These are random musings of my life journey, the people, animals, places, and events which have woven, and continue to weave, a tapestry that is me. We all know there is no real destination, only the ongoing experiences which blend together, creating the trail. Each step gives a glimpse of what is to come, without allowing me to see the end result. It is exciting. I have a home base that is mine, that gives me a place to rest. This is it. This is where my heart is, no matter where I journey...................

Thursday, February 04, 2010

Dogs

My dogs. They frequently come up with something new that surprises me. Or confuses me. Or amuses me. Or frustrates me.

I do not give them table food. I think most of it is not good for dogs, so I try to stick to a healthy doggy-diet for them. Once in a blue moon I will give them each a small bit of meat or a couple pieces of popcorn, something for a treat. When I do that, I do it away from the table, so they don't associate the treats with the table, and thus, begin begging. It has worked pretty well.

Max is the only one who really "gets" human food. He is the one that I suspect lived on the streets for a period of time, so he probably got a lot of food from garbage cans or on the ground around restaurants or fast food places. He hangs out at my feet while I cook, hoping for me to drop something, and I often do drop small things like a shred of cheese or some crumbs. Lola watched Max for a while, and she got the idea and now hangs close in the kitchen, also. But the other three haven't bothered me. Until last week. Uh-huh.

I was in the refrigerator, getting something out, and I knocked a take-out container from the previous day's lunch to the floor. It popped open, and a pretty large amount of food on the floor. It was mostly vegetables, both raw and cooked, but flavored with the chicken that was included. I picked up the box pretty quickly, but before I could grab up the spilled food, all five of the babies were scarfing it down. I decided it was not worth trying to fight them all off, so I just let them clean up the mess. The floor was spotless when they got through!!

I thought nothing about it at the time, after all, it was just a one time thing. Until a few hours later.

I was putting the snow ice cream in the freezer, and I tried to set one container on the counter top while I stowed the other. Unfortunately, I didn't get it all the way on the counter, and it fell off. The top popped off and a significant part of the ice cream tumbled out. There was probably about 3/4 cup on the floor, and just as had happened earlier, all five dogs were instantly in the kitchen. The ice cream had scattered, so everyone got some, and I decided again to just let it go.

However ..............................

Now every time I open the refrigerator, my little darlings are all in the kitchen, very alert, tails wagging happily, and tongues hanging out hopefully!! Not only that, but when I'm fixing myself some food, they also wait expectantly for little bits to fall! They have been turned on to the wonderful world of human food. Dang.

I am trying to figure out a way to block them from the kitchen to break the bad habit, but my kitchen is a very open design, defying setting up a blockade. I'll figure out a way eventually, but in the mean time I have to be careful about turning around too quickly in the kitchen, or I will step on a dog or two! Pain in the tush!!

Durn dogs catch onto bad habits far too quickly!! I'd make a threat about giving them away, but I know a couple of you who would be at my door in five seconds flat! No, I'm keeping the little woogers.

6 comments:

  1. Welcome to my world. I can't go in the kitchen without Sophie right under my foot. The benefit of a dog that enjoys cleaning up my messes is the floor is usually cleaner than if I had mopped it.

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  2. LOL! I know!! I couldn't believe what a good job they did!

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  3. So, what you're saying is, in essence, that dogs learn bad habits quickly, just like humans. Will wonders never cease?

    ~hippo hugs~

    P.S. I really miss my dog.

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  4. Well, Pam, I think I'd have to put it this way: Dogs learn BAD habits instantly. Dogs learn good habits painfully slowly!!!

    I know. I still miss my "old dogs," the ones I lost in the last 3 years.

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  5. I cannot imagine what a day in your life must be like with 5 of those little acrobats.

    I'm weak, mine knows all about people food. Of course that's only one, not five.

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  6. LOL! Linda, you're right, with 5 I couldn't allow that! They would gang up and mug me for orts, I think!!

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If you have something to say about it, just stick out your thumb, and I'll slow down so you can hop aboard! But hang on, 'cause I'm movin' on down the road!!! No time to waste!!!