Dog Games

Farley’s Friday: Toys For A Wheaten Terrier

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 9 Comments

Farley here.

Kristina and Matt are getting ready to leave the country for months on end, and there seems to be an endless supply of presents for me.

A delivery person arrives almost daily and gives me a box.

I can hear him coming, step by step, along the dock . . . I can tell by the smell it’s him.

“He’s here. He’s here,” I bark.

Kristina opens the door for me and let’s me greet him. The guy comes so often he knows my name.

He hands over my present. “Thanks,” I bark.

Kristina always takes out whatever is in the box, like I care. But then . . . I get to rip the box apart, making a mess, shredding cardboard. The sound is so satisfying.

Farley and the Box

Once I’m done, I just have to wait until he comes back with my next box. Who knows why I keep getting presents, but Kristina says it’s something about no stores where we are going and we have to get prepared.

Woof Woof.

Farley and box 2

Farley’s Friday: A Wheaten Terrier And His Dinghy

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments

Farley here.

I almost missed the maiden voyage of Allura: our dinghy.

Matt thinks he’s so smart. He uses our dinghy hoist to quietly lower the boat off the stern of Mattina. I hear the splash.

“Wait,” I bark from below. I know what he’s doing.

Then I hear it. One pull and the engine starts. Matt is smiling because it’s the first pull of the season.

I jump up the three stairs from the port hull, that’s my side by the way, and rush to the stern.

“Wait for me!” I bark.

Kristina is passing Matt a life jacket and I nudge her (gently) out of the way. I bound from the top step to the dinghy in one leap. I haven’t forgotten how to do this and am proud of myself. Once I jumped, current took the dinghy, and I went swimming. I try not to do that anymore.

Farley in Dingy

Purr goes the engine (and no it’s not a cat), yippee goes Matt, and woof woof go I.

We head out to the Intracoastal Waterway for my first dinghy ride of the season. I love my little boat.

Woof Woof.

 

 

Farley’s Friday: How does a dog beat the heat?

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 6 Comments

Farley here.

Well I’m in Florida, and it’s hot.

Early this morning I hear my humans talk about going for a run. They don’t think I’ve been getting enough exercise lately. Well, whose fault is that I ask you? And who wants to exercise in  this heat?

I’m not the kind of dog who likes to get up early, but oh, oh! I see Kristina putting on her running gear. It’s not even seven yet. Is she crazy?

Farley by the air

She crawls under the salon table and pulls my legs. I make my body go all floppy so she can’t get ahold of me.

“Let me sleep,” I whine.

“Come on, lazy bones,” she says.

“Lazy,” I bark quietly. “I’m not lazy. Do you see where I am?” I wag my tail making it thump the air conditioning vent. I’m trying to give her the hint I want to stay near the cold air, but she’s having none of it. She takes hold of my two front paws and slides me across the floor. Now she thinks I’m a mop.

I may want to stay in the comfort of my air-conditioned salon, but it’s not going to happen. I give in and follow her out the door.

Now, I know you’re all feeling sorry for me and my tough life, but don’t worry.

We run along a road and at the end of the road we find a beach on the Atlantic ocean.

There’s a sign, which usually means no dogs allowed, but I pull Kristina to it, and bark, “Dogs allowed. Must be leashed. Do you see? Do you see? Let’s go.” Flagler county is dog friendly. This place is great.

I want to hit the surf. I spring forward, dragging Kristina, and get my paws in the ocean for the first time this season.

If I wasn’t a dog, I would be laughing out loud. That lol for you humans. It feels unbelievably good to run in the surf.

Woof woof.

Farley’s Friday: What’s A Dog To Do In A Boatyard?

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

I ask you, do I look bored?

Farley in Boatyard

My humans are getting their Lagoon 380 Catamaran ready for a winter of sailing, so for me it’s all hang around the boat yard and wait for them.

And what’s with the leash? I’m used to being free. How humiliating. What if one of my pals saw me?

Okay, so enough of the whining. What’s good about the boatyard?

There is a long dock I get to run on, and best of all, there are dolphins in the harbour.

“Hey,” I bark. “Come over here.”

The dolphins ignore me.

“Hey, I’m bored, Come play,” I bark.

Nothing. Dolphins just seem to swim and blow air out of their heads.

Then I get distracted by a man and a woman fishing. They guys casts the lure.

“Wait for me,” I bark. I run to their boat, but they are too far away for me to jump on board.

“Cast again,” I bark, and the guy does. Humans are so smart.

Kristina tells the guy she doesn’t know why I bark when someone casts a lure, like it’s not obvious. I wag may tail at her, encouraging her to figure it out.

No, luck. While I”m not paying attention she grabs my harness and I have to sit under our boat again.

One more week of this and we should be in the water! The boat I mean,  to me or my humans.

Woof Woof.

Farley’s Friday: A Five Dog Weekend

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 3 Comments

Farley here.

How does a Wheaten Terrier cope in a small space with four other dogs?

Nomada Dogs

I’m the wheaten in the photo. The dogs with me are a lab/springer mix, and two Australian Shepherd/Poodles mixes. Callie, the Jack Russell is below. She refused to have her photo taken with us because she was too busy napping in the pillows.

Cali Sleeping

So we were on a boat but who invited the thunder storm? Smudge (Lab/Springer) and I don’t like them. The other dogs didn’t care.

Five dogs and only a couple of snapping incidents – not by me because, as you know, I’m perfect. One of the Australian Shepherd’s snapped at Smudge. Smudge, being a lab, just ignored the dog. I hid behind Kristina’s legs. I don’t like conflict. The humans all talked about how to stop aggression in dogs. The conclusion. Someone has to the be the alpha and take control. I didn’t get whether that meant a dog alpha or a human alpha. All I know is I’m not the alpha. It’s all so confusing.

We swam, we ran, we got wet, then we had to stay on the back deck until we were dry. All the human’s got to go inside and warm up. but not us. Oh, except the spoilt one. Callie gets cold, so she got to join in side and bury herself on the couch. And you thought all this time, I was the spoilt one.

Woof, woof.

Farley’s Friday: A Wheaten Terrier and Thunderstorms

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 10 Comments

Farley here.

I like to think I’m brave, but I get the shakes when the skies are shaking. I don’t understand the booming that penetrates my body or the flashes of light that make me squint. I tried to hide, but there was no where to go.

My human, Kristina, has endless patient. I signal to her to follow me, and she does. I check out every room at the cottage. To my amazement the thunder is in every room. I thought if I hid in the back bedroom, I could get away from it. Not such luck.

My peeps won’t coddle me when I’m afraid, but Kristina’s so smart. She grooms me. She thinks she’s tricking me by performing a mundane task to distract me. I know what she’s doing and yet, it works. She pulls the brush gently down my back in repetitive motions and I find myself calming down.

When the storm finally passes, I crash. I get so tired when I’m stressed. Sometimes a dog just needs a nap and to dry out.

Farley Napping After Storm

Woof Woof.

Farley’s Friday: A Wheaten Terrier at the Cottage

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

Farley here.

The summer is coming to an end and that means all my peeps go back to their own lives. The kids go back to school and get too busy for me. Not to mention, they live in different parts of Canada. I get to go to the Bahamas, which is great, but I’m still sad about the pack dispersing.

I don’t understand kids. They’re always in the water. No matter how hard I bark at them to stay on land, they jump in. This time, they  took a camera.

“Get out of the water,” I bark in my frantic manner.

They laugh and swim deeper. Now I’m not sure they can hear me when they’re under water, but I bark more anyway.

They get the giggles and have to surface, but not before taking this odd photo of me!

Farley wants to swim

It gets worse. I told you about tubing, well now they want to water ski too. I make sure I get in the boat and can at least bark safety instructions. Why oh why do kids like water? It’s just too stressful for me.

Farley wants to waterski

Woof Woof.

Farley’s Friday: When a Dog Visits

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 5 Comments

Farley here.

After a wild weekend of playing with my new girlfriend,  Jersey, I had to nap. Jersey is a 10 month old Portuguese Water Dog. And don’t you think she has the best hair ever?

Farley and Jersey- Done

If you have a visiting dog, make sure they play nice and can share. Once a a golden doodle visited me and snarled and snapped when I tried to take her bone.  After that incident, my humans supervise the first time I play with another dog’s toy. Jersey didn’t have that problem.

Being young, Jersey has trouble settling down. The humans picked up every shoe they could find and placed them on the railing. Ha, don’t they know dogs are patient? All Jersey had to do was wait for her moment, and then, and here’s where she gets a bit silly, she runs straight to the closest human and shows her prize.

SHOES

This is me chasing Jersey away from the shoes. Okay, it looks likes she’s got the upper hand, but I saved her first by distracting her from the shoes.

Dogs sharing a toy.

Jersey didn’t listen very well and didn’t seem to care when the humans got all excited. She even knocked over a table. Kristina is strange  – she just laughs at it all and says she likes having other dogs around.

When another dog is visiting, especially a puppy, the house needs to be dog-proofed. No food can be left on counters, no chemicals can be left out, for sure put away your favourite shoes, and don’t forget dogs love to chew leather so any electronics with a leather cover should be out of reach too.

Don’t leave young dogs alone with children. They don’t know how to be gentle yet. Don’t let the dogs eat in the same room as another dog.  I don’t mind other dogs eating my food, but some dogs growl a me if I go near their bowl.

But really,having said all that, how could you not love a dog with hair like Jersey’s?

Woof Woof.

Farley’s Friday: Can Dogs go Tubing?

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 6 Comments

Farley Here,

I’m the kind of dog who likes to be included in every activity.

It’s summer. We’re in Canada at the Lake. There’s a boat. There’s a tube. There’s flat water.

I know what’s coming.

“Can I go? Can I go? Can I go?” I bark.

Kristina rolls her eyes at me. Yes, she actually rolls her eyes. I take that to mean my question is so silly it doesn’t warrant an answer.

But I’m too smart for her, and I jump before she can get me.

Farley Tubing

One of my humans, Oliver, doesn’t seem to mind sharing the tube with me, but here comes Kristina.

I’m thinking, boo hoo, it’s back to the dock for me, but she surprises me and lets me come in the boat for the adventure.

At least I get to howl at the kids with they fly behind the boat.

Humans are silly and they do silly things.

Woof Woof.

 

Farley’s Friday: Dog Allergies

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 5 Comments

Farley Here,

Woof Woof

I’m still at the lake, but guess what? I have a visitor. Hailey is a Doodle who’s the same age as me but way more into mischief. She’s spending the weekend and thinks she owns the place. Look what she’s doing  to me.

Hailey and Farley

Now I don’t’ mind this rough play, but all the humans get excited when we play indoors. We keep getting in trouble and sent outside.

Hailey may be the trouble maker, but I’m the smarter one. When Kristina puts out my food, I eat it before Hailey has a chance to get near it.

Hailey likes to munch all day and leaves her bowl full of food – right on the ground – right in front of me. So I grab every opportunity and eat her food. She doesn’t care. She knows her humans will put out more.

Kristina scolds me for eating Hailey’s food.

“What?” I bark and look all innocent.

“You know you have allergies.”

“Allergies Schmallergies,” I bark. “This food is tasty.”

I do behave and leave the food dish. But ah ha! I found Hailey’s food bad. And when no one is looking . . .

Farley Eating

And then I remember. I’m allergic to wheat. My feet itch. My ears itch. And now I’m not so happy about eating Hailey’s food.

Kristina gives me a benadryl, and I start to feel better. Then I need ear drops. Gooey stuff dribbling in my ear canal is not a feeling I cherish, but I put up with it.

Why can’t I remember to only eat my dog food?

Do you have allergies? and what do you take for them?

Woof Woof