Doggie Dreams–I am not referring to people dreaming about dogs and what is the meaning in all of that, but rather wondering about Jasmine’s dreams and your pup’s dreams. At least once a day in one of Jasmine’s long resting periods she will begin to make noises–little mini barks, twitch around, whine and appear to be having a very active dream. Sometimes she seems disturbed, sometimes perplexed and sometimes just happy as she makes little sighing noises.
I often look at her and listen and make up in my head what she might be dreaming about. Research on dog’s dreams indicate they needs dreams just like humans. It helps to purge their thoughts and helps them with their memory retention. Today as she is dreaming, laying at my feet I wonder if she is dreaming about the little doggie’s we passed on our walk today. They were very loud and barky and really wanted to chomp Jazz’s ears off. Jazz wagged and just looked at them like “what?”. Or is she dreaming about the dog she barked at and about jumped through our door at this morning? Maybe the big, bad garbage truck that came up from behind us a couple of days ago? Is she dreaming with concern about the carpet we ripped out last night and threw into a dumpster? After all that was her scratching, rolling, playing, chasing area. She might be dreaming about cheese (her favorite thing in the world) or maybe about laying in the kitchen as we bake her treats and she gets lots of tastes.
Whatever she is dreaming I hope it is happy and peaceful. I hope when she awakens she is happy to see her reality here in the office with mommy working and jazz playing on the radio. I hope all our dogs have waggin’ delightful dreams. What do you think your doggie dreams about?
Tags: dog_dreams
There is so much you can learn about dogs simply by observation. They are really wise, fun to watch, and predictable all rolled into one lovable chunk with a Waggin’ tail. One trait that I have learned about dogs is that they are very territorial. This was something observed from taking our dog, Jasmine, on her daily morning walk.
Summertime is a great time to get up (reasonably) early, and go outside for a morning walk with the dog. My wife (doggie mommy) Debbie, and I had very often take the time to enjoy a long walk through our wooded neighborhood with Jasmine. We are fortunate to have such a great neighborhood to walk in, and it even has a lake where ducks and geese have found their fall and winter home.
At home, Jasmine like to lay in front of our open front door and watch the world go by. However, when there are people jogging by, or other dogs on walks with their people out in front of the house, Jasmine barks and growls to let them know this is her yard and her house and they aren’t especially welcome. With this reaction in mind, on our walk, I had been concerned that seeing people our in their yards, or seeing other dogs would generate the same excitement. But was I surprised at what did happen.
Debbie and I discussed Jasmine and her barking at people and dogs going by our house. She proposed the theory that it happened at our house because it was where Jasmine lived. It was her territory. Further, Debbie had said that she would wager going past a neighbor’s yard with a dog in it would have the opposite effect on Jasmine. Not only would she not bark, but if their dog barked, Jasmine would not even respond. In effect, Jasmine would acknowledge that other dogs in their yard or house were telling her the same thing, namely that was their territory, and she was not particularly welcome.
Interestingly enough, that is exactly what happened. Every time we met someone on our walk, she was very polite, and the best dog ever. When we walked past neighbor’s yards with dogs, their dogs would bark, or run out to see Jasmine, but she would not make a sound. That was not her space, and she recognized it. This happens every time, and it is really interesting to watch.
Dogs do have a very definite sense of territory, and in that territory, they are very protective. This is true no only with other humans, but with other dogs. How interesting and insightful it is to see the interaction between dogs as they define and recognize each other’s territory. Even more interesting is how they acknowledge it with each other. When we walk past a neighbor’s yard with a dog growling at Jasmine, she doesn’t let out anything louder than a little wimper. It is like she is mumbling “OK, OK, I get it.”.
This is but one example of the many ways instinct comes into play to define an action or reaction in dogs. Watching and observing these can be a lot of fun, and on a morning walk, it sure beats mentally stressing over the day’s “to-do” list. You might even say that it can help both you and your dog get through the day Waggin’ Delightfully.
Tags: dog_instinct, dog_parents, dog_territory, dog_walking, walking_dogs
“We’d love to take our dog to the mountains with us this summer, but with the kids, there is no room in the car, then there is the hotel problem, and so on. It’s just not that easy.” This is conversation that is heard over and over every summer as the family starts to plan for the annual vacation trip.
The thoughts here are very true, because taking the family dog on a trip requires a lot of planning, as well as some concessions. Certainly there are a lot more hotels out there that are pet friendly than there use to be, but not all are so that requires planning. You may want to take the kids to a theme park and they are not the place that your dog would be welcome, or safe. And although Spot may not have a suitcase full of clothes, you will have to consider adequate food, toys, possibly a crate, and other items that are essential for your dog to be healthy and safe.
So that brings up the option of keeping the dog in a kennel while you are away. Kennels have come a log ways, and there are types to suit every need and human fancy. You should always visit and check out the kennel first prior to dropping your dog off. The minimum that you will likely find is a clean pen with a run for minimal exercise and toilet needs, 24/7 monitoring by someone on premises, guaranteed medical attention if needed, regular feeding and watering, weather protection, and disinfected pens. They will also contact your vet if needed and require that pets are current on all vaccinations, including Bordetella vaccination for kennel cough for dogs.
But beyond the basics, there are kennels that provide every comfort that is common to a 4 star hotel. There are kennels with carpet, TV, Stereo, showers, you name it, and you can find it. Are these expensive amenities necessary? A lot depends on your tastes how you view your dog and his needs. The luxury items found in expensive kennels are aimed at you the owner, not at your dog.
We have found a very good kennel that is in the “basics” category. It is clean, climate controlled, well staffed around the clock, and has great runs for exercise. They insist on medical records, and do not accept any dog that is currently contagious. We always provide the food, which is the same as she eats at home every day. We also provide a cuple of her favorite toys to make her feel a touch of home while she is there. The owner is a warm grandfather type with white hair and a white beard. During the holiday season he becomes Santa Claus at a local shopping center.
It isn’t the closest kennel to us, but another important factor is that Jasmine our dog likes it. We have used the same kennel for the last two years, and now, whenever we do drop Jasmine off, she goes in tail wagging, and rolls over for a pet from the owner. That to me is a very deciding factor.
If you use a kennel, make sure that it is one where your dog is properly fed, watered, and maintained. If the reason for using the kennel is a vacation or other family or friend oriented affair, the last thing you want to do is worry and wonder how your dog is doing. Finding a good kennel should be something that both you and your dog should agree on. Then relax, enjoy and both you and your dog can go Waggin’ Delightfully.
Tags: dogs_in_cars, dog_friendly_vacation, dog_kennels, dog_motel, dog_traveler, vacation_with_dog
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