Dogs Having Fun.

I could have fun with my dogs Winnie and Hunny 24/7 if I wanted to because they do. The girls are ready for action as soon as they've had their breakfast biscuit and been outside. At least Winnie is. Picture this: I've just sat down on the veranda with my breakfast. Winnie comes along with a ball ready for a game of fetch. Hunny settles onto the 2 seater next to me in spectator mode. I'm barely awake, let alone up for a game, but okay, how can I resist? At least I don't have to move much. Winnie knows to drop the ball at or near my feet so all I need to do is pick it up and throw it. She always brings it back. Again and again and again....

Hunny isn't into ball games thankfully. I'd never get my breakfast eaten if I had 2 ball-game loving dogs. I'd also have no arms to eat breakfast with anyway, they'd be in the backyard somewhere with the ball. However, if the tension builds sufficiently in Winnie's game, Hunny will be in on the action with a bark and an attempt to grab the ball. This game can go on for some time, so as you can imagine, I'm usually the one to spoil the fun. I need to eat, shower, do stuff, after all. Winnie doesn't seem to understand this. When I get up I'm followed...into the kitchen, the bedroom, the bathroom, everywhere. Winnie is panting and often still has the ball hanging out of one side of her mouth, her tongue, the other side.

As I said, Hunny's not into ball games. She loves carrying things. These days she has her own face washer to carry around whenever she pleases. This is very cute behaviour, not a game exactly, but fun to watch and get involved in. It's better than carrying my clothing all over the house, or removing the toilet paper from the holder and then shredding it. They were her favourite activities when she was little, but not mine you understand, so a substitute was found. She's very proud of herself when she's carrying and holds her head and tail high. Maybe she's a bit like Linus from "Peanuts", the character who always carries around his security blanket. More often than not Hunny's washer is hard to find. She just likes carrying stuff for me i.e. helping with carrying, like the mail or her bed or the shopping bags when I come home. Funny Hunny.

It was super hot here last week and as a way to cool the girls down and for them to have some fun as well, I hung the sprinkler over the clothes line so they could get wet without attacking the sprinkler itself. 

 Before the clothes line days.

Somewhere, somehow, way back in the mists of time, Winnie became obsessive about water coming out of hoses and similar devices. I learned quickly to adjust my behaviour, as I could tell it would be very difficult for her to change hers when the neighbours water along the fence line and I can't catch her among the shrubs. A fuse seems to ignite in Winnie's brain and it sends a signal to her bark and run-up-and-down-the-fence centres. Again, I've tried to discuss this with her, but 2 years down the track I think I've failed. Bad mother. When this started I only had 1 dog exhibiting this behaviour, now I have 2, all thanks to you Winnie :)

I have to think this is funny, but it really is annoying. At least it isn't as intensely annoying as it used to be! And to think Winnie doesn't like getting her paws wet or swimming!

Hunny on the other hand is a natural born water lovin' dog. She adores the stuff so much that she used to get into my garden pond to cool off. Unfortunately, when she hopped out she'd reek of algae and mud as the water level dropped from her constant bathing and stirring up of the sediment. Now she has a pool of her own and she's much more smell friendly. There's still no fountain, fish or plants in the pond though, sigh.

    

Before Hunny had her own swimming pool.

Yes, I could have fun with my dogs all day. They have fun in most things they do because they are happy. They make me happy. I could watch them all day and get next to nothing done. Wouldn't that be great! I love the way they get silly and excited when playing, and just before dinner is served. Hunny dances and turns in circles with happiness and pleasure that food is on its way. I love the quirky little dogerisms they use when they talk to each other when one wants to play. I love lying on the ground with them. I love how they sit on me, lie on me, and are always close to me. I love patting them, stroking them, praising them, talking to them, just being with them, loving them.

Dogs are such fun, and they love having fun. 

And finally, by this time next week, my latest book "Labradoodle Fun and Facts" will be available on Amazon for Kindle, and very shortly after on Kobo, Nook and itunes. This one's been a while in the writing, but hey, December and early January have been good for 'down time'. I will write a short post next week when the book is published. 

Until then, take care everyone,

hugs from Leonie and a smooch from the pooches Hunny and Winnie.