Daisy, Drowsy
Posted on October 22, 2010 Posted by John Scalzi 21 Comments
For the folks who are saying to themselves “it’s been two days and no new pictures of Daisy,” you can reset your clocks: Here she is via one of the faux-retro cameras that are all the rage on cell phones these days. Note the photo scratches! That’s your assurance of fake authenticity! The picture is of Daisy in her crate; she came crate-trained, which is actually a very good thing.
I’m also happy to say Daisy does now appear to grasp the concept that the cats are full fledged members of the family and not to be hugged using one’s teeth. The cats are still not thrilled by Daisy’s presence but seem to be accepting it with that sort of huffy exasperation they do so well. This counts as material progress, and makes me happy that we’re getting this all resolved before it actually gets cold and the cats basically stay in the house full time because, hey, it’s warm here. That would not be the time for animal personality conflicts.
Also, Daisy snores. It’s cute.
Excellent news!
All our dogs have been crate trained. It’s good for them and for us. She has a place to sleep and not be bothered and we don’t have to worry about her getting into things are night.
The adorbz! It’s blinding!
“Daisy does now appear to grasp the concept that the cats are full fledged members of the family”
Hurrah!
My guess is it won’t be more than a month before you come downstairs (assuming you have an upstairs) and see one or more of the cats sleeping next to the dog.
She snores, but does she dream?
My brother’s greyhound will occasionally bark and paw in his sleep, like he’s tearing down the racetrack in his mind.
Oddly enough, he hasn’t worked out how to bark while awake. He occasionally manages a sharp sort of yell, and in so doing surprises himself so much that he jumps back to get away from the noise.
Hugging with your teeth. Nice. (No mom, I wasn’t biting my sister, I was *hugging* her with my teeth.)
Should we take bets on when we’ll get a picture of Daisy and one of the cats spooning? I agree with Ben, I think it will happen sometime before the end of November. Right around when the weather gets cold, and the cats realize that Daisy is warm.
That is one sweet-faced puppy dog. :)
My dog snores too. Very lab (or part lab) I’ve owned has. Maybe it ahs something to do with the breed.
Awwwww….
i just want to squish her.
And love her and hug her and call her george.
She is a lovely looking dog. Isn’t it fun watching cats and dogs sort things out (as long as it doesn’t involve blood, of course.) My dog learned to behave around cats – though I believe she simply pretends to tolerate them. Being a Lab, she likes to share her toys with one and all. She is mystified when the cats don’t want to play tug, and I’m quite certain her feelings are hurt on a daily basis.
She is adorable. I bet she will use those soulful brown eyes to the very best of her abilities…
Love, dog cookies and one good claw swat across the nose from one of the cats will soon lead to them sniffing each other’s noses and curling up on opposite ends of the couch.
Oh, she’s a darling. Very cute.
I so wish I could get into the mind of a dog. Just to figure out what the heck is happening in there. How do they figure out we’re okay to hang out with? That we’re trustworthy? It amazes me.
It’s hard work being so cute, no wonder she’s all tuckered out.
@13: At a guess, 15 or 18 thousand years of genetic selection via domestication probably has something to do with it. Or perhaps the egg came first… some scientists think that the trait of tending to trust humans more is in fact what caused the genetic differentiation of dogs from the gray wolf. The wolves who were more curious and trusting/less fearful eventually became domesticated. Common sense would seem to say… yes, both of those things.
@5 and 8:
My half-lab doesn’t snore, but he certainly does dream. Under-the-breath whimpers and half-barks and little jerks of the paws… makes me wish I could see where he is and what he’s chasing, and hope that he’s having a great deal of fun!
I despair of him ever coming to an accommodation with my cats though; they were feral kittens brought indoors, and have always been skittish and fearful of everything and everyone besides me. They’ve lived in the basement since I got married and then got a dog. Samson is very curious about them… but on the few occasions they’ve gotten up close and personal, the cats run and then instinct kicks in and the dog chases, and everybody’s stereotypes are reinforced… if only they would just stand their ground and claw him in the nose once or twice, then probably everybody could be friends. But I think it’s not in the cards.
hello daisy. :) lucy the rescue corgi is very fond of her kennel but during the day she prefers the couch. when it’s time for bed all i have to say is “time for bed” and she races off and gets in her kennel. we tried to let her sleep out of the kennel but she cried like her heart was breaking and sat huddled in a corner of the room, moaning piteously. we also tried leaving the kennel door open and she just cried and wandered in and out (over to the side of the bed to cry) and was very confused and upset. it’s a comfort thing i think. she likes to feel secure at night and leaving the door open (or even unlatched) doesn’t give her that same sense of safety. :shrug:
You haven’t heard dog snoring until you have two English Bulldogs. Drove my wife to earplugs.
Zeus (_our_ Zeus, the male bulldog) does the run/bark dreaming thing as well.
When confronted with a cat, our dog, Nelson is very much like a middle school boy confronted with a girl: he’s fascinated and grossed out all at once. And yes, I do believe he wants to hug them with his teeth. THAT’S what he has been trying to do all this time! Thank you John, for clarifying that for me.
You are aware that you just invited a wolf into your home, not that that its a bad thing. Point of fact I live with several . Still there’s minimal genetic difference between a ‘dog’ and a ‘wolf’ . And while we as people have breed dogs,almost certainly dogs have breed people . Just reminding you.
P.S. nice looking dog,
Annalee @5,
Has your brother tried a family howl yet? When the coyotes were loud one night, my sister discovered that her greyhound could do a creditable wolf howl. A human imitating wolves will also do the trick. The greyhound listens, bobs her head as though in some distress, whimpers a few times, and then cuts loose with the call of the wild. It seems to release some pent up tension. I’ve never heard a terrier do anything like that. Seems to be a hound thing.