Author Topic: Smart/Stupid/Silly Animal Stories, just for fun  (Read 72061 times)

Hopalong

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Smart/Stupid/Silly Animal Stories, just for fun
« on: March 18, 2006, 04:09:43 PM »
Here's mine:
When I worked at home, freelancing, I used to feed the dogs every day at 4:00. But I would still come down to the kitchen periodically to get some water, tea, etc. I was determined not to feed them earlier, or they'd just bug the heck out of me every time i was in the kitchen. So I always just gave the clock a passing glance as I came through (I mean, I didn't even have to turn my head to see it, just glance with my eyes).

My dog, a big furry somethingorother, lovely thing...is smarter than I knew. One day I came down at around 3:00 pm and as I walked to the fridge she sort of hopped in front of me, sat down, looked at me REALLY encouragingly, deliberately looked up RIGHT at the clock, BACK at my face, then OVER to the food tin. Like, okay, I know you look at that thing first and then it's time to eat, don't you think? It was so quick and polite and subtle but it was truly obvious.

Maybe it's one of those you-hadda-be-theres, but it amazed me.

I love smart dog stories, anybody got some? (Having not ever met an N dog...well heck, those might be amusing too! We're entitled to some just fun stuff too, eh?)

Hops

 
« Last Edit: November 05, 2006, 12:44:22 AM by Hopalong »
"That'll do, pig, that'll do."

Sela

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Re: Smart Dog Stories, just for fun
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2006, 05:30:01 PM »
Ok Hoppy, I'll bite!  :D

When my eldest daughter was hardly a toddler, I had a big, white german sheppard that was smarter than me!! ( :D Well....my daughter was too, but who's counting?).

One time, I was doing the dishes and my d was on the floor, playing while sitting in a gadget called a "walker" (a sort of seat with wheels, for those who may not have heard of them.  The child could use their feet to push themself around the floor, or even stand up for short periods.....thus it was deemed to assist the kid to learn to walk, except that there were terrible accidents, with children rolling themselves over to and down stairways, so the things were later out-lawed).

Anyway, my d was just behind me, and this giant dog was sitting on the floor beside her and I was doing dishes and turning around, intermittently to see that all was well.  And it was, it seemed.  Very well!!

Because every few minutes my daughter would giggle like crazy!  I kept looking to see what was so funny, but all I caught was a kid, looking like a saint, sitting in her walker, and a dog, sitting beside her, looking even more completely innocent.  Neither of them could speak but their expressions both said:  "We aren't doing anything wrong!  What are you looking at?".

This went on and on.  My child would giggling, I'd turn and look, and see no reason for it.  I'd turn back, do a few more dishes, then hear another mad giggle, I'd look......nothing.

Finally, I turned back just quick enough to catch the two of them.......licking eachother .......on the tongue!!!!!

ON THE TONGUE!!!!! :shock: :shock: :shock:

And both of them seemed to know that I wouldn't like that a whole lot.......or at least, I'm sure, my look of horror.......sent a dog scurrying in one direction and my d, who couldn't stop giggling, in another.

I finally got a grip and said:  "Ok you two.......no more kissing!!", and gave them both a stern look!  And that was the end of that. 

 :D  Sela  :roll:

Brigid

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Re: Smart Dog Stories, just for fun
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2006, 06:06:49 PM »
Hoppy,
Oh my gosh, where do I start??  Having raised dogs (albeit English Setters who are not at the top of the dog food chain for smarts) for over 20 years and been a dog owner and lover for many more than that, I have plenty of stories.  One that used to amaze me every time was when, many years ago, my first xh and I had moved two states away from our home state with our first two setters.  The people we bought them from had become good friends and lived in our community at the end of a long gravel road.  We would drive home periodically and bring the dogs with us, who were in crates in the back of the van, below window level.  No matter how long we were gone and how many miles we had travelled, when we got to our friend's gravel drive, my male setter would wake up from a sound sleep, start to stomp his feet, wag his tale and essentially go nuts until we got there and let him out.  He could always tell when we were on that particular road.  He could also break a female in season out of her crate when he wanted to get to her, but that's another story.

Sela--dogs' mouths are much cleaner than our own (which is why beggars wounds were healed in the Bible by dogs licking them).  I had to remind myself of this many times when my kids were little, or when my dogs insisted on licking me on the lips.

Thanks for the memories, Hoppy.

Brigid

Hopalong

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Re: Smart Animal Stories, just for fun
« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2006, 09:22:58 PM »
Thanks, Brigid!

Okay, here's a MOOSE one I totally afraid I've told here before (no, that was a dolphin one)... Or maybe I've told both, if so, forgive the forgetting...
TRUE story

A few years ago a young man, teenager, got lost on a hike in the Pacific Northwest, and the temps plummeted to below freezing that night, and he was wearing only a Tshirt when he wandered off. The search parties knew he never could have survived the night but hunted anyway. A helicopter crew saw him standing in a clearing the next afternoon. When they landed and talked to him, totally confused why he was alive, he told them he'd lain down exhausted and shivering the night before and had a really strange dream where he saw a bunch of moose around him and he thought maybe they had they had lain down with him becaue he started feeling warm. The foresters said no, you were hallucinating or you had some weird hypothermic reaction, moose behavior means they would never ever do anything like that with a human.

The boy took them and showed them the spot and there was a matted-down circle in the snow, and moose hair everywhere. It was true--a group of moose, likely female they think--had found him shivering and they'd circled him and lain down beside him all night, keeping him warm with their bodies. He wasn't even aware when they left, but he woke up alive.

Is that wonderful or what?

Hops

"That'll do, pig, that'll do."

Hopalong

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Re: Smart Dog Stories, just for fun
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2006, 09:32:24 PM »
Sela,
BLEAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH, but funny!  :P

Dog breath's another matter, and why is it they're often most enthusiastic about kissing you right after they've finished a really satisfactory ... umm... private-self-grooming session?

Blecch! And I swear she's grinning. Trots right up as though to say, aaaahhhh, that felt great so now I'll share the joy!

Bleahhh. Wait...that's a STINKY dog story, not a SMART dog story.

Oh well.
Hops
"That'll do, pig, that'll do."

Hopalong

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Re: Smart Dog Stories, just for fun
« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2006, 09:36:41 PM »
PS--I think English setters are gorgeous and I love chihuahuas.
That's a hysterical image, of the two little guys trotting off for their treat...

 :lol:
"That'll do, pig, that'll do."

moonlight52

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Re: Smart Dog Stories, just for fun
« Reply #6 on: March 18, 2006, 10:27:52 PM »
Hi Guys        I am a cat person. But my kitty goes fetch!
                                                                     moonlight

Hopalong

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Re: Smart Dog Stories, just for fun
« Reply #7 on: March 18, 2006, 10:56:31 PM »
I looooooove James Herriott's books. I was SO selfishly sad when he died because I knew there'd never be another like him.

Does anyone know another humorous warm wonderful animal-story writer like him? I'd be so happy for a suggestion.

(I think Critter sounds wonderful. Lugging the bowl next door...smart guy!)
Bean, when you can...if you've got all those EXTRA stories...

(No idea why I'm HOOVERING for animal stories except for some reason they cheer me up.
Been eating junk food all day and while savoring my solitude, also mentally trying out the likelihood that I'm really going to be a lot more alone in life...)

Woof.
Hops
"That'll do, pig, that'll do."

Hopalong

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Re: Smart Dog Stories, just for fun
« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2006, 01:21:23 AM »
 :P that's a riot.
all by himself in the yard, howwwwwling...

ta!
Hops
"That'll do, pig, that'll do."

Brigid

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Re: Smart Dog Stories, just for fun
« Reply #9 on: March 19, 2006, 08:34:54 AM »
In all my years of having setters, I have had two that will "smile" at you when they're happy. (My ex always said I was being ridiculous to believe this--but what does he know). The male I have now is my second smiler and whenever he is particularly happy or excited about something, his lips will curl back (doesn't look the same as a snarl) and he actually looks like he's smiling.  I got a big smile from him last Tuesday when I returned from being gone for a week.

My cats (I have 3) also have some amusing behaviors.  My big orange tabby waits until I am on the phone (very much like a small child) and then start demanding attention.  He knows that I will do whatever is necessary to be able to carry on my conversation, so will nudge me, pull on my hand, swirl his tale in my face and any other obnoxious behavior in order to have me pet him while I'm talking.  Many times I have had to just leave the room or close a door to get away from him because he is relentless in his pursuit of attention (but only on his terms--not when I want to give him attention).

Brigid

Hopalong

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Re: Smart Dog Stories, just for fun
« Reply #10 on: March 19, 2006, 10:10:37 AM »
Brigid,
I knew a smiling lab once, Jenny. All labs are, but she was SO amiable that she would get her own invitation to children's birthday parties. One of the parents would drive up, bringing a special bow, and with her owner's permission, tie the bow on Jeanne. She would get very happy, hop into their car, and go off. The kids would just adore her. After the party, a parent would drop her home. The kids would have to draw straws for who she got her ride home with.

NOW we're getting into it, back on topic...you have a narcissistic cat! Aha!  :P

Hops
"That'll do, pig, that'll do."

Brigid

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Re: Smart Dog Stories, just for fun
« Reply #11 on: March 19, 2006, 10:38:14 AM »
Hops,
I never made the connection before, but you're right--Simon is a big, old n of a cat.  He has always considered himself better than the rest of the family of animals and everyone must cater to him.  He can also be a bully toward my female cat when he decides that he is not in the mood for her adoring attention of him.  I wish I could get her some therapy so she could understand that there are really nice, kind gentleman cats out there who would treat her the way she deserves to be treated.   :wink:

Brigid

Hopalong

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Re: Smart Dog Stories, just for fun
« Reply #12 on: March 19, 2006, 10:53:41 AM »
((((Brigid)))))
that's been on my mind too, these days. I hope she will keep your wisdom in mind.

 8)
Hops
"That'll do, pig, that'll do."

Hopalong

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Re: Smart Dog Stories, just for fun
« Reply #13 on: May 28, 2006, 01:56:54 AM »
Thanks for the thought, Bean...
unfortunately, couldn't open the link.

Hops
"That'll do, pig, that'll do."

mountainspring

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Re: Smart Dog Stories, just for fun
« Reply #14 on: May 28, 2006, 09:41:53 AM »
How about a silly cat story?  :D  Years ago I had this big beautiful grey cat.  She was the runt of a litter, and not a very bright cat, but she was so sweet.  Anyhow, we had a cat post by the window and she would climb up the cat post and lay down in the sun for her daily naps.  We would be sitting there watching TV and while she was sleeping she would fall off the post! Then she'd meow, climb back up and fall asleep again!  She never learned to take a nap on the thing without falling off!

We also had a cocker spaniel named Max.  My husband would come home from work and relax on the couch for a while.  Max would lay on the floor next to him, wait until he was asleep and start chewing on his toe!  Max would leave everyone else's feet alone, he just seemed to like my husbands toes for some reason.  He also liked to bark at ants!  :shock: