Funny how...

[remltr]

Funny how Sassy will walk up to an unknown rottweiler to say hi, but God forbid that the wind blows a planter over on its side and she belly crawls up to it sniffing all the way to see if its dangerous, while the planter that was turned upside down does not even get an acknowledgment.

Funny how when the wind comes up suddenly while out for a walk that Sassy wants to get home in a hot hurry. "Let's get the heck out of here man. Come on!!! What is the hold up?? Can't you see we are all going to die right here and now? Didn't your Daddy teach you to run? WHAT IS YOUR MAJOR MALFUNCTION?"

[Fudgie]

Ha Ha! Mine acts just like that! She wants to run and kill one of my neighbors big dogs, but boy if the other neighbors little froo froo poodle comes outside, it's "lets head for the hills"! Or if she isn't trying to drag me back to the house, she will look at me, hunker down and walk over to me, turn around and expect me to pick her up and carry her away from the poodle danger! She also wants to get ahold of every big bird in the sky and goes crazy. Little birds are no problem. White vehicles........kill, all other vehicles are ok????? Oh, and for no reason, she would love to have a bite of every strange male human that she comes across. She will let them pet her, she will stand up on their leg and take it all in wagging her tail. When the petting is over, bam, she wants a nibble! Crazy cairns!

[hheldorfer]

Been there! I still haven't figured out why certain things scare Buffy when, for the most part, she's brave beyond belief. She won't hesitate for a second to chomp on a GSD or Pit Bull if they get too personal at the dog park, but she'll hide under a chair if she thinks I'm going to brush her. Go figure . . .

[Oliver's Mom]

That is too funny! Oliver has a strong hatred for motorcycles. We don't know what it is (probably that they are louder than him ) but even off in the distance he'll hear a faint rumbling of one and he starts darting and barking while I'm standing there looking for the dog that he is barking at until my ears finally catch up with his. It can't be the little fast bikes it is strictly the choppers (I guess they are called). Gotta love them.

[Hairy_Putter]

When we lived in Salt Lake City, Hairy had a pool and he would play in it every day for hours with his little friend, Jai Ram. Then when we moved to the north coast of California near Mendocino, he gets to go to the beach almost every day. And regardless of how cool it is, he plays in the ocean, lies down in the tide pools and jumps in the rivers.

However, open the door to let him outside, and if it is sprinkling, it takes a lot of encouragement to get him outside. And, if it is actually raining, you have to push him out the door. We have even had to go outside and hold an umbrella over him while we get soaked. He does not want to get wet.

From Hairy's dad.

[Idaho Cairns]

Other dogs, no matter what size, water, rain, blizzard, noise, reports, thunder, fireworks, people, equipment of any kind never bother my Cairns, they love it all and never back up or stand down. However, give them a strong wind when things are moving all around them, trees leaning, plastic bags scooting across the lawn, limbs clacking, and they are skittish as colts. Wind unnerves them, witness the tentative huddling here--finding comfort in each other's company--ready to bolt at any moment!

[remltr]

[Idaho Cairns]

"I have another one in that I never feel the need for safety glasses until I bend over to pick up Sassy's digested meal and the branches, leaves and grass starts flying as she rakes the area surrounding her offering to nature. "

Oh I know that routine! My little one has quite the ritual when it comes to finishing a dump--got that tail up high, doing that "angry bull" act, first one foot then the other, a hop, and a repeat of the pawing. Not sure what it is all about but I sure wish I had the same enthusiasm--course, at my age, I can only manage one thing at a time--can't multi-task like the Cairns.

[josie&holly]

Holly does not like to go out in the wind and is not keen on rain either! If it is windy when we are walking and a big gust comes along she will sit down and refuse to move! If rain and wind together - no way is she going outside!

One of the roads we walk down sometimes has tractors coming along with trailers - Holly is fascinated by these and when they go past bumping and juddering she wants to chase them! So I have to hang on to her like mad - but why such a big noisy vehicle should interest her when she does not like loud noises normally I don't know!

She also likes to scrape up the earth when she has done a dump on our walks so you have to be careful where you stand to pick it up![i also have to ensure that she is not doing so on anybody's front garden!!]

She has quite a few funny quirks and that is what makes her so endearing even if she is also frustrating at times!

[Sue G]

YES! What is it with the back leg scratching the dirt/kicking thing they do after they poop? I have never had a dog that did that. I figured he learned it from his cat buddies. He doesn't always do it either. It's like if it's a "good poop" he wants to cover it with dirt or something. Weird little guys.

[Zekey's Mom]

Zekey will do the scratching thing sometimes, usually after marking, not pooping!

And although he's not afraid of big trash trucks rumbling by when we're walking, he will start to bark at pickup trucks if we happen to park next to one!

Oh these guys and their lovable quirks!

P.S. LOVE the photo of the "wind-blown" Cairns.

[Kit'sOwner]

My Bichon does the back leg dirt kick up after pooping as well. I thought I read somewhere that dogs have scent glands on their paws and when they do this behaviour, it's territorial marking. Coincidentally, my Bichon is also a urine marker. Every walk with her equals a stop and mark every 10 feet. I can't tell her to stop as she has a history of bladder stones and I'm supposed to encourage her to pee as much as she can!!!

[bradl]

We call it "flinging turf" but whatever it is, it's a hoot. We had one bitch who would hold her rear leg out in a frozen pose for a moment after each fling, like she was posing for a photo or skating in slow motion. Sometimes when a puppy is first trying it they accidentally get "traction" and launch themselves forward unexpectedly And Haggis comes back into the house with bits of moss and whatnot on his back. How he manages to fling grass onto himself I don't quite understand. Unless he's simply getting caught in Echo's exhaust.

[kjwarnold]

Kirby is a flinger, Packy is not.

Funny how...if I get out the aluminum foil, Kirby goes nuts. How does he know when I get it out of the pantry, when he's not even in the room? He barks and screams, like he thinks it's going to kill me. And funny how...Packy gets all feisty whenever he walks down a big hill. He prances, bites at plants, sideswipes Kirby, and barks just to let the world know he's happy. What's the big deal about downhill?

[Hawkeye]

Bailey's malfunction is when Casey is making her poop, Bailey tries to go up behind her while she's going and he raises his leg to pee/mark HER. I stand guard now ready to block the assualt.

Casey is my flinger and she also loves to roll in stuff like the grass, especially after it's been mowed, bugs or poop. Did I tell you she is the westie...The White Dog.

[josie&holly]

Another quirk of Hollys - lovely warm day today so every few yards on our walk this afternoon at country park Holly has to lay down for a few seconds before the walk can continue............... people passing say "oh dear have you walked those little legs too far?" I grit my teeth and say no - only about one foot from her last rest!! I think she does it to make me look bad and get sympathy and fuss!!