Power is a very happy dog.
He smiles all the time, never WHINES (thank God), and almost never barks. He eats well, sleeps well (at last) and in general is loving life.
However, he has one trait that has me a bit mystified. This trait is the mental one in which he walks along, thinks about pooping, so he stops, starts to squat, changes his mind, and walks on farther. After we have reached cruising speed, he decides to stop (pulls my arm out of the shoulder socket) and again he starts to squat. The squat begins to look genuine, but just at the final second he stands up again, and starts walking again.
He is eager to walk so we go on and get to cruising speed again, when he ...
You guessed it! He jerks my arm as he comes to his very important STOP. The squat seems very complete , and he actually starts to poop, but then he reverses the procedure, stands up, and on we go to walk more distance.
He is smiling all the while, and just as I am relaxing into the walk (again), he jerks to a halt and this time he completes his appointed task.
I am beginning to wonder if his smile is a secretive code to let the world know that he has the POWER to embarrass Mom each time he takes her for a walk. People are always asking Mom if he has a digestive problem! Or maybe he has a hemorrhoid bothering him? Or maybe he has pain in his anal glands?
One very KIND individual called the sheriff because she thought that I was guilty of animal cruelty! This very KIND woman took pictures of us walking to prove her point and showed them to the sheriff's deputy when he arrived. He was the canine officer so he was an accepted authority on the subject of dog abuse, and he kept saying that Power was really solid! Then he would run his hands over Power again( getting greyhound affection all the while!) and again would say " He's really solid." Finally the sheriff was ready to leave and he said to me that he knew abuse, and that this was definitely NOT abuse!
Surely Power couldn't be having fun with all this, COULD HE?!
OMG! Someone really called the police on you? That is scary. The way Joey acts sometimes....it could happen to me too. Scout sometimes does the fake squat. Honestly, why does the spot have to be so perfect for them. LOL
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the police, the officer was extremely nice and polite and still did his job!
DeleteHazel, I think your lad likes the attention:) How could anyone think you had abused him...honestly some people.
ReplyDeleteAre his stools hard? Just thought maybe he needs a little fish oil on his dinner. He sure looks happy.
Thanks for stopping by my blog early.
Sue, thanks for the comment. No hard stools, just a hard head!
DeleteHi Hazel - this post sure brought back memories! One thought I just had was - when humans visit the rest room, we have the option of relaxing for a bit if it's not an emergency and I assume many people take a few minutes to get their business done. It does seem, though, that once a dog squats, they poop and are done. Katie always squats only once when she poops, but she often has a few trial squats when she goes potty. I[m curious if you'll get any answers in your comments. :)
ReplyDeleteIf it is a ruse to get extra attention, it definitely worked.
ReplyDeleteObviously he has to find just the right blade of grass to leave his sacred deposit on. Greyhounds are special dogs and not every blade of grass is worthy.
ReplyDeleteBunny
Oh, Bunny, thanks for letting me know the answer! I as a human would have never figured it out by myself!
DeleteOur Irish Setter had the opposite problem when he was young. He loved his walks so much he'd sometimes go "on the fly" without hardly slowing down and just half squatting while walking. But at least he walked off onto the grass so you got the idea that he had the idea.
ReplyDeleteP. Thanks for the comment, and for the Irish Setter insight. Send him over so he can share with Power!
DeleteOh my! That is scary. I am glad the officer realized quickly that there was no abuse! Ziva trots a lot and makes several trips around the yard and does go to squat but then does not poop. She has to find the "perfect" spot before she poops. She also does the same thing when going to pee. When she is off leash, she just trots around the yard and then finds a spot. I don't think she likes to do her business while on lead. Maybe try a longer lead to put some more distance between you?
ReplyDeleteGreat ideas! Be sure to tell Ziva that her input is valuable too!
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