Episode #29: Here they come, take cover!

Bonnie

Clyde

We have spent a lot of time this week out in the back yard. The dogs love it and it gives me some much needed “down time.” There have been a few things that I have noticed as we hung out in the yard.

1. They love the corners of the yard. I don’t know why this is more interesting than the regular yard, but they have their reasons.

2. Clyde loves to pee on the fence. He chooses it about 70% of the time.

3. Even in play, they instinctively dodge the poop they I haven’t picked up yet.

4. When they wrestle and chase, I’m afraid they will knock over the neighbors’ fences one day. They hit them so hard

5. They smell bugs and other smells under the ground and if I’m not watching, they will dig at the smell. (I have several patches in the yard right now that proves this.)

6. Our neighbor’s fence casts a two-foot shadow into our yard. This seems to be a strip that they love to be in. It doesn’t matter if it’s wrestling, running, or resting; they love it.

7. They don’t use the doggie windows a much as I thought they would.

8. They pick and choose what things to run to the fence and bark at.

9. The swing is “base” in their game of tag. Bonnie and Clyde try to run under it to get the upper hand, but the other dog always follows them right under. So, it’s not safe, but they continually try anyway!

10. Wherever the human is, is where they wrestle. Even though they are focused on each other as they play, they feel safe and protected by us. This is very unfortunate when you’re trying to walk anywhere because they wrestle all around you.

11. They run, from across the yard, straight toward you. The visual of a huge, powerful dog running as fast as they can toward you is a little daunting. Usually, one pup is being chased by the other and they are at full speed, eyes locked toward you! AAAGGGHHH!

12. Bonnie loves to get in the swing with you and climb behind you to make nest. It doesn’t matter if there is room or if it pushes you out of your comfortable position. She keeps going until you give in.

13. Clyde likes to get on the swing at look over the back.

14. AND OBVIOULY, I spend way too much time sitting and watching my pups. (It’s like they’re a TV show).

A squirrel was perched on the fence today. Bonnie lasered in on it and ignored everything else in her morning routine. Seeing that I wasn’t going to get their morning tasks accomplished until the squirrel left, I open the door and they darted to the fence. I thought mayhem would break loose when I opened the back door but to my surprise, there was not a single bark. They did scare it away, but they seemed curious and friendly. They stayed at the fence for a few minutes but then went about their morning ritual. Just as they thought they had seen the last of it, it scurried back across the fence again headed to a nearby tree. Bonnie and Clyde took off toward the tree and looked up to watch it, but again, no barking! Interesting weirdos!

Oh, the noises that came from both of them when the saw the neighborhood cat walking through the yard across the street! I thought there was something wrong, but closer inspection left me shaking my head. But they stayed at the window for the next hour on high alert. I can only assume it was do get another glimpse. Their persistence paid off. The cat did return, but only to sit and relax in a driveway a few doors down. This just kept the pups on edge and at the window even longer!

As if that wasn’t enough the cat, unknowingly, found more ways to torture the pups. He began chasing a chipmunk next door. The chipmunk didn’t run away but ran in large circles instead. All this outside drama increased (along with the weird noises from the pups) as the chipmuck ran into our yard, around the tree and into the landscaping. Now the cat was perched right outside the window, waiting for the chipmuck to appear from underneath a rock. All of this was happening in perfect view of Bonnie and Clyde, and they were intensely whining, barking, and jumping at the window. The cat ignored their commotion as he pawed at the rock.

We shewed the cat away, to no avail. He returned for his prey. We threw water on him, he returned. Finally, we physically chased him out of the yard long enough to remove the rock to allow the chipmunk to escape before the cat returned again.

Now I see why the dogs sit and stare out the window. What drama!

Ashley shares her banana with Clyde. Bonnie gets in on the action too, but Ashley brings a banana from home, just to have a moment with Clyde. They will take turns with bites, and he patiently waits for his next bite. He knows what the peel looks like and drools at the mouth when he sees her walking in the house with one. I hope she realizes that if she ever wants to eat a whole banana, she will need to leave the house.