The voice control system is also working poorly and sometimes malfunctions completely.

If anyone has the user manual for this kind of watch dog, I would be very grateful for the information on how to change the time of the alarm! The dog is year 2018 model of Australian Terrier. Here’s a picture or four:

Saana Jalimauchi, he is a beauty!

Yesterday I was “viciously attacked” by my three dogs.  I was by the wood pile and something got them excited. Anyway, they began jumping at me. Two of them hit me high at the same time and knocked me backwards.  So, I am at a 45 degree angle. I decided it was safer to slide downward rather than try to stand up.  Of course, when I slide to a sitting position, it was officially “ playtime at the puppy farm”.   I had three dogs on top of me wiggling and licking me.  The more I yelled, the more I was climbed on and licked.  Eventually, my wife rescued me, but only after I was thoroughly slobbered on.

Once upon a time, we had an Aussie Shepherd mix named Sydney and she was definitely a herder. We got some chicks and raised them in the backyard. She decided that she needed to herd them, but chickens don't like to be herded, so one jumped on her back and pecked her head. After that she was too scared of chickens to try herding them.

Maybe 20 years ago we had a black female cat who was the Queen Kitty. She would go nose to nose with any dog.. and the dog would have a damaged nose.  Even though we have different dogs and different cats … no dog we have will mess with any black cat.  There is clearly a history being passed down.

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I have 3 herd dogs. One of their greatest pastimes is herding one another away from me. The newest addition is a very timid shelter pup who has let the two boys dominate her.  Well, the world is changing. Last evening I was feeding the livestock and she slammed into the Alpha.  He snarled, and told her, “ I am big and strong, and I will rip you apart.”  She rolled over on her back and promised it would never happen again.  He backed off, and she slammed into him again. Of course, she rolled on her back and begged for forgiveness while he pounded on his chest.  She continued these “Rick Flair” moves the entire time I was outside, and she always kept herself the dog closest to me.   It appears that even in the dog world female wiles beats male brawn.

I have a five year old Plott Hound named Ruthie who I 'broke' as a puppy.

We originally crate trained her, and she did not like being in an exposed wire crate at night and would fuss to no end. We ended up bringing the crate into our bedroom but still all the fussing! I finally had enough in my tired state and decided if birds can be put to bed by covering their cage, I could do the same with the puppy!

I was right!

However, this came at a cost.

She loves 'caves' as I call them. Couch cushion? Gotta lay under it. Blanket? Under it. Bed? Under it.

This has not advanced to my bedtime routine. My partner and I tend to go to bed around nine and our dog has keyed into this. When it is nine, she is sitting on top of my bed waiting.

My fiancé and I get under the covers, and suddenly Ruthie starts pawing at the comforter wanting to go to bed. In she goes and she curls up into a tight ball! This was good when she would move at the slightest nudge but now she is comfortable. Sixty pounds of deadweight located precisely in the worst location!

I can't complain, I did this to myself and I love every minute of it. She is a love, I guess I should be happy she doesn't dig in dirt!

my german shepherd/malinois is now almost 14 months old, strikes fear into the heart of everyone, but is still a big ol baby!
doing all the training, jumping, snarling, obeying, terrifying everyone with how he goes at his tug toy during training breaks (got some teefs)..... and TERRIFIED of mannequins. We pass a store on our usual walk that sells PPE for construction and they have a properly-protected mannequin outside at the front door and the pup is absolutely petrified. I bring him up to smell it every so often (all his hair is standing up at this point, and he doesn't calm down) but it still gets him every time.
For having amazing scenting abilities otherwise, this dog tends to be alarmingly visual every once in a while. Either that, or we're going to find out the mannequin is actually a vampire at night or something like that.

Teresa, that is hysterical.
My female shepherd is about 1  1/2 years, and I can not believe what a wonderful, fun, protective, ball-chasing, noble companion she is. Haven't found out what she's afraid of yet, but everyone, man or beast, has something

Teresa reminds me of something Pup does. Sometimes I watch compilation videos on YouTube of things like ghost sightings. Pup usually lays on the couch half asleep, just absent mindedly watching the TV. Every so often a ghost video will come on, often one of the less impressive ones to my eyes, and he will start growling and barking at the TV with his hackles raised. He has also done this when the TV shows an image of Baphomet.

I just saw this amazing story: https://globalnews.ca/news/10088257/hiker-found-dead-dog-alive-colorado-rich-moore/

The dog stayed by her dead owner who died hiking for seven weeks. How many humans are that loyal?

My dog is playing a fun new game.   She goes over to the wall mirror to look at me in the mirror wherever I am, and waits for me to notice.   When I see her staring out of the mirror at me,  I smile and make a "come" gesture and she spins around and flies to wherever I am.   I think she's quite proud of herself for "inventing" this neat mirror game and figuring out how they work.   It's hilarious.  She dances around like she's laughing.

My dog  is a liar.

Ever since they disappeared over the summer, we have been keeping a close watch on our dogs. Rarely do we let them out together.  I have decided they equate to 12 year old boys. One is an angel. If we put 2 or more together, life on this planet is in danger.

Last night I got the full “ I’ve got to go potty dance” at 2 AM.  Now this is from a dog that is known to not pee or poop in his outdoor pen….ever….even over 24 hours.  But here he was, 4 hours after being outside, dancing up and down, legs crossed, paws between his legs. ….yelling “I’ve got to go. I’ve got to go. I’ve got to go.”  Of course, his favorite partner in crime was already outside.  I was heartless and told him to knock it off.  

This morning there was no puddle in the house..no poop to clean up.., and he was totally uninterested when I took him outside.

And how do they manage to still be so cute when they lie? I'll never forget the day Pup figured out that he could lie about needing to go outside just so he could steal my seat!

I have lately become the person and caregiver for a large dog. Valkyrie is a Caucasian Shepherd that needed a new home. I had recently given up a foster dog to a good permanent home and was feeling in dog deficient so I offered to take her. I’m told that she will protect us from bears and wolves. She nearly outweighs me and is very sweet tempered, a good thing at her size. She ignores my cats and tolerates my yappy little shitzu rescue. We are slow at hiking in the woods as she has to stop every ten steps to roll joyfully in the snow. I can’t seem to get a picture of her with her feet in the air.

So, my wife and I returned from the big city to find our yard covered with red and green ribbons and flowers.  You see, there was a terrible misunderstanding.   We live behind a cemetery, and our shelter pup realized that people were going there and leaving presents for her.   Yes, she is locked for awhile.

John F Dean wrote:So, my wife and I returned from the big city to find our yard covered with red and green ribbons and flowers.  You see, there was a terrible misunderstanding.   We live behind a cemetery, and our shelter pup realized that people were going there and leaving presents for her.   Yes, she is locked for awhile.

She's just full of the Christmas spirit!

John F Dean wrote:So, my wife and I returned from the big city to find our yard covered with red and green ribbons and flowers.  You see, there was a terrible misunderstanding.   We live behind a cemetery, and our shelter pup realized that people were going there and leaving presents for her.   Yes, she is locked for awhile.

That is the best!!

Oh, dear gawd, John! John and I laughed so much harder than we should have, at this. I'm picturing that cute little stinker racing through the cemetery, having the time of her life, wanting nothing more than to share her joy with you and the Mrs. The more we thought about it, the harder we laughed. And, though I feel sad as can be for the families whose flower arrangements are now even more creatively decorating your yard, and for you having to clean it all up... I still can't help busting up, every time I think of how much FUN she must have had... 🤣😂😆

Jordan Holland wrote:And how do they manage to still be so cute when they lie? I'll never forget the day Pup figured out that he could lie about needing to go outside just so he could steal my seat!

I've come to realize our dogs may be doing this to each other.  The two favored sleeping spots are near the woodstove....and the arrival of the third dog in the room results in sad, woeful looks at not having one of them.  Third dog eventually slinks out of dog door onto deck and starts barking like the entire county's worth of coyotes has just parked themselves off the end of the deck!  The two snoozing are called to arms and go racing out to help.

Who is the first dog back in to claim a spot?.....  You guessed it -- the third dog who 'cried wolf'. :-)

Fortunately, our oldest dog has established an excellent reputation with the cemetery caretaker and various funeral homes. He is known to politely attend each funeral and politely sit beside the grieving family.  He is such a fixture that people ask about him when he fails to attend (he has many years on him, so we keep him inside during rougher weather).

John F Dean wrote:Fortunately, our oldest dog has established an excellent reputation with the cemetery caretaker and various funeral homes.

That is definitely one of the more odd sentences that I have read but it is such a sweet idea of a naturally well natured dog who shows up to help those grieving.

If I may ask, what breed(s) is he?