Labrador retriever » Dogs Don't Look Both Ways

name one dog who inspires you

_Stuff about dogs in General No Responses »

May 252009

Is there a dog who inspires you? What does this dog inspire you to do or to be? Why do some dogs or breeds love to run so much?

Last night I heard my dad telling my mom about all the people who have asked about me since I haven’t been out running. My dad still goes out running and when these people see him, they ask, “Where’s your dog?” or “Is your dog okay?”

Before I was hurt, one woman who doesn’t even have a dog said to my dad, “Watching Joey run with such abandon and having so much fun is such an inspiration to me.” She told him that seeing me run makes her want to walk everyday. Wow. Even though running is my nature, since I’m a Labrador Retriever, I know that my dad inspires me to run. We’ve been running together since I was a puppy. When I see him put on his running shoes, even when it’s 5 a.m., or snowing outside, I immediately get excited and start whacking my tail on the floor to express my happiness, and make my way over to my lead. I’m wide awake and rearing to go. Except that these days, he’ll say “No, Joey. Not this time.”

The only thing is that my dad doesn’t like about running with me is when I stop suddenly to take a pee, or to smell the scent of a female that has been around. Other than that, we make a great duo.

Today, when my dad saw all the energy I had, he asked my mom when I get my next set of x-rays taken. He’s anxious to run with me because we both like to run long distances. On a good day we will run for 45 minutes to one hour. On a short day we will run for 20 minutes. He misses running with his running partner, and I miss running with mine!

read my mind

7: Recuperation, _Stuff about dogs in General 2 Responses »

May 132009

Does your dog understand any words? Can he put words together into sentences? Why can he learn some words and not others? Is it possible to prevent a dog who likes to dig from digging? Is it possible to prevent a dog who likes to escape from escaping?

Today marks five weeks and one day since I was hit by the car, and one week since my surgery to repair my broken ankle.

My parents are starting to think about the future. That’s a word that is foreign to me. Words like “go” and “eat” and “walk” and “outside” and “downstairs” and “upstairs” and “kisses” and “dad” and “jane” and “bed” and “treat” have meaning to me. I can also understand words put together in sentences, such as “Go to Dad” or “Go to Jane” and “off the sofa”. But words like “future” are just sounds.

If I could choose one big word to add to my vocabulary, it would be “opportunity”. If I see an opportunity to go outside the gate, and it’s not raining, I do. read-my-mind

That is, in fact, something I did today, which was a delightful day. For a few moments, my mom left the back door wide open and the gate was wide open too, and she wasn’t looking at me and I walked down the three steps that lead to the outside, and out the back door and through the gate. That is when she saw me and said, ‘Joey, no! Come inside.” I had been so happy outside. I looked at her like, “What’s the problem?” but I came inside anyway.

Here in this photo, you can probably read my mind.

My parents have been leaving the gate open lately since I’m not allowed to go outside except for when I’m on the leash. Generally my mom has been excellent about leaving the doors to the outside closed and always putting me on the lead when she brings me outside for a walk, or to just sit in the sun for a few moments. But this was one moment when she was distracted. And I was not far behind. To me, there was an opportunity, and I seized it.

I also violated the rule about going up or down stairs without being lead by the leash. I have to say that it’s their rule, not mine.

So my parents are starting to think about the future. They are starting to think about what to do in order to prevent me from getting out of the yard again, unattended. They are talking to people and dog-owners about what to do to keep me from escaping again; after all, I’m a dog, and a Labrador Retriever. My parents have all sorts of ideas, none of them, from my point of view, good ideas.

Even Mary, my favorite mail carrier, who brings me a bone every day and lets me kiss her, said “How are you going to keep Joey in? They’re diggers. They dig. Digging is what they do.”

Where are my friends when I need them?

my family tree

7: Recuperation, _Stuff about dogs in General No Responses »

May 112009

How much do you know about your dog’s breed? How much do you know about your dog’s family tree? Why do you think dogs were bred to be hunters and fishers? You can learn about your dog’s nature by learning about his breed and his family tree.

While I’m recuperating, I thought I’d tell you a little something about my family tree.

First, I’m a Labrador Retriever. Labrador Retrievers have a nickname, “Fisherman’s Friend” and a look at our paws shows that our toes are webbed! Our powerful tail, which on me is usually wagging, is used to steer us when we are swimming. Labrador Retrievers were also bred to be used in hunting: We would retrieve, or bring back, the small animal such as a bird to our owner. Fisherman from Newfoundland, in Canada, first brought us to Great Britain in the 1830′s and there we became known as “Labrador Retrievers”.

I was born in Connecticut in 1999. My father was Buckfold Classical Sir and he was British. He was classified “Junior Hunter”, a champion hunting dog. I have many championship hunters from my father’s side, such as my father’s grandfather Bradking Cassidy, and his great- grandfather Armadha Mad Hatter and his-great-grandmother, Bradking Black Charm,and her parents Follytower Merry Brook Black Stormer and Bradking Bonny My Girl, and not to forget my great-great-great grandfather Charway Ballywill Will, and my great-great-great-great-grandmother, the famous Sandylands Tandy, on and on it goes, back and back in time to the great Banchory Bolo.

My mother was Cocoa and she was American. I loved her. She was my mother.

In my litter, things were doing just fine. I had brothers and sisters born with me! My mother was only 3 or 4 years old when I was born. However, while I was still a little puppy, my mom got sick and died.

All of us brothers and sisters found new homes and parents to love and take care of us. Fortunately, Phil came along and brought me to his home and I had a whole new human family, with two parents and a sister who loved and love me very much.

Here’s a funny story about how my littermate sister and I met by chance one day: One day Jane and I were together, she was bringing me to a kennel for a few days, and in the lobby a she saw another chocolate Labrador Retriever that looked just like me and she went up to her parents and asked, “Where was your dog born?” and “How old is your dog?” and it turned out that this was my sister and littermate! You see, Rosie, one of my Labrador Retriever sisters, lives in my town and finally, after 9 -1/2 years, we were in the same place at the same time.

You can see, in the photo to the right, how we have a family resemblance.

Since that day, Rosie’s mom and my mom Jane have been communicating. They want to get together with us two Labrador Retrievers and we will all take a walk together when I get better and am allowed to walk for longer distances and to be around other dogs! Rosie, the day of our reunion

Here’s a funny story about how my sister and I met by chance one day: One day Jane and I were together, and she saw another chocolate Labrador Retriever that looked just like me and she went up to her parents and asked, “Where was your dog born?” and “How old is your dog?” and it turned out that this was my sister and littermate! You see, Rosie, one of my Labrador Retriever sisters, lives in my town and finally, after 9 -1/2 years, we were in the same place at the same time

You can see, in the photos of Rosie both to the left and right, how we have a family resemblance. We even have the same grey hairs!

Since then, my sister’s mom and my mom Jane have been communicating. They want to get together with us two Labrador Retrievers and we will all take a walk together when I get better and am allowed to walk for longer distances!

I have a lot to look forward to.

good neighbors

7: Recuperation 2 Responses »

May 102009

How do dogs perceive something far off in the distance? Do they use their sense of sight, hearing, smell, or touch? Why would the doctor not allow our friend Joey to chase a squirrel?

Every day I have gone out for my daily walks but today I am finally allowed to go outside to sit outside on the grass, like I used to, as long as I am wearing a sock on my wounded foot, and have a plastic bag over that. I still have to be on the leash at all times. Dr. M said I might want to chase a squirrel or go run to say hello to a neighbor and the leash will prevent me from running off. He knows me very well and we’ve just met; how could this be? Doesn’t he trust me? Still, it was fine with me. I can’t run around much anyway, since my ankle is really sore from the surgery. For now, I’m happy to be outside in my world!

When I walk, sometimes I hop on my three paws, holding the fourth leg up in the air, and sometimes now I’m actually using my fourth paw, putting my 4^th leg down every now and then. Dr. M said this was a good idea, because he wants my muscles to get nice and strong again.

That hole over on the side that I dug…It’s still there. But today I’m not getting any ideas.

wait

Wait. I perceive some movement beyond the fence. Who’s that I see and hear off in the distance? Is that my little neighbor, Zooey, and her mom? Oh, it is! Can she see me? I’ll just quickly wag my tail and say hello!

Zooey’s mom calls hello back, and tells Zooey to say “Hi Joey!” They wave. Then Jane calls out, “Joey had his surgery two days ago and now he can have visitors.” Soon Zooey and Zooey’s mom come over to my home to say “Hello, Joey!” closeup. They walk slowly because Zooey is only now learning how to walk. This is great. When Zooey and her mom come into our home, I am very excited, because I love to play with children. However, I’m a big dog and almost 10 years old, and Zooey is a small child and only 2 years old.

So on this afternoon, my mom puts me in the living room and closes the new gate that we have, and Zooey stands in the hallway in the arms of her mommy, and she waves at me from there, and says, “Hello, Joey!” Then she smiles, and I wag my tail. Both Zooey and I are happy.

We have great neighbors, and I’m a Labrador Retriever, after all, and being neighborly is one of my and our favorite hobbies.

digging is one of our hobbies

1: My Background. Begin Here 1 Response »

Apr 162009

Let’s understand something about Labrador Retrievers. Digging is one of our main hobbies. Owners of Labrador Retrievers are forever asking the question, “How can I stop my dog from digging?”

chicken-wire

In our old home, the soil was too rocky and glaciated for me to dig my way out successfully. In my new house I’m lucky because the soil is much softer and I can really dig down deep – and quickly.

My favorite places to dig are around trees and by the sides of our home, particularly in the nook of a corner where it was particularly shaded or hidden. Studying my habits, however, m mom Jane got pretty clever and decided to purchase chicken wire and to lay it under the dirt around the trees and in particular between the trees and the house, one of my favorite digging spots. On top of the dirt she placed small rocks to keep the dirt and the chicken wire down, and to make the area look a little more attractive; in some places she lay down slates as an extra deterrent.

Here is a photo of one of my favorite digging spots – of the past. If you look, you’ll be able to see the chicken wire sticking out. It was an excellent spot, in between a tree and a wall, until my mom outsmarted me.

Here is a photo of one of my favorite digging spots – of the past. If you look, you’ll be able to see the chicken wire sticking out. It was a good spot, hidden by the trees, until my mom outsmarted me.