Yes, they are doing exactly what you think they are doing, with exactly what you think they are doing it with!
TWooie hunted a mole. And he was happy.
Then others coveted his mole, and he was mad.
Real mad.
Don’t touch my mole, beeyatch!
Then there was the aforementioned tug-a-mole.
Then Piper had a mole, and SHE was happy. Etc.
We went for a three hour walk around Pitt Lake this afternoon with Jen of Mambomutts, and her dogs Nyxie and Tucker. The scenery is beautiful, and such a perfect backdrop for photos, so you’d think I’d take more than a handful when I go. But somehow I just never do.
At one point there is a very tall dock. Until now, TWooie has been too scared to walk out on the dock, but today he was running back and forth across it like an old pro.
I do so love a happy, care-free TWoo!
He even made his peace with Nyxie, mostly because she scared up a beaver and gave chase. Usually TWoo follows Woo around waiting for him to rustle up something fun to hunt, like a rabbit. But a beaver is WAY bigger, and WAY better, so he now thinks the Hunting Gods smile upon Nyx, and she is worth following around like a little man servant. No grumbling, snarking, snarling or fighting at all today. He’s really come so far with other dogs!
The best part of today was Dexter swimming though…he runs down the bank and leaps into the water on command, while I sit on the dock and laugh and laugh at him, because for some reason the water and/or swimming makes him ANGRY. LIVID! He snarls and snaps and bites at the water as he paddles along. I have no photos of this phenomenon because I was laughing way too hard, but Jen may have gotten some. Check back for an update, as I will post her photos of Chompy Von Waterhater as soon as she sends them along :) I can’t figure out what’s behind *that* particular behaviour – any ideas? Does your dog snap and snarl and bite at the water as he swims? It’s like he’s angry at it for being water, and not the ground.
Don’t laugh at me, I’m in the water so I’m pissed off.
Sorry for the short and kind of pointless post, but I have to work again for a bunch of days in a row, so I won’t be around again until next week. That’s the problem with being an auxiliary employee … you end up taking shifts at the last minute when they need you. I have not had two consecutive days off in a couple of weeks now, as I keep getting called into the other shelter on random days, or covering for folks at my regular gig, but a girl’s gotta save her pennies for Dexter’s neuter somehow, right?
Before I go, though, here’s my plea – help me find an awesome, Doberman-savvy home for Stryder, who is a guest at the DNV Shelter and really needs a home of his own. I LUFF this dog. LOVE HIM. He is a typical, goofy, moronic, snuggly adolescent doberman male when he knows and loves you, but also a typical guardy Dobe when he doesn’t, or when he’s behind a fence. Unfortunately, shelter dogs spend a lot of time behind fences; no way around that.
Even more unfortunately, his fierce looking cropped-and-docked countenance is attracting all the wrong sorts of applicants, who are looking for something scary to take home and then stand behind a fence and be intimidating. Stryder deserves so much better … I love this dog so very much, and want so badly for him to find a Dobe-experienced home with someone who can help socialize him and will do something with his brain, which is soaking up everything like a sponge! If I were not already way way past my dog limit, and if I didn’t think TWoo would kill him, I’d bring him home myself. And I work in a shelter – I am not prone to taking-home-every-dog whims (this goes away real fast when you work in a shelter, because there are just so many darned dogs). I just REALLY like this guy. Please, spread the word to your friends and help us find Stryder the perfect home for him!
Have a good weekend!
ETA – as promised, here’s a compilation of photos by Jen of Mambomutts, of Dexter “hating” the water. WTF? Why are all my dogs so weird??
Thanks Jen!
clairesmum says
the shot of the woo/twoo butts had me giggling out loud – thanks, I needed that!
does Dexter swim on purpose? is he snapping at water and trying to ‘catch’ it in his mouth? claire did that as a youngster, don’t remember the exact age, and also had an amazing time figuring out that the paw she saw down there in that shimmery stuff was the same as the paw on the end of her leg! you could ‘see’ the thoughts moving and the brain working as she sorted that one out. so maybe it is some kinda discovery process?
kristy says
Fun post today! I suppose sometimes one must just enjoy where you are, not always look for the photo op!
Thanks for sharing!
Shasta says
Oh dear lord, I am laughing so hard…Wootie and Twooie…how I love thee. I wish I could take Stryder and do nothing more with him but love him, but alas, I am in Texas with two dogs — one of whom hates other dogs. But dear Dawg, I love Dobermans.
I keep you and your Rescue in my thoughts and prayers…that’s all I can do right now.
Cath says
I cannot get over how fit and trim Twooie is looking these days!
Adrienne says
That is the craziest thing ever with Dexter! No wonder you were laughing. Evil woman commanding him into the water…
There is a gal that does Dobe rescue down here. Leah Peatsch on my FB friends. Dunno if they do cross-country stuff or not.
The Woo Twoo butts are an awesome photo, should be in a book or on some sort of motivational poster. lol
Joan Boyko says
Ok! that Dexter is frickin hilarous! Great shots Jen!
Michelle says
Dexter really is a maniac in the water, isn’t he?
If I wasn’t at MY dog limit, I’d love to take Stryder! I had a dobie girl years ago; we did a wee bit of conformation and obedience, but she didn’t like showing. Awesome jogging partner and indoor/outdoor entertainer, though!
Emily Hurt says
I know some BCs who do the water-hating thing. It’s HILARIOUS to watch!!
You just have to watch out for water intoxication if he ingests too much water while doing this. Water intoxication is very dangerous and deadly unless treated in time. Sadly, most vets don’t know what to look for or how to treat water intoxication, so since it presents like the dog ingested something he ought not have, they give fluids, which obviously only exacerbates the problem. Several folks I know here in TX had dogs get water intoxication in the past few years. 3 have died from it, 3 have lived. All BCs.
So, while yes it is a funny behaviour, it can be deadly. Having to swim dogs a lot here in Texas to keep them cool while we hike, I’m always aware of this as a possibility and am very cautious even about too much fetching, as dogs tend to ingest more water as they fetch since their mouth’s open.
Emily Hurt says
P.S. ~ the water-hating photos are AWESOME :o)
Philip's Mom says
Those pictures of Dexter are great! Maybe he sees his own paws in the water and thinks it’s a monster attacking him, so he attacks back? Funny guy he is :)
RachelB says
I love the Dex-in-water photos! Midnight, my family’s dear departed border/lab, could swim if he absolutely had to but didn’t appear to enjoy it. Wading, though– he liked that. He used to bap the water with a paw, then snap at the resulting bubbles. It seemed as if the first time, the behavior was accidental, but then it became a method of amusing himself.
Willie says
I remember my folks having a dog once that gets angry at water coming out of a hose, he snarls and chomps at the water flow in the very same manner Dexter attacks the water around him in the photos above. Of course, it’s hilarious. :D
kim says
“WTF? Why are all my dogs so weird??”
aherm. ummmm. well. common demoninator??
just sayin’
(heh heh heh)
riosmom says
Kim stole my line!!! That said, your random posts are more entertaining than most other blogs. Dexter is hilarious and Woo & Twooie – well, what can you say? Hope Stryder finds the home he deserves.
Sylv says
Great post and great pics. I chuckles when I saw the WooTWoo butts, and laughed at Dexter’s water-hating pics – great shots!
MartySQ says
Seems to me a variation on when dogs snap , snarl , and bite water that’s running and making splishy splashy noises and a little spray. When I leave the hose in the kiddy pool and Bess is out… she engages in bit e the moving fountain rising from the pool behavior… I suspect it is his feet that are causing the water to behave in a way that makes Dexter want to get it.
Alice says
Ahaha! My Jake does a milder version of the water-hating thing, but he is not nearly as amusing. But Dex likes to swim now, doesn’t he? (This conjures memories of the Dex-learning-to-swim shots…delight.) Strange that he should be a-hatin’ on the water now.
And tug-a-mole…oh my. Emily killed a baby marmot last summer while my folks were out hiking, and Dad was horrified. She hunts! She can’t help it! Maybe he’d stop anthropomorphizing if I showed him Tug-a-mole! :D
Robin Layton says
So funny!!! I just love the photos of Dexter hating the water!
Robin
Jamie says
I just fell out of my chair seeing the photos of Dex. Great shots Jen!
Also Twooie is looking fantastic these days. It really shows that you have been putting in so much time with him. :)
Natalie says
Sorry… can’t type… laughing too hard at Dexter!!
Emme says
When my Jack was in the ocean, he loooved to body surf- I didn’t even teach him how to do it! But he’d bare his teeth at the waves, occasionally snapping. He’d always spit out the excess, though. It was almost as if he liked the feeling of the water rushing through his teeth and gums but not the taste. He also loved trying to jump over the waves very close to shore. We all miss Hawaii. :(
angie says
rich’s beagle does the water biting thing. i’ll send you a pic on flickr.