Tuesday, August 17, 2010
It's not all in the name. Sometimes it's all in the letter.
OMG said Riley, startling Bosco out of his relaxed position on the sofa. What now Bosco asked. Barkley, that humongous Sesame Street dog has been caught sending money to Iran, Cuba and other countries with crazy dictators, Riley informed him. Investigators found letters he wrote trying to hide what he did. How can that be, Bosco wondered aloud. You're right, she answered. It says here that he wasn't allowed to send them money because those countries are sanctioned, she continued. This made absolutely no sense to Bosco. A dog sending money to countries, and a fake dog at that, did not sound right to him. Bosco asked Riley from where she got that information. It's on the front page of today's Wall Street Journal she said as she showed it to him. Bosco looked at the letters in bold. That's not Barkley the dog! That's the British bank Barklay. See the "a," he said as he pointed to the name. Barkley spells his name BarklEy, not BarklAy, he informed her with apparent irritation in his voice. Next time pay attention to the letters, he scolded. It's all in the letters!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Does this game have a name?
This morning Bosco flollowed me into the kitchen as usual. As I was getting my breakfast ready he did something unusual----he began licking his empty food bowl. As he continued licking his bowl it dawned on me that they hadn't yet eaten breakfast. Was this a dog hint?
I filled their bowls and put them in their usual places---Bosco's in the kitchen by the laundry room door and Riley's in the laundry room next to the door. Bosco got to his food bowl before Riley. He placed himself in front of it, his body blocking the entrance to the laundry room. He stared at his food then looked at Riley. He began to eat as Riley approached. As Riley stood behind and to the side of him, he took a morsel and spit it out a few inches from his bowl, close enough to him so that Riley wouldn't dare try to get it. Riley stood there, apprehensive about trying to maneuver between Bosco and the wall in order to get to her food. She began to whine. Bosco remained unmoved emotionally and physically. Ever so slowly and cautiously Riley eased her body between Bosco and the wall. Bosco did not react. He allowed her to pass. As soon as she began eating, Bosco stopped eating, left his bowl nearly full and came over to sit next to me as I ate.
I filled their bowls and put them in their usual places---Bosco's in the kitchen by the laundry room door and Riley's in the laundry room next to the door. Bosco got to his food bowl before Riley. He placed himself in front of it, his body blocking the entrance to the laundry room. He stared at his food then looked at Riley. He began to eat as Riley approached. As Riley stood behind and to the side of him, he took a morsel and spit it out a few inches from his bowl, close enough to him so that Riley wouldn't dare try to get it. Riley stood there, apprehensive about trying to maneuver between Bosco and the wall in order to get to her food. She began to whine. Bosco remained unmoved emotionally and physically. Ever so slowly and cautiously Riley eased her body between Bosco and the wall. Bosco did not react. He allowed her to pass. As soon as she began eating, Bosco stopped eating, left his bowl nearly full and came over to sit next to me as I ate.
Friday, August 13, 2010
It's a Bosco kind of a life
Complaints have recently been expressed by followers of this blog that Bosco does not get as much attention as Riley in pictures and posts. I cannot disagree with these fans. However, a bit of explanation may help clarify why.
Bosco is a thirteen year old dog who has been around the block a few times, figuratively and literally. There is not much that surprises or intrigues him anymore. He knows what each day is like and is quite content with no surprises like seeing luggage come out of the closet or a strange dog entering the house.
Bosco's daily routine is well set. He gets up with the mistress of the house and no one else. He waits for her to brush her teeth and then follows her into the kitchen. He waits for her to take her pills and then follows her into the laundry room where his treats are stored. He gets his treat and rawhide chew. He waits for his mistress to head back to the bedroom and he follows her there. He chews the rawhide while she does her stretching exercises. He knows that Riley will finish her rawhide before him because he take his time while Riley feverishly chews hers. He knows that once Riley is done she will want his rawhide. After chewing a bit he stops and starts licking himself. When he sees that Riley has finished her rawhide, he stops licking and nonchalantly walks into the hallway as if teasing Riley with his unguarded chewy. He waits ten seconds, walks back into the room, looks at Riley and then his chewy. He sits down next his rawhide chewy again but is done chewing it. When his mistress is done with her stretching exercises he follows her into the kitchen. As long as she is home, Bosco will spend the rest of the day following her around the house wherever she goes. He is her dedicated entourage. At about five in the evening, Bosco leaves the side of his mistress to do guard duty. He sits on the back patio waiting for the neighborhood dogs to pass by on their daily walks. This is the time of day when he uses the most energy. The mere hint of a human or dog walking past his territory is enough to send him zooming to the side gate barking urgently. If someone dares to walk along the perimeter wall, he runs back and forth along the wall barking feverishly. He also has to make sure Riley does not interfere with his movements. If she does, he has to angrily bark at her indicating, BACK OFF.
After guard duty, it is time for dinner. He eats his meal and then hangs out at the kitchen table. If he smells something good he goes into schnorer mode, barking and whining for scraps. He hangs around his mistress until it is time for a walk. After the walk he goes to the laundry room where he'll get another a treat. He waits patiently for his mistress to go to the bedroom, at which time he will wait until she is done with her shower. He comes into the bathroom when he knows she turns off the water. He waits until she opens the shower door and he walks into the shower to lap up the water on the shower floor. When he is done lapping he goes into the bedroom and lies down either at the foot if the bed or the threshold of the bathroom-bedroom door. This is Bosco's daily routine. If his mistress should forgot to do the expected, he stares at her as if to say, "Didn't you forget something?" Oh yes Bosco, you're right. I forgot to give you a treat.
Now you understand why Riley gets most of the blog attention. Bosco knows what it's all about and Riley....well Riley is
Riley.
Bosco is a thirteen year old dog who has been around the block a few times, figuratively and literally. There is not much that surprises or intrigues him anymore. He knows what each day is like and is quite content with no surprises like seeing luggage come out of the closet or a strange dog entering the house.
Bosco's daily routine is well set. He gets up with the mistress of the house and no one else. He waits for her to brush her teeth and then follows her into the kitchen. He waits for her to take her pills and then follows her into the laundry room where his treats are stored. He gets his treat and rawhide chew. He waits for his mistress to head back to the bedroom and he follows her there. He chews the rawhide while she does her stretching exercises. He knows that Riley will finish her rawhide before him because he take his time while Riley feverishly chews hers. He knows that once Riley is done she will want his rawhide. After chewing a bit he stops and starts licking himself. When he sees that Riley has finished her rawhide, he stops licking and nonchalantly walks into the hallway as if teasing Riley with his unguarded chewy. He waits ten seconds, walks back into the room, looks at Riley and then his chewy. He sits down next his rawhide chewy again but is done chewing it. When his mistress is done with her stretching exercises he follows her into the kitchen. As long as she is home, Bosco will spend the rest of the day following her around the house wherever she goes. He is her dedicated entourage. At about five in the evening, Bosco leaves the side of his mistress to do guard duty. He sits on the back patio waiting for the neighborhood dogs to pass by on their daily walks. This is the time of day when he uses the most energy. The mere hint of a human or dog walking past his territory is enough to send him zooming to the side gate barking urgently. If someone dares to walk along the perimeter wall, he runs back and forth along the wall barking feverishly. He also has to make sure Riley does not interfere with his movements. If she does, he has to angrily bark at her indicating, BACK OFF.
After guard duty, it is time for dinner. He eats his meal and then hangs out at the kitchen table. If he smells something good he goes into schnorer mode, barking and whining for scraps. He hangs around his mistress until it is time for a walk. After the walk he goes to the laundry room where he'll get another a treat. He waits patiently for his mistress to go to the bedroom, at which time he will wait until she is done with her shower. He comes into the bathroom when he knows she turns off the water. He waits until she opens the shower door and he walks into the shower to lap up the water on the shower floor. When he is done lapping he goes into the bedroom and lies down either at the foot if the bed or the threshold of the bathroom-bedroom door. This is Bosco's daily routine. If his mistress should forgot to do the expected, he stares at her as if to say, "Didn't you forget something?" Oh yes Bosco, you're right. I forgot to give you a treat.
Now you understand why Riley gets most of the blog attention. Bosco knows what it's all about and Riley....well Riley is
Riley.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Brave girl
Riley got her shots: rabies and parvo. She accepted the needles without a care in the world and joyfully accepted the treat reward for bravery. Now if she bites anyone, no worries about rabies. Silly, she'd be the last dog to bite someone.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Can't have the rabbit and eat the treat too
Riley loves her dismembered toy rabbit. Although she no longer sleeps with it, she still likes to play catch with it or just have it nearby. Today she tried to get her jerky treat off of the floor and into her mouth while holding the rabbit in her mouth at the same time. This turned out to be an impossible feat. She could not grab hold of the jerky while holding rabbit. But dropping rabbit to get the jerky was, for some unfathomable reason, not an option for her today. So there she stood, rabbit in mouth repeatly trying to pick up the jerky but only succeeding in covering it with dog drool. Bosco had by now finished his jerky and stood watching Riley's struggle with anticipation. Could it be that that she would give up? Knowing Riley and her love for food made that an unlikely possibility. Surprisingly and totally unexpectedly she held onto the rabbit and walked away from the jerky! Bosco quickly made his move towards for the jerky.
How is it possible that Riley was ready to keep holding onto rabbit and give up on a treat? Riley has just returned home from a vacation without rabbit. Could it be that she had missed rabbit and didn't want to let her go? Only Riley knows for sure. That's for sure.
How is it possible that Riley was ready to keep holding onto rabbit and give up on a treat? Riley has just returned home from a vacation without rabbit. Could it be that she had missed rabbit and didn't want to let her go? Only Riley knows for sure. That's for sure.
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