Category: dogs

Posted in dogs

A long walk and tiny bones

Posted on by William Douthwaite

This past Saturday, we and the dogs took a walk over the Flagler Beach bridge and back. Going up was warm, but the breeze felt wonderful as we descended towards the ocean. Sun Bros Cafe came into sight and we sat outside with a couple of iced coffees.

As soon as I filled up a collapsable water bowl for the dogs, Willow (the Great Dane) stepped in it, spilling it onto the sidewalk. After a quick refill, both laid down in the shade of our table to watch people walking by.

When we’ve got the dogs with, we attract attention. Passersby can’t help but smile. Some will ask what kind of dog the big one is, and their eyes get bigger when we say, “She’s a four-month-old Great Dane.” Then everyone exclaims, “Wow, look at those big feet!”

After a while, someone from the cafe came out to say hi and had two dog biscuits in his hands. They were the tiniest dog biscuits I’ve ever seen. They were bone-shaped, but only about 1/2 inch long. The dogs eagerly ate them. But the look on their faces said, “Is that it? You call that a bone?” They are all about the bones. If I even say the word bone, they run from wherever they are in the house and sit in front of the kitchen cabinet where we keep our bone canister. By the way, ours is filled with legit bones, at least three inches long.

The concrete barrier provided just enough shade for the dogs on the return walk back to the car. With long tongues and lots of panting, we had to help them jump into the van. Of course, by the time they got home they were ready to chase each other around the back yard. But for now, they were tired and happy dogs.

Posted in dogs

What do you see up there?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Willow the Great Dane
Winston the West Highland White Terrier

So I went outside and caught both dogs looking up in the sky. Typically, their world is limited to the smells on the ground and objects the in front of them. Now, all of a sudden, they’ve discovered some really interesting stuff above them.

The ground is where they find lizards in the backyard and bunnies along the side of the road. They usually lose a squirrel as soon as it scampers up a tree or utility pole.

But lately, their attention has been drawn to the sky. They watch the hawks soar overhead. They bark and chase down squirrels running across the top of the fence. They recognize the sound of a low-flying single engine plane or the hospital helicopter, and watch them over the house. They enjoy watching the tall pine trees wave in the wind.

When I see them do this, I look up, too. They pique my curiosity and I wonder, “What’s up there? What are you guys looking at?” I always think of the guy who just stood on a city sidewalk, looking up at a skyscraper. Before long, others joined him. When someone asked, “What are looking at?” No one knew. But they didn’t want to miss out on whatever it was.

Maybe the two dogs have conspired in this. “Let’s look up and see if we can him to look up, too!” It works.

Posted in dogs

Security system signs: genuine or fake?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

While walking the dogs this morning, I took note of how many homes have a security sign in the front yard. They aren’t new. I’ve seen them before. I’m so used to seeing them that I usually don’t notice them. But today I saw ADT, Guardian, Vivint, SimpliSafe, Ring, Alarm Pro or some other sign in three-quarters of the homes we passed.

Do you think all those homes have installed security systems? If not, what percentage simply purchased a sign to put in the front yard to deter burglars? Does that work? Can a bad guy spot the difference between a fake and the real thing? Will they play it safe and move on to another home? Or does a security system sign tip them off that there is something of value inside?

I also see cameras on many houses. Are they all hooked up and monitored? How many are just props?

Some houses don’t need any of the above. We can’t even walk by the house without snarling dogs in the window warning us to stay away. I know it’s not foolproof, but I kind of like the canine option. In fact, I enjoy it when a door-to-door security system salesperson knocks on our door, invoking a cacophony of barks and growls. And I am looking forward to that day when such a person sees a fully grown Great Dane looking at them through the front door.

Posted in dogs

Was he dead or playing possum?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

On our morning walk this morning, the dogs caught a whiff of this possum out in a neighbor’s front yard. For a moment, I thought he was dead. Then I remembered that possums “play possum,” or pretend to be dead when threatened. I thought they were nocturnal. I can’t remember the last time I saw one in the day time.

So I did some research. Opossums can be out day or night foraging for food. And they don’t just pretend to be dead. Apparently, they faint when threatened and express an unpleasant odor so that a predator will leave them alone.

My friend Phil called them “soft shell armadillos.” He was not a fan. But it was armadillos, not possum, that was digging up his yard.

Opossums are immune to venom and are rabies resistant. They are omnivores, and will eat a lot of the snails, slugs, beetles, and ticks found in gardens.

We never know who we’ll meet on our walks!

Posted in dogs

I didn’t realize how noisy a morning could be

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Marcus Saylor on Unsplash

A gentle rain began to fall about a quarter mile into our morning walk. It was just enough to warrant a head-to-toe shake from the dogs every ten minutes.

As we walked, the pup (Willow, our fourth-month-old Great Dane) paused in her tracks, perked up her ears, and turned towards every little noise. For her, every sound is a new experience, and this morning was full of them.

  • Rain hitting the garbage bags lining the street, waiting for pickup.
  • A truck gently splashing through a puddle.
  • The staccato of raindrops hitting a sunroom’s metal roof.
  • The mmreep of a frog hiding in a drainage swale.
  • Heavier drops of rain hitting the ground when the breeze kicked up.
  • The drip of a leaky gutter.

I didn’t notice any of these sounds until she slightly tilted her head and wrinkled her brow, trying to figure out each one. What I thought was a nice quiet morning turned out to be filled with fascinating noise.

Posted in dogs

Walking in the rain

Posted on by William Douthwaite

It was a rainy weekend, so my daily walks with the dogs were wet. I didn’t hear any thunder and there weren’t any downpours, but I was glad I wore my rain jacket. I needed a few towels to dry off the beasts when we returned home.

As we walked, I noticed how quiet rainy walks are. We didn’t encounter anyone else in the morning or the evening. Only a couple of cars drove by. No birds were singing. No squirrels were chittering. It’s just us, a cool breeze, and the gentle background noise of raindrops.

Both dogs are reluctant to go out at first, but enjoy it once we get going. Every once in a while, they pause to shake off the water, starting from the head and working to the tail. Thirsty? There’s always a puddle to sample. Mud along the side of the road? They don’t even notice it as they walk through.

I used to run with Labrador retrievers. Cold and rainy? They loved it. We called it “Labrador weather.” The more inclement, the better. Driving rain? Bring it on. Freezing rain? Better watch your step. It’s pouring. Their look said, “Can we go outside?”

Some of my best runs and road races were on rainy days. The rain is a cooling agent against the heat running generates. So I could push a little harder and go a little long with a gentle shower. I ran some of my best training and race times in the rain. Running in the rain is empowering. Nothing can stop you, not even the elements.

When we adopted our Westie, the previous owners had bought him a monogrammed raincoat. A raincoat for a dog? Nope. Not for my dog. I never wore anything special to run in. If it’s raining, you’re going to get wet. Get used to it. Savor it. Enjoy it.

Posted in dogs

Around the block, at last

Posted on by William Douthwaite

I’ll admit, I was a little worried. Our new Great Dane pup didn’t want anything to do with walking on a leash. Unlike our other dog, who is always ready to go a mile or two, the noob just “muled.” She sat there looking at me, She wouldn’t budge.

A walk around the block would have been great exercise. There are so many people and dogs to get to know in the neighborhood. We needed to lawyer this skill before she got too big.

I tried different collars. I tried a harness around her chest. I tried laying out a trail of snacks up the block six feet apart. No luck. She wouldn’t leave her beloved backyard.

Of course I read all I could about her hesitancy. Most said to just give her time. And that was good advice.

As she grew, she became more curious. So I clipped on the leash and let it hang. She didn’t mind running around with it loose. When I sat on the ground, she couldn’t resist coming to see what I was up to. Or to crawl in my lap and lick my face.

After that, I sat in the garage, then the driveway, and then in the neighbors yard. Slowly but surely she ventured farther from the house.

But our Westie was the one who saved the day. Where he goes, she likes to follow. Along the garden wall to chase lizards. Into the dishwasher to lick dishes. Into the bathroom to pull out the toilet paper. And down the street for a walk.

To the neighbor’s house. Then to the curve in the road. To the end of our street. And yesterday, around the block! Our walks ate part of our daily routine again.

Posted in dogs

The treats were good: my visit to the veterinarian

Posted on by William Douthwaite
My first visit to the veterinarian

Today was Willow’s first visit to the veterinarian since we brought her home on January 2. Willow is our eleven-week-old Great Dane puppy. My grandson came along with me so she would have someone to sit with in the car. Otherwise, she would probably be in my lap.

When we arrived, I had her sit on the scale, curious to see how much she had grown in the last four weeks. She was thirteen pounds when we picked her up in Ocala, but weighed in at twenty-four pounds today! We were told she would double in size each month, but seeing is believing.

One of the vet techs saw Willow and immediately came over and sat down for snuggles and kisses. She has two Great Danes of her own. I asked, “How big are they?”

She said, “My female is one hundred and twenty pounds, and the male is one eighty.” So that is what we have to look forward to!

We were one of the first appointments of the day, so another tech took us back to an exam room right away. I took the leash off and she eagerly sniffed out every corner of the room. I let her sample the array of treats on the counter, and she loved every one. Most of our dogs turn their noses up at the vet’s snacks, but Willow devoured them all.

Willow was her wiggly self as the tech and vet examined her. She thought it was all a game as they peered into her ears and mouth, listened to her heart and lungs, and got a temperature via the ear (thank goodness). We only needed one injection today, and Willow didn’t flinch. We only bought one heart worm and parasite pill, since she’ll be in the next weight class next month. And we made an appointment for a booster in a month. The veterinarian gave me some advice on spaying, and we were out of there.

As we left, I realized that the exam room was the same one where we said goodbye to Samson, our shepherd/lab mix, exactly seven months ago. Since Willow’s coloring is the same as Sam’s, I’ll catch a glimpse of him out of the corner of my eye. She’s got big shoes to fill. But given the size of her feet, that shouldn’t be a problem!

Posted in dogs

“Are you saying you want a piece of me?”

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Martin Katler on Unsplash

As I pulled into the driveway of a friend’s house, the neighbor (also a friend) was walking a tan french bulldog in her front yard. She dog-sits in her home, and this was her latest guess, a little girl named Poppy, just a year old.

Of course I walked over to say hi, but Poppy was having none of that. She got into a defensive stance and let out her fiercest growl, letting me know that I was not welcome. I can’t help but laugh when I am held at bay by fifteen pounds of pup. As I chatted with my friend, I sat on the ground about five yards away. Once I did that, Poppy’s curiosity got the best of her, and she took a cautious step in my direction. Numerous sniffs and steps later, she was smelling the back of my hand, her stumpy tail beginning to vibrate back and forth. Once I ran my hand down her back, she crawled up into my lap and my friend said, “Now you’re speaking her love language.” I only had a few minutes to pet her back and scratch her tummy, and we parted as each other’s new best friend.

The night before, at the meal before bible study, I met a first time attender, Troy, who shared a very different dog story with me. After a moment of small talk he told me about the dog who bit his seven-year-old daughter. The daughter was across the street at a neighbor’s house for a birthday party. Something triggered their friendly and familiar German Shepherd to attack, and the little girl had to be airlifted to a trauma center. Thankfully, doctors were able to save her life and repair the damage. In fact, his daughter was there that night for the children’s program and she looked just fine.

I asked, “Did they put the dog down?”

He replied, “No. The case was dismissed. She still lives across the street.”

Yes, that would make me very uncomfortable. Plus, I’ll bet there’s a lot more to this story.

Anyway, when it comes to dogs or people, it’s not always the gruffest and grouchiest ones you need to watch out for. The friendliest ones might be the ones who really want a piece of you.