Squirrel or Chipmunk, The Chase Is On

     A squirrel or a chipmunk crosses your path, what do you do? Probably, with a smile, you stop and watch it scamper away. However, to a four-legger the instant they get a glimpse of one, the race is on to nab the teasing intruder. It doesn’t matter the breed of dog, all dogs want to catch that elusive little creature.

     Whether the animal is an annoyance to our dogs or the chase is simply a fun game, a squirrel or chipmunk can keep our four-leggers busy for hours. A day outdoors ‘on the chase’, can be an enjoyable, but exhausting task for the four-leggers. When they settle in for a long night of rest and their legs begin to move as they dream, my guess is that they are still on the hunt.

     I have yet to meet a dog that doesn’t enjoy the chase. My former dog Willie was no exception―squirrel chasing was his favorite pastime. If I said the word squirrel while we were in the house, he would instantly charge at the patio door―excited for the game to begin. In fact, his favorite spot to nap during the day was by this same door; not just to absorb some sun rays, but also to make sure none of these pests ventured into his space.

     While Willie snoozed inside the house, an unattended yard was an irresistible invitation to the squirrels. Inevitably at least one would climb onto the deck, peer through the door, and chatter at Willie in a taunting tone. By the time I opened the door, the squirrels had scattered, and Willie flew out the door in pursuit. Game on!

     As the game began, the squirrels would dash around the yard, with Willie in hot pursuit. Each squirrel always seemed to have an escape route planned out―except for one. The one that dared to stay in the yard would scurry up a tree and chatter down at Willie. Once the squirrel was treed, there was no distraction that could pull Willie away from his duties of guarding that tree. Eventually, unobserved by Willie, the squirrel would find his escape by jumping from tree to tree to the neighbor’s yard.

      Only one time in this daily game was Willie able to catch one of his tormentors. When I saw he did have one in his mouth, I mistakenly yelled his name. In the split second that he glanced at me, the squirrel dropped from his mouth.

     It wasn’t until Willie came whimpering into the house that I realized his tormentor had bit through his lip. While I tended to his wound, I looked into his eyes and said, “Let that be a lesson for you to leave the squirrels alone.”

     Perhaps that lesson lasted as long as two days, after that it was game on again.

     So long, I’ll see you soon!

The Lure of an Amazing Pillow

     Two-leggers are taught at a young age the comfort of a pillow. For the sleeping comfort of our four-legger companions, we train them to sleep, not on our pillow, but in their own bed. However, when given an opportunity, these same four-leggers will sneak a snooze on a human pillow whenever possible. What is it that lures them to our amazing pillow?

     To sleep comfortably, a two-legger, generally needs a bed and of course a pillow to rest one’s head. However, our dogs are able to sleep quite soundly in a spot that looks downright uncomfortable to a human. But when they sense an unattended pillow they will quickly give up their sleeping spot for a chance to lay their head on that pillow.

     I have witnessed the lure of the pillow with every dog I have owned. As a young girl I willingly shared my bed with my dog, Missy. To assure that she would get a fair share of my pillow, she would hurry to the bedroom ahead of me. As we shared my pillow, the only issue I encountered was her loud snoring. Hmm… looking back now, maybe that was a ploy to force me to move aside and give her the entire pillow. 

     Our current dog, Whitney, is no exception to the lure of the pillow. She loves the pillow and somehow knows that is where her head should be. Each night I come to bed, I find her sleeping like a little princess―her head on my pillow. Does she willingly give up my pillow? No way! I look into her eyes and hear, “Are you crazy? I was here first, so find another pillow for yourself.” 

     It doesn’t matter if we are home with her or if she is alone, she can’t seem to ignore an unattended pillow. As innocent as she may appear, if she is home alone there is no denying where she has spent her time―the imprint of her head on my pillow tells it all.

     Recently, ‘cousin’ Sophie spent some time with us. On her first night as our guest, she claimed our extra bedroom as her sleeping quarters. The whole bed was her domain, but her place of choice―each and every night―was one or both of the pillows.

     Now we move on to neighbor dog, Stanley. Stanley is not allowed on the human bed at his house. However, at our house he finds the lure of the pillow irresistible. Whenever he and Whitney take a break from one another, he disappears down the hallway, with just one destination in mind―my pillow. On sleepover nights, after a playful dispute as to which one gets my pillow, they come to an agreement to share the pillow. When I come to bed it can be a struggle to get the sleeping pair to give up my pillow.

     So not having been taught the luxury of a pillow, how is it our four-legger companions understand the use of a pillow? Is it from observing how a human uses a pillow? Or is it simply our scent that lures them? Whatever their reason, I find it truly adorable.

     So long, I’ll see you soon!  

Is That Popcorn I Smell

      “Is it my imagination or does my dog’s feet actually smell like popcorn?” Not that I am in the habit of sniffing dog paws, but with each dog I have owned I have noticed an odor on their footpads that smells strangely like popcorn. I always thought this odd, but I set the sensation aside and chalked it up to my imagination.

     Recently, I awoke to a strong odor of popcorn. Had I dreamt about popcorn or was someone actually making popcorn this early in the morning? Upon opening my eyes, there laid neighbor dog Stanley, his feet pressed to my face. When I realized the odor was from Stanley’s feet, memories of my past dogs ‘popcorn feet’ flooded back to me.

     With this smell still fresh in my mind, I decided to do some research on this strange phenomenon. I was relieved to discover that this odor is real and not the works of my overactive imagination―scores of people have questioned this same odor. Some, as I have, likened the smell to that of popcorn. Others, likened the smell to that of corn chips. Apparently, corn chip prevails over popcorn because this phenomenon is commonly referred to as ‘Frito Feet’.

     In my quest for an explanation to this odor, I visited several web sites. The sites all basically came to the same conclusion as to the cause of this interesting odor. I have summed up the explanations with quotes from a few of these sites.

     ‘Dogster’ founder Ted Rheingold explains it this way: “The feet of dogs contain many folds and pockets between toes and the spaces between the foot pads. The increased moisture and decreased air circulation in these areas enables the bacteria and yeast to proliferate exuberantly. These micro-organisms give off odors. One such bacteria is famous for smelling like corn tortillas.”

     Yahoo answers, explains it this way: "It’s typically called ‘Frito Feet’. It’s natural, many dogs have it, and it is caused by the unique scent glands that dogs have in their feet. They use these glands for marking their territory."

     en.allexperts.com: “The ‘corn chip’ smell isn’t at all uncommon. Dogs have scent glands in their paws that they use to mark their territory, and while I’m sure we can’t tell the difference between dogs, they can!”

      I found the following of particular interest, simply because it was a fact I did not know about a dogs sweat glands. “All dogs have sweat glands in their feet. It’s one of the few places dogs actually have sweat glands.” The writer further added that, “Their feet smell funny because their sweat smells like that.”

     One site, http://www.seefido.com, has great answers to just about any quirky question you can imagine. It’s a fun site to visit if you seek answers to unusual questions.

     So, don’t be alarmed if you notice a popcorn or corn chip smell on your dog―it’s natural.

     So long, I’ll see you soon!

A Papillion Joins a Roofing Crew

      I have often stated that there is more to neighbor dog Stanley than the average Papillion. The abilities he exhibits often make me wonder if he is part cat. I found myself asking this question recently, when he joined his owner’s roofing crew. But was he on the roof to learn the task of roofing or while there, did he discover a more clever purpose?

     If something high up and out of reach peaks the interest of a cat, it’s sure to find a way to get to it. The same is true of Stanley―if he sees it and wants it; he will find a way to get to it.

     One example of his ability to climb and balance himself became evident as we sat on our deck one afternoon. Stanley began a slow climb up my body and then perched himself on my shoulder. From this position he was able to boost himself onto the narrow deck railing. Once he was sure of his footing, he moved with tiny catlike precision around the entire railing. As he reached the end post, he did a graceful turnaround and made the return journey back to my shoulder. I held my breath in fright as I watched, sure that he would fall. But he maintained his balance throughout the maneuver and showed no fear of the high height.

     Cats have the ability to sniff out a mouse and catch it with amazing speed. Well, Stanley could compete with the best of the ‘mousers’. However, when the chase is for a chipmunk that scurries up a tree, a cat definitely has the advantage over Stanley.

     So, it was of no surprise to me when I learned Stanley had been on a roof with his owner’s roofing crew. He did follow the crew for a short time, but soon his attention was drawn to the roof's edge. As he walked along the edge, he noticed something far below―chipmunks. From his high vantage point he was able to walk along the roof edge and scope out all of their hiding spots.

      Once he had zeroed in on their locations, his excited barks let it be known it was time for an escort down the ladder. With his feet back on the ground it was an easy run to where he had spotted the chipmunks. If, after a wild chase Stanley realized they had scattered in too many directions, it was time for a lift back up the ladder and another roof edge scope of the land below.

     The task of roofing may have interested Stanley on his first trip up to the roof; but when he caught sight of that first chipmunk his thoughts of being a roofer quickly vanished.

     Even though the roofing crew did not acquire a new roofer on that day, they did gain a loyal mascot. 

     So long, I’ll see you soon!