Farley’s Friday

Farley’s Friday: A Wheaten Terrier and a Cat

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

Farley here. Woof Woof.

So what’s a dog like me doing with a cat?

I’m visiting a house that has a cat. The cat is crazy. I enter the room, she hisses and runs. Well what to humans expect me to do? Sit there and stay quiet. She’s challenged me. I run after her. If only I could catch her. But then what? I have no idea, but it sure is fun scrambling all over the house.

Cats

Sometimes she teases me. Above, she’s sitting on top of the kitchen wall staring into the bedroom at me. If only I could get to her. She knows I can’t climb like she can, so there she sits laughing at me.

But if a cat likes me, I’m happy to play nice. See . . . I have proof.

Farley and Cat 2009-07-19

I’m not evil. Really, I’m not. It’s the cat’s fault.

Woof Woof.

Farley’s Friday: A dog goes fishing

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 10 Comments

Woof Woof, Farley here.

Is it just me or is fishing really fun?

I’ve been at the cottage for three days, and I’ve trained my alpha (That’s Matt by the way.)

“Come down here,” I bark. I glance at the boathouse and then at Matt.

Matt’s so smart he comes on command.

“Get the rod, get the rod, get the rod,” I bark.

Matt does as instructed.

Now, I do my dance. This really gets Matt laughing.

Put your left paw in, put your left paw out . . .
Put your left paw in, put your left paw out . . .

Every time I dance like this, he casts the lure and I bark.

If he catches something, I really go crazy. These alphas need a lot of praise. The more I praise him the more he’ll cast the lure.

Woof Woof.

Farley’s Friday: Dogs and Porcupines

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 5 Comments

Farley here.

Why am I trapped?

Trapped

My human, Kristina, is explaining to me the dangers of porcupines.

Like I don’t remember.

“If you don’t run up the hill, I’ll let you off leash,” Kristina says.

“Yah, Yah,” I bark and nod enthusiastically.

“You remember the vet?”

I shudder inside. What dog doesn’t remember the vet. Two years ago, I chased a porcupine up the hill behind our cottage. It stuck its head in a hole and left its whole body out for me to see. I don’t think porcupines are the smartest, but who am I to say, since I’m the one who ended up with quills in my face?

Kristina put the cone of shame over my head so I couldn’t bite at the quills and drove me to vet. The waiting room was full and everyone saw me wearing the cone. Very embarrassing.

The vet said she’d have to anaesthetize me and for Kristina to come back later that night.

I frantically looked from Kristina to the vet and then put on my most submissive pose. I held in the bark that wanted to burst out from me. The vet took me into a room without Kristina. Yikes. She said I was so good, yup that’s right – so good – that she was going to try to take out one quill without using anaesthetic. I sat calmly as she took them all out and Kristina got to take me home.

I bring my focus back to the present and run my paw over my nose to show Kristina I remember.

“You remember the pliers?” Kristina asks.

I groan and roll my head on the deck.

“I see you do,” she says.

Last year, I chased a porcupine again. I don’t know what I was thinking. I guess I wasn’t.  Kristina didn’t take me to the vet. I knew it was going to be bad when I saw pliers in her hand and she said to Matt, “Hold him tight.”

They pulled out all the quills without the help of a vet. Kristina likes to learn these things for herself.

Now you have to remember I’m a dog. So today, I catch the scent of a porcupine and blast toward the hill. Kristina grabs for me and misses. Unlucky for me, Matt doesn’t miss. He catches my harness and drags me behind the gate.

Now I’m stuck. No running free for me.

“Why didn’t I listen?”

Woof Woof.

Farley’s Friday: A Dog’s Reflections on Travel

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 10 Comments

Farley here.

I’m in Florida. The land of leashes, poop bags, thunderstorms and dark water.

My reflections . . .

I don’t mind the leash, but Kristina thinks I don’t get enough free running time.

Poop bags? Well, that’s Kristina’s duty. I barked, “duty.” Ha Ha 🙂

Thunderstorms scare me. They’re too loud and shake the boat. I pant at Kristina to make them stop, but she just smiles at me and says, “You’re fine.” Easy for her to say when she understands what’s going on and to me, well I’m a dog so how could I know?

The dark water . . . That’s where my reflection comes in.

Reflections in Flat Water
Reflections in Flat Water

I look in the water.

“Come here,” I bark and wag my tail.

“Hang on,” Kristina says, but she’s obedient as usual and is at my side in seconds.

I look at her, back at the water and at her again. She does well with visual signals and gets my meaning.

“There’s a dog in there,” I bark like a crazy dog from the Canadian wilderness. “Get it out! How can it breath underwater?”

Kristina laughs.

I’m getting a little scared now. “Don’t laugh,” I bark. “That dog needs help.”

“That’s you, silly.”

“Me? Me?” I bark. “Am I really that handsome?”

“Of course,” Kristina says.

So now I’m obsessed. I stare at my handsome reflection every chance I get. Who knew I was sooooo good looking?

Me handsome!
Me handsome!

Okay, I’ll admit it was fun watching fish and dolphins in the clear Bahamian water, but now I have a new hobby to entertain myself.

As we motor north on the Intracoastal Waterway, I sit on the bow and check myself out!

Woof Woof.

Farley’s Friday: A Wheaten Terrier Sails North

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 8 Comments

Farley here.

So my humans tell me it’s getting hot in the Bahamas and it’s time to start the sail north. Sound exciting? Not really, for a dog anyway.

When we travel, Matt and Kristina sail the boat and I do a lot of sleeping. Sometimes we anchor for the night and there’s not even a beach to go to. Sometimes there isn’t even land in sight over night. They’re crazy.

My problem. I don’t sleep well when Kristina is awake at night. I sit in the cockpit waiting and waiting to go to bed, but I just can’t do it while she’s in the cockpit. She needs my constant protection. Matt, on the other hand, can stay up all my himself.

As we head to Canada, Kristina promises none of this . . .

Canada can't always be like this, can it?
Not sure about this white stuff. Me thinks it’s cold.

And lots of this . . .

I think this was in Canada.
Green stuff. Much better.

But should I believer her?

Woof Woof

Farley’s Friday: Dog Walking or Human Walking?

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 9 Comments

Farley here.

So I go for a walk with my humans. They have shoes on, meaning I should have known it was going to be a tough walk. They don’t wear shoes often and I don’t own any. Go figure. I’m a dog.

We get halfway across the island, we’re in the Bahamas, when I stop.

“My feet hurt,” I bark.

“What’s the matter, Farley?” Kristina asks. She always notices first when I’m in trouble. I’m beginning to think she has a soft spot for me.

I hold out my paw to her and look as pathetic as I can.

“My feet hurt. These rocks are too sharp,” I bark and then wag my tail, just to make sure I’m being cute.

She understands and gives Matt her most pathetic look. He laughs, and I know I’ve won.

Matt picks me up and carries me across the sharp bits. Do they love me or what?

Dog Walk

Woof Woof.

 

Farley’s Friday: Wheaton Terrier Chases Windsurfer

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 6 Comments

Farley here.

No matter how hard I try I can’t catch my human on his windsurfer.

First there’s the problem that I’m afraid of deep water, so I try the beach approach.

Farley Chasing WS

“Wait,” I bark, but he doesn’t.

He gibes and I have to go running the other way.

Farley Running

“Wait,” I bark again, and still he ignores me.

“So don’t wait,” I bark. “I’m going to roll around and get sandy.”

Farley Rolling

“Good luck getting this off my fur before I get on board.”

Humans are soooo easy to drive crazy.

By the way, did you notice how crowded the beach is – not!

Woof Woof.

 

Farley’s Friday: Wheaten Digs For Crabs

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

Farley here.

I love to dig. I’m a wheaten. That’s what I do. So what’s up with the crab that doesn’t get that?

I dig, dig, dig, and then . . .

“Ouch,” I bark.

“What? I’m supposed to chase the crab. It’s not supposed to bite my nose!”

Farley and Crab

Farley’s Friday: A Dog Falls Overboard

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 13 Comments

Farley here.

I fell in the ocean, right off the back of the boat! How humiliating.

My human friend, Debi, drove her dinghy to the back of our boat to pick me up for yoga. I should have known something weird was going on when Kristina didn’t put my harness on me. You can see it in the photo below. She makes me wear it, so IF I fall overboard, she can easily pick me up.

Well, I guess she forgot to put it one me.

This is the harness I should have been wearing!
This is the harness I should have been wearing!

Debi arrives and I get a bit excited.

“Hello,” I bark.

Debi drives close to the back of the boat and ties up. Kristina is ready with her yoga gear.

“Not today,” Kristina says. “There are wild pigs on the beach. You have to stay on board.”

I whip my head around to face Debi and she confirms the bad news. I turn too quickly and start to fall.

“Oh Oh,” I bark, but no one grabs me.

My paws slip off the first step.

“Help me,” I bark.”

I’m now on the second step and the third is not far away. Before I can let out my third bark, I’m in the water.

I know I can’t get on the back step by myself so I head to shore. Lucky for me, I’m pretty slow at the dog paddle and don’t get far.

Debi pushes off the stern and drives beside me. I’m a smart dog and turn to face her.

No here comes the problem. I’m not wearing my harness. The dingy tubes are two feet out of the water, and Debi has nothing to grab on to. She reaches under my armpits and struggles me aboard.

She’s soaked, I’m soaked, but at least I’m aboard.

Woof Woof.

Thanks for reading . . .