Interesting things you’ve seen pets do?

[Cowley]

Just a quick mention for ‘Nellie’ my neighbours Jack Russell.
I’m just keeping an ear out for her usual pre bedtime routine.
This involves Tash (my neighbour) letting the wee hound out for a wee weewee. She’ll come charging out at absolute full chat. Bark at all four front doors of the Cottages, run around the back growling, and then bark at all four of our back doors before running back into the house with a feeling of a job well done...
I’m not even sure if she ever actually goes to the toilet?

One time she came running out and realised that I was sitting on my doorstep and she kind of banked and wheeled away, a bit like a Spitfire.

 

[GusB]

We had a collie pup when I was about 6 or 7. He was from proper working stock and it became quite apparent early on that he was never going to make a good pet. Any time we took him out for a walk, he'd run off into the distance and try to round people up. Natural behaviour for a collie, I suppose, but it could be quite un-nerving for other unsuspecting walkers. It got to the stage where we couldn't manage him any more, and phone call to the farmer resulted in him going back where he really belonged. It was heartbreaking at the time, but he went on to be a fairly decent sheepdog.

 

[Cowley]

We had a collie pup when I was about 6 or 7. He was from proper working stock and it became quite apparent early on that he was never going to make a good pet. Any time we took him out for a walk, he'd run off into the distance and try to round people up. Natural behaviour for a collie, I suppose, but it could be quite un-nerving for other unsuspecting walkers. It got to the stage where we couldn't manage him any more, and phone call to the farmer resulted in him going back where he really belonged. It was heartbreaking at the time, but he went on to be a fairly decent sheepdog.

Great story Gus.

 

[E_Reeves]

We've recently had rats in the garden because of the bird feeders and to try and scare them away we used to slam the windows shut to make a loud bang. We'd also let our dog out to make sure the rat was gone, but now he's gotten into a habit of barking and howling whenever a window is opened...

 

[Cowley]

We've recently had rats in the garden because of the bird feeders and to try and scare them away we used to slam the windows shut to make a loud bang. We'd also let our dog out to make sure the rat was gone, but now he's gotten into a habit of barking and howling whenever a window is opened...

 

[GusB]

Just a quick mention for ‘Nellie’ my neighbours Jack Russell.
I’m just keeping an ear out for her usual pre bedtime routine.
This involves Tash (my neighbour) letting the wee hound out for a wee weewee. She’ll come charging out at absolute full chat. Bark at all four front doors of the Cottages, run around the back growling, and then bark at all four of our back doors before running back into the house with a feeling of a job well done...
I’m not even sure if she ever actually goes to the toilet?

One time she came running out and realised that I was sitting on my doorstep and she kind of banked and wheeled away, a bit like a Spitfire.

Our last dog (dearly departed Westie) was a bit like that. As soon as the door to the back garden was opened, she'd do a routine partrol. Stop at one corner, bark, pee, bark again and then move on to the next. I mentioned collie behaviour in my last post, but there are definitely terrier traits as well. At one point I was convinced that our previous terrierist had stayed behind to give lessons from beyond the grave because she did so many similar things - the desire to escape being one.

A few years ago, my stepmother decided to rent a big house in the borders for my dad's 60th. The house had a massive garden, and I carried out what I thought was a thorough inspection of the perimeter to ensure that there were no Westie-sized gaps in either the fences, or the dry-stone wall separating the garden from the neighbouring field (containing sheep). The enclosure seemed high enough for me not to be unduly concerned...

The gardener came in one morning and carried out his regular duties, dumping the fresh grass clippings in the far corner of the garden as he always did. I don't know how I missed it, but the fresh pile of clippings on top of the older stuff provided a convenient ramp. It was only after several family members queried Bonnie's whereabouts that I had that feeling of dread. However, my initial fears about farmers with shotguns paled into insignificance when I called her name and she ran back with tail wagging - with her once white coat in the most disgusting shades of green and brown you could imagine.

 

[Cowley]

Our last dog (dearly departed Westie) was a bit like that. As soon as the door to the back garden was opened, she'd do a routine partrol. Stop at one corner, bark, pee, bark again and then move on to the next. I mentioned collie behaviour in my last post, but there are definitely terrier traits as well. At one point I was convinced that our previous terrierist had stayed behind to give lessons from beyond the grave because she did so many similar things - the desire to escape being one.

A few years ago, my stepmother decided to rent a big house in the borders for my dad's 60th. The house had a massive garden, and I carried out what I thought was a thorough inspection of the perimeter to ensure that there were no Westie-sized gaps in either the fences, or the dry-stone wall separating the garden from the neighbouring field (containing sheep). The enclosure seemed high enough for me not to be unduly concerned...

The gardener came in one morning and carried out his regular duties, dumping the fresh grass clippings in the far corner of the garden as he always did. I don't know how I missed it, but the fresh pile of clippings on top of the older stuff provided a convenient ramp. It was only after several family members queried Bonnie's whereabouts that I had that feeling of dread. However, my initial fears about farmers with shotguns paled into insignificance when I called her name and she ran back with tail wagging - with her once white coat in the most disgusting shades of green and brown you could imagine.

Terrierist.
I read that ten minutes ago and I still can’t stop laughing.

 

[Cowley]

I’m calling her that from now on.

 

[Strathclyder]

My labradoodle, now eleven and a half but still thinks he's a puppy, loves 'dry swimming'. He lies spreadeagled on the carpet, or, better still, some grass or dry patch in the wood, and does the breast stroke with his front paws while moving slowly forward on his belly. We've never heard of any other dog, let alone a labradoodle, do this, and my wife has been involved with labradoodle societies for a decade and more. Strangers find it highly amusing, as do other dogs!

In the 8 years we've had Cooper (the elder/bigger of the two) & nearly 6 years we've had Alfie (the aforementioned younger/smaller of the two), we've never seen either of them do that. At least, not yet lol

On the topic of Labradoodles moving forward on their bellies however (and similar to @Cowley's opening post), both have, when food is on the go and are lying down flat on their bellies (it's mostly Cooper that does this; both otherwise beg for food all the time), slowly pad their way towards said food, all with a look that says: 'You and I both know that what's left on that plate after you've finished is only gonna go to waste. Just let me have a bit or two. Or three', punctuated with the occasional lick of the chops. It winds my parents up to no end sometimes lol

 

[Teflon Lettuce]

all these stories are bringing fond memories of my Toby... my dear departed King Charles... gormless to the last... he used to sit in the middle of the floor and spin on the spot on his backside trying to catch his back paw in his mouth... he used to have endless hrs of fun... even funnier was when he eventually caught his paw... he'd bite with all his might... and then jump up with a yell and spin round trying to see who it was that bit him! he never did seem to work out who'd done it...

Also food... the poor thing had stomach problems so I had to feed him dry dog food.... went to Dad's for Xmas... got given the guilts by family to give Toby a treat for xmas dinner gave in and gave him some xmas dinner..... it was 2 WEEKS before he ate again! every time I put his food down he'd look at it, then look at me in disgust as if to say "you really think I'm gonna eat this muck" and then he stuck his nose in the air and just sauntered off.

 

[Jona26]

My Nan used go have two dogs - both of which no one could ever work out which various breeds they could be made up from!

In the days before central heating the older one liked nothing better to curl up in front of the electric fire on a chilly night. The younger one would get jealous of his position and gradually work her way between him and the fire - to the extent that she would be so close to the fire that the smell of singed fur would permeate the room.

However, once the older one sadly went to the great kennel in the sky the younger one never lay by the fire again!

 

[Intermodal]

My cat can operate door handles and open doors quite successfully! It's really annoying!

 

[Cowley]

We went up to Louth in Lincolnshire this weekend to see some of our family.
Penny and Jim, have a small (is there any other kind?) long haired Jack Russell called Alfie.

Alfie (who’s 9 years old) does an interesting thing when he gets excited because lots of people who he REALLY likes have just turned up:

He runs around for a bit looking incredibly pleased, and then heads off to find his bed which he then drags into the circle of people that are chatting and laughing and saying about how lovely it is to see each other again etc.
He then positions his bed in the very middle of the circle of people and starts to perform the sweet loving on it whilst staring one by one at each person with his tongue hanging out and a look of pure pleasure on his wee face.
Now and again he started to push the bed out of the circle of people by sheer vigorousness and had to drag it back into the middle to restart (slowly at first but then building up).

Yesterday after we’d taken them for walkies we had to leave Kai in their car with Alfie while we went to a cafe for lunch. Kai had a look on his face that said “You’re not going to actually leave me in this Vauxhall Corsa with this complete degenerate are you? I can’t even see his manky bed in here?”

Alfie just looked at him in a ‘Now I’ve got you to myself’ happy kind of way.
When we got back they were both asleep and the windows were very steamed up. There was also a faint smell of cigarette smoke...

 

[Busaholic]

In the 8 years we've had Cooper (the elder/bigger of the two) & nearly 6 years we've had Alfie (the aforementioned younger/smaller of the two), we've never seen either of them do that. At least, not yet lol

On the topic of Labradoodles moving forward on their bellies however (and similar to @Cowley's opening post), both have, when food is on the go and are lying down flat on their bellies (it's mostly Cooper that does this; both otherwise beg for food all the time), slowly pad their way towards said food, all with a look that says: 'You and I both know that what's left on that plate after you've finished is only gonna go to waste. Just let me have a bit or two. Or three', punctuated with the occasional lick of the chops. It winds my parents up to no end sometimes lol

I think we own the least greedy labradoodle, ever. Rufus enjoys his food, mostly, but virtually never fusses for food. He is definitely more poodle than labrador in this regard. When my sister-in-law's labrador came to stay, both dogs were given rabbit ear's chews after their meal, and her labrador promptly removed Rufus's from his mouth: he looked bemused, but if a dog could shrug its shoulders, that's what he did! Having said all that, if he finds something when he's out, it's almost impossible to get it from him. Half-eaten pasties, still in a paper bag, tend to get chucked in these parts: he's no real interest in consuming it, just claiming ownership! The worst occasion was a few years ago when he caught a pheasant and, only half dead, he carried it around in his mouth for three hours in the woods while I attempted to get him back on his lead, retrieve it, anything. The sun had set 90 minutes before, out of sheer tiredness, he momentarily dropped it and I managed to pin it down with my foot and, eventually put him on his lead.

So, he's probably a one-off.