Sometimes our four legged constant companions do something that completely changes ones perception of all you've come to believe.

[montdoug]

I've talked a lot about young 8 month old Taggart,

 12 year old Gus the Grump younger picture,

and Tags constant companion Duke the year old Airedale.

.

I'd hate to be anything or anyone that hurt Tag with Duke in ear-shot. As you can tell, an old dude that has been smitten with an extreme case of Puppy/Terrier love and carries a smarter-than-me phone with a decent camera in it is prone to too many photos of his furry family.
I'm old school as most of ya can probably tell and my strong opinions about pets etc goes back a good ways. E.G I often feel people, myself included kinda humanize our wonderful   furry families a bit much. Had to re-look at that today by something Gus did while I was watching from the window.

I've mentioned that Gus hates the rambunctious Airedale that is occupying his home. Duke gets near him and it's barking snapping and real serious anger. Tag he grudgingly tolerates. Fortunately Duke treats Gus as senior and just skips away almost giggling, he loves teasing Gus I think but all in harmless fun at least to him.

My lesson came when I first let them all out this morning to take care of business, Duke and Tag ran to the back corner of the yard which in typical dog fashion is always the same place. Gus didn't run out to his favorite corner of the yard but just stood on the porch and watched the other two. In the bottom photo of Duke and Tag you'll see a big heavy blue ball with a big handle in it to be able to get hold of it. To big and heavy for Tag or Gus to play with but Dukes favorite toy and out on the middle of the yard well away from where everyone heads to first thing in the morning. Gus stands on the porch till Duke and Tag are way out in back and then heads off the deck and instead of heading for his corner of the yard as always does he heads for the middle of the yard where he never goes and lifted his leg on Duke's ball. I was flabbergasted, never heard of such a thing. I know this is a bit off color I figured this kinda thing is real human-ish and if it's at all a common behavior some one here had seen it or something like it before. I apologize if it's rude.  I know Nancy was laughing as she headed out the back door with a bowl of soapy water and a towel.

 

Edited December 11, 2018 by montdoug

[sanford]

My compliments to both you and your "smart" camera for the wonderful pix! No qualifiers are required for "humanizing" our pets... The longer I live with these fascinating companions, the more human-like traits I've come to appreciate in them. Canine studies and research are only just beginning to catch up with what we've instinctively always known... Our dogs have much deeper emotional lives than they've been given credit for!

[hheldorfer]

I think your story is hilarious!  A Cairn can find creative ways of showing his displeasure. 

[montdoug]

It certainly shows that they function on a lot deeper and possibly somewhat "vindictive level" or so it seems, it was like there, take that you big Cretin!

[Kathryn]

Funny! Years ago, before I started keeping cairns, I had two small terrier-type mixed breeed dogs, called Jesse and James! (My two bandits...).  James, the older of the two, definitely thought he was top dog.  They would race around the yard after each other, peeing on whatever the other had just peed on. Huge marking contests!  Then, one day while I was watching them, James walked over and raised his leg on Jesse! And Jesse just stood still, watching.  I always thought he was wondering, "Now how do I top that?"

[montdoug]

I guess sometimes the only thing one can say is, Touche'.

 

[Sam I Am]

A friend of mine used to have a Lakeland Terrier and if he didn’t like certain visitors for one reason or another, he would back up to their shoes taken off at the door, and with perfect aim poop right into them! He wasn’t called Tony the terrible terrier for nothing.

[Lynn in TN]

I almost spit my coffee on my computer. Kelly (girl cairn) peed on Prissy's (rescue cairn) dog bed. 

[kieiras mom]

We caretakers of animals have  a lot  of laughter in our lives dont we!