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March 4, 2014

Is it just my dog, or…

It sounds a lot more impressive if I say “I have lived with dogs my whole life”, rather than “I have lived with five different dogs.” So in truth, my experience with and knowledge about dogs comes from a pretty small (but important in my heart!) group of pups.

It sounds a lot more impressive if I say “I have lived with dogs my whole life”, rather than “I have lived with five different dogs.” So in truth, my experience with and knowledge about dogs comes from a pretty small (but important in my heart!) group of pups.

With that in mind I have noticed some behaviors and tendencies with Eko which I never saw in any of my other dogs.  I have no sense of how common or uncommon these traits are so I figured I would tell you guys about them and you can let me know if your pups do any of these things. Sound good? Let’s play, “Is it just my dog, or…”

Is it just my dog, or does anyone else have a dog that doesn’t want to go outside at night?

Eko’s nightly “Do I really have to get up?” face

From the day he came home with me all the way through to today, Eko has always disliked having to go outside before we head to bed.  As a puppy, he would actually refuse to move and I frequently had to carry his stubborn butt.  At any other time of day Eko is ecstatic to go outside, but every night he still grumbles about getting off the couch.  Does this happen to anyone else?

Is it just my dog, or does anyone else’s dog do…whatever this is: 

I call it the “half-and-half” and I wholly don’t understand it

Is it indecision? Laziness? Boredom?  I don’t know what the cause is, but I will often find Eko with only his back half on the couch.  Anyone else have a half-and-halfer?

Is it just my dog or does your dog have a different set of rules for their first friend?

Clas of the Titans

Eko and his big sister, Scout

Eko has four-legged friends from coast to coast.  He loves to romp and play with each and every one of them.  However, he seems to have a special set of rules when it comes to playing with his big sister.  Well, she used to be his “big” sister, I guess now she’s just his older sister. Nevertheless, Eko will stand placidly while Scout tries to put her jaws around his head like she did when he was a puppy.  He would absolutely never let another pup do that.  Does your dog have a different set of rules when playing with old friends?

Is it just my dog, or does your dog also think it’s a doting grandmother?

Eko is obsessed with small dogs and puppies.  If it’s a small puppy? His tail starts wagging at the speed of light

Eko considers himself the mayor of dogville and he has to say hello to every constituent. Most pups get a cursory hello, but he gets absolutely giddy when he sees a small dog or puppy.  I have never met a dog so infatuated with smaller dogs.  Eko has nothing but love in his heart, so he doesn’t always understand why some smaller dogs don’t reciprocate the love.

We’re not sure Eko fully understands how large he is

So that’s what I have. Help me out and let me know if your pup or a pup you know does any of these things.  And it’s a two way street of course. If your dog has any unique habits be sure to share.

Comments for Is it just my dog, or…

  1. We must be related. I love small dogs too and sometimes I use the couch like you, Eko. The only thing what is different is that I like to go outside at night, sometimes 87 times in one night :o)

  2. nerdgrl (Kim S.) says:

    When Steffi was younger she used to stand at the door exactly at 9pm to go outside before going up to bed. Now that she’s 14+ and goes to bed at 7pm (seriously, she gets very agitated if we don’t take her up to bed), we want her to go out before we go to bed. Well, getting her out of HER bed is difficult, to say the least. All the other stuff Eko does, well, Steffi is a small dog (who honestly doesn’t understand she’s a dog) so she can’t do those things. 🙂

  3. Shana says:

    Hobbes does the half and half too. Since he is a Vizsla I assumed it had something to do with all those long legs. He doesn’t mind going out side at night – as long as I walk out with him :). He used to love small dogs and still loves puppies but he was chased by a Jack Russell who wouldn’t stop and now he is really afraid of small dogs. I guess he can tell puppies apart because they smell different?

  4. For a number of years we shared our lives with an Old English Sheepdog. She was the eternal puppy and like Eko, had a heart of gold. She sat on the couch like Eko – I always thought it was because she wanted to sit with us/like us! When she got tired her next favourite position was to have three people in a row on the couch and drape herself across all of us.

    My girl had one odd habit. My daily journey to work included a trip through a 800m long tunnel. Jeena came to work with me [I was a teacher and she was my assistant] and immediately we hit the tunnel, her head went out the window and she waited. Cars would whoosh by, but as a motor cycle, travelling in the opposite direction came near, she barked. Two really loud, echo-ey ‘Woofs!’ timed to perfection. Then she would pull her head back in and look extremely pleased with herself.

    As far as I know no motor cyclist was harmed in the creating of Jeena’s prank 🙂

  5. writetowag says:

    Explaining how Eko is with pups and that pic of him with the tiny white cutie…precious!!!! Trev still LOVES going out at all times and if he were a big boy, he would be a doga master of the half and half pose, no doubt!!!!

  6. Marcela says:

    Lol. I’d venture to say that every dog has his/her own quirks, just like us, humans. Alex, once she turned 9 years old, did not like to go out for a walk in the morning when before she was already downstairs waiting for me. Eko, and many dogs like him, do not understand or realize how big or small they are and that makes for some interesting meetings between dogs. Sometimes you’ll see a mini pin being the alpha dog of the pack while all the other dogs are much bigger than him. Why? In their world is not how big they are but rather how strong you are in character and energy:-)

  7. Well, Dakota certainly isn’t “normal” so I wouldn’t judge Eko by him lol. Dakota LOVES to go out at night and hates going out in the day…….’nuff said 🙂

  8. I do not like going out in the dark, at all! Every night, Mom brushes my teeth and then starts begging me to come by the door for my leash. I check out the window 62 times to see if I should be afraid and to make sure nobody is out there trying to kill me. Eventually, I go out, but after a quick pee, I am ready to go inside. Also, while I’m out there I bark at things and people that I wouldn’t dream of barking at during the day. All the rest of Eko’s adorable habits are not in my repertoire.

    Love and licks,
    Cupcake

  9. Eko sounds to be very well socialised and rounded, save the going out at night!

  10. Carol Conner says:

    It’s a sight hound thing. I’ve had and fostered ridgebacks for thirty years and the only thing you missed was their ability to hang their butt out the dog door if it is raining.

  11. Every dog has it’s own likes and dislikes, his or own personalities. They are just like people. I can’t get started with my five or I’d be here all day and would not be able to go outside myself day or night.

  12. Emma says:

    Katie does the half and half because she is big and not allowed on the furniture. It is kind of a sneaky way of attempting to skirt the rules. I get mad at night when it is time to go to bed and I have to get up and go upstairs to bed. I want to stay in my downstairs bed because I’m too tired to move. We often don’t go out after 7 or 8 at night because we can hold it 12 hours at night, so no problems with going out at night here.

  13. pawedblog says:

    Eko just sounds like a real darling to me!
    Millie shares the half-and-half thing too, even though she’s tiny so she doesn’t do it on the couch, but off her own bed, and it’s usually when she’s been told NOT to get off it. Like, ‘see mum, I’m still on it’ lol
    Hugs, Carrie (Myfie, Ellie and Millie) x

  14. I can honestly say my dogs do not do the half an half… Then again it may just be a height issue 😛

    I definitely notice a difference with how my older dog treats Artemis who I got as a puppy. She can chew on his ear, bounce on him, steal toys, and he just lets her. Now, if another dog tried he’s bounce around and play back.

  15. Christy Joz says:

    Both of my ridgebacks, Rigby and Lucy, rexhibit cat-like characteristics every day. They love human legs. Both weave in and out while rubbing their “eye boogies” on your pants! They also enjoy passing through your legs slowly, allowing you time to tighten your legs together a bit. This then allows them to pull through your legs giving their body a nice stretch and massage. Any one else encounter this? 🙂
    Also, Rigby does a “sleep howl.” He is fully asleep, but lifts his head straight up, just like a Wolf and howls!!! Then lays right back down and goes to sleep. Love these pups!

  16. Oh yes the half and half Boomer does it all the time, we’ve always figured it’s because his legs are so long!

  17. Gail Simburger says:

    Leo Hates going outside at bedtime because it’s cold, I think. He really doesn’t like going out when it’s raining, especially if it’s cold, too. We trained him to come to us when he went outside and we’d love on him. Now he’ll go outside for a second (through the doggie door) then come right back in when he just wants loving attention. LOL!

    I think Eko’s different set of rules for his sister is that she’s a mother figure to him. Since she could do that to him when he was little, she’s always allowed to do that to him. For any other dog to do it would be a sign of dominance, and he won’t allow anyone else that. Except maybe a puppy or small dog because they are the only ones with his kind of energy and love of playing.

  18. Misaki says:

    I do the half on/off the sofa but the other way round, so my butt’s on the floor and my paws on the sofa:-)
    And yes, definitely have different play styles with different dogs. Funny how that happens

  19. Oh my we have the strange ones here! Mazie the lab hates rain. Mom has to give her the stink eye and then she barely gets off of the front porch. A Lab? SERIOUSLY?!!!! They are supposed to love water! Abbe is the trouper, no problem any time, any weather, what ever mom asks. Anne, hang up city!!!! If it LOOKS wet–NO WAY, if it smells like rain–NO WAY, if it is to cold–NOPE, if the snow has melted and the sidewalk looks wet–fat chance, get the drift? She is a little mental. She will use the potty pad, or out of the blue,the throw rug on a whim. Not that she hasn’t been properly rewarded for going where she is supposed to. Not that mom hasn’t gone out and stood in the yard umpteen million times saying “go potty”, only to have her come in and use the pad and come prancing over for her treat. Better yet, when she stands by the pad, looks at it and barks for a treat. Mom is not sure what happened to her before she came to live here but……mom still tries her best, Anne is just a bit ‘off’ in the head. Silly, silly dogs. That’s why we cats use a litter box. Lot less hassle!
    Marty

  20. Eko is the unique-saurus!

  21. […] Will it is just your dog but Jake makes it an art […]

  22. Caitlin Gath says:

    The benefit of having a small dog, you can still pick her up no matter how old and trudge downstairs for the dreaded nighttime potty break.

  23. Otto our family schnauzer was like that with our old female westie Chelsea. He saw Chelsea as his mum so did exactly what Eko does with his older sister 🙂

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