Dogs. They are a constant source of amusement and concern. It seems like they are always doing something that makes us love them more. And there is always some little thing going on with them that makes us worry just a bit...like we do with our children.
My parents have a Boston Terror named Mickey. He'll be 3 this fall and he's definitely acting like a juvenile. He has weird, adolescent boy habits, too. He likes to jump into the bathtub and suck on the washrags. I've never seen a dog just suck on something before. But he does it and makes quite a bit of sound when he does.
My sister has a Miniature Schnauzer named Fritz. He's a very charming dog and really quiet. His unusual habit has to do with his eating. He sort of wipes his beard on his bed several times, as though to smooth it away from his mouth, before taking a bite of food. Sometimes he'll do this wiping between every bite. Other times he'll do it early in the meal and be done.
My brother has an Australian Shepherd named Scout. I haven't really seen him enough to get to know his little habits. Actually, whatever his habits are, I'm sure they are big ones. There is nothing little about Scout at all. Scout likes only certain people. The rest he pretty much ignores. I'm one of the people he likes. But he's very well-behaved in his adoration of me. He doesn't try to get into my lap or paw at my legs. He pretty much just walks under my dangling hand, hoping I'll pet. He also will just sit and watch me. He has that typical Aussie dual-eye color thing, too. So you've got golden brown orb and blue orb looking at you.
Soya doesn't really have any terribly peculiar habits. She's too much of a Dowager Queen to have any childish ways. At 11, she's got the other three dogs all beat by at least 8 years.
Soya stayed with my brother Ted, wife Leah and Scout for the entire month we were in Minnesota. She absolutely adores them...especially Leah. They let her sleep on the bed, take her on walks twice a day, give her rawhides in the evening. They don't care if she gets a bit gassy from eating strange foods. And they alway give her a toy. In our room right now by her bed, there is a white rabbit from a lady at church, a multi-colored bear from Uncle Ted, a bunny rabbit and some other thing Ted gave her for Christmas that plays lullabies. She sleeps with these items arrayed around her, no doubt dreaming of the next time she gets to go to "camp" at Ted and Leah's.
This time, she did have a bit of a complaint and she wrote me a whining email. She complained that the boy camp counselor kicked her out of bed at 2 in the morning. But she rapsodized about the girl camp counselor, saying she smelled better than the boy. She also said "the fuzzy kid" was convinced they were going to be getting a pool. But she wasn't certain she believed him.
I guess Ted and Leah DID get a pool. Scout spent quite a bit of time in it. Soya would have nothing to do with it. She also did not like the camp bandanas that she and Scout were supposed to wear.
Right now Soya is having summer ear problems. I'll probably have to take her to the vet to be looked at. I cleaned her ears the other day and I must have left some cleaner 'way down deep in there, because she kept walking like a drunk and then hurling herself to the grass to get it out. She seems to have solved that problem, but she's still working at those ears.
1:34:33 PM 
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