None of our animals act like they are expected to. Neighbouring farmers are often shaking their heads in bewilderment.
Maybe it is because we love animals almost as much as kids? Our indoor pets and our farm animals really are part of our family and as a result they interact in amazing ways. I will only relate a couple of dog/cat tales here because Iggy the bunny and our Guinea PIG need poste all their own
There was Mickey our handsome tom cat who followed Michael around the farm as he did chores. Often Mickey would perch on a fence post and stand his ground as a cow licked his entire body, lifting him up to stand on his hind legs. When the cow was done, Mickey would simply sit down again on the post. Actually, most of our cats are more like dogs; they follow the kids down the lane to catch the school bus, sleep with the dog and chase balls like dogs.
Then there was Shaker our golden retriever, who sat for hours each day with his back to our three youngest as they played inside and outside; he was our gentle but vigilant guard dog.
Our current dog is a chocolate lab who tries his best to get our attention and if he doesn't, he will sabotage anything that keeps us from relating to him. Just before Lucy gets home from school, he'll snatch the T.V. remote because she likes to relax for a bit in the living room when she first gets home and she ignores Duke. The computer mouse is snatched from me when my back is turned if Duke is feeling slighted.
One weekend when Katie was home from university, she pushed him off the chesterfield while she was reading and said,
"No more snuggling; I need to stretch my legs."
This dog weighs 89lbs. Duke, never taking his eyes off Katie, suddenly darted his tongue into her coffee and turned and walked out, ignoring Katie's indignation,
" You big jerk! You don't even like coffee!"
One afternoon a few months ago, while my husband Michael was ice fishing, he chastised Duke for playing with a fish on the ice. Before Michael knew it, Duke had picked up the fish and dropped it back into the water through his fishing hole, once again looking straight at his accuser.
I must say in Duke's defens , that he works right along my side as my partner when I pull old wild grape vines and he leaps in the air to grab scruffy tree limbs that I can only cut halfway through with the pruning shears. Much more helpful than a guinea pig.
Don't forget, dogs bark when visitors come.
Handy when you don't have an electric doorbell.
Maybe it is because we love animals almost as much as kids? Our indoor pets and our farm animals really are part of our family and as a result they interact in amazing ways. I will only relate a couple of dog/cat tales here because Iggy the bunny and our Guinea PIG need poste all their own
There was Mickey our handsome tom cat who followed Michael around the farm as he did chores. Often Mickey would perch on a fence post and stand his ground as a cow licked his entire body, lifting him up to stand on his hind legs. When the cow was done, Mickey would simply sit down again on the post. Actually, most of our cats are more like dogs; they follow the kids down the lane to catch the school bus, sleep with the dog and chase balls like dogs.Then there was Shaker our golden retriever, who sat for hours each day with his back to our three youngest as they played inside and outside; he was our gentle but vigilant guard dog.
Our current dog is a chocolate lab who tries his best to get our attention and if he doesn't, he will sabotage anything that keeps us from relating to him. Just before Lucy gets home from school, he'll snatch the T.V. remote because she likes to relax for a bit in the living room when she first gets home and she ignores Duke. The computer mouse is snatched from me when my back is turned if Duke is feeling slighted.
One weekend when Katie was home from university, she pushed him off the chesterfield while she was reading and said,
"No more snuggling; I need to stretch my legs."
This dog weighs 89lbs. Duke, never taking his eyes off Katie, suddenly darted his tongue into her coffee and turned and walked out, ignoring Katie's indignation,
" You big jerk! You don't even like coffee!"
One afternoon a few months ago, while my husband Michael was ice fishing, he chastised Duke for playing with a fish on the ice. Before Michael knew it, Duke had picked up the fish and dropped it back into the water through his fishing hole, once again looking straight at his accuser.
I must say in Duke's defens , that he works right along my side as my partner when I pull old wild grape vines and he leaps in the air to grab scruffy tree limbs that I can only cut halfway through with the pruning shears. Much more helpful than a guinea pig.
Don't forget, dogs bark when visitors come.
Handy when you don't have an electric doorbell.
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