The Games Our Pets Teach Us To Play

 

Sassy got snarly about needing to go outside, so I obliged her. She came back in, had breakfast, and fell asleep. We had a freeze last night, so the house feels like a walk-in freezer at Tyson's. She decided the bed-warmer was better than the carpeting for her beauty rest.

The Lutheran Librarian says, "Our pets teach us the games they want to play." So true. Someone was chiding me about "still helping Sassy up on the bed." No, that is a game she invented when the legs were still on the bed. She could easily jump up on the bed but she liked to make a game of it, sitting there and smiling at me. Making the jump got harder and I did cheers to get her running up to the bed and jumping. That was so much fun that one day she made 10 attempts in a row. I sat on the bed and petted her. (That is the old part of her game.) She wanted pre-jump petting after that.

We took the legs off to make it easier for Sassy. She continued the tickle jump game. I had to nudge her with my foot to make an attempt. She snarled and barked at the offending foot and made the jump. I cheered and she barked triumphantly, "Bark. Bark. Bark. Bark. Bark. Bark." Her six-fold bark means she is really proud of herself.

I had to do this while on the phone. "Are you still spoiling her, even though the legs are off the bed?" I had to explain, "She loves the game, so I have to go along with it."

Likewise, Sassy was craving attention when I was on the phone with the Lutheran Librarian. I explained my extra duties while talking, and he said, "My cat is in my arms demanding attention, too. I understand."

 Sassy amazed people with her ability to follow directions at the dog park. The more they cheered her ball chasing and catching, placing it gently in my hand, the more crowd cheers she earned. She is more sedate now and more likely to give orders than obey them. 

Advanced Training from Sassy Sue, The Three-Legged Wonder-Dog

 

Sassy began having trouble jumping onto the bed because of her cataracts and age. She needed the light on and she enjoyed being encouraged. At first she barked against the tickle, when I tried to get her going by touching her. But she decided she liked the tickle jump, especially after she trained me to give her a heavy dose of affection before the jump.

Sassy's signal for affection is to sit down, look up, and smile, as if to say, "I am ready for petting and gushing praise." She has blocked teens from walking down the sidewalk, grinning and facing them, her rear leg down, expecting praise and petting.

I was getting tired of helping her jump up on the bed numerous times, so we took off the legs of the bed, giving her an easy step up. The dog ramp was anathema to her, and she did half-hearted half-jumps to show me how much she would avoid the ramp.

After a little encouragement, Sassy learned it was easy to hop up into her bed, as long as I stayed in my place.

Success? Almost.

She missed the commotion and drama of the tickle jump, so I do an imitation of the drum roll, raise my voice, and cheer when she makes the jump. Praise and pet time is first, so I did that this morning.

The funniest part of my advanced training was seeing her walk up to the bed a few days ago, form the friendly triangle with her bottom on the floor, and grin up at me. "You know I love praise and petting." She runs back to gain speed, though no necessary, listens for the dramatic sound effects, then climaxes the jump with five or six loud barks.

"You did it, Sassy!" Bark! Bark!

"You made the tickle jump!" Bark! Bark! Bark!

 "OK! I will let you drive my Town Car."
The ears back show her great happiness.

Sassy Is Still Teaching This Old Dog (Me) New Tricks

 

As I told Ranger Bob today, Sassy taught this old dog (me) a new trick. For 10 years she has always gone to the treat room, the bathroom, for a treat and a stay while no one else was in the house. 

Yesterday, I got a Pup-eroni out and said, "Time for the treat room, Sassy." She did not budge. I walked over to her spot on the bed and hustled her off. I herded her toward the treat room and she dodged me to go back to the bed.

She has made a big deal about jumping up on the bed, even with the legs off to make it shorter and easier. Several tries normally end up with a lot of celebratory "Woofs!" However, she just walked up to the bed and hopped onto it. No drama queen business - she meant it.

The clincher was this - she turned her ears backward to show that was her last word. I first experienced that with Sacky, who was 100% Cattle Dog, not 50% like Sassy. When I told Sacky that I would not throw her toy (a squeaking foot) unless she brought it all the way back to my hands, she turned her ears back the same way. After making some agonized noises, leading up to a shudder and a Whoop!, Sacky delivered the toy into my hands. 

But Sacky could be immovable at times. So this was Sassy the Cattle Dog and German Shepherd, laying down the gauntlet, here I sit, I can do no other. I said, "OK girl, leave everything alone." She did, and I gave her a second chance today. No problems.

Sassy rounds up our neighbors' two dogs, Atlas and Alaska, puppies known for their size and mischief. Sassy found Atlas in our yard again, and we began herding the puppy back to her home. The dad came out and said, "We heard you calling Atlas and I said - not again!"

Atlas was repeating her prancing around in circles as we moved toward home base. We had some laughs over the two dogs' behavior, so the owner said, "I'll get Alaska." With Atlas in the yard, Alaska came bounding out of the house, licking my hand, asking Sassy for chase, coming back, jumping up for a kiss on my face. So much fun! Time magazine, not good for anything now, once labeled dogs The Eighth Wonder of the World.

 We were included in Sassy's photo-shoot. Ranger Bob got his own 10 x 14 fancy framed photo. Sassy explodes in joy when he phones or knocks on the door. 

Sassy's New Bed - Outside on the Former Berry Patch

Four times we went after the blackberry patch, twice hacking away the growth and twice putting a blanket of mulch down to discourage a rebirth. I had a helper, which kept the finishing date within this calendar year.

Sassy tells me when she wants to go outside, often after her meal. She often stays out a long time, which may be her time checking over the yard and neighbors. She never stops being a guard dog.

Sassy loved the harmless spill. She walked into the view to enhance the fun.

She used to sit behind the garbage barrels, hidden from sight. I got used to that, but ever since the restoration of that berry patch, I find her sunning herself on top of the thick layer of mulch, newspaper, and cardboard. The Sassy Patch is sun-soaked with some shade from the house and tree. The patch is always warm and drier than the rest of the backyard.

Doubtless she also likes to scratch up her next. I said to her recently, "Sassy, you have been scratching up your nest on the bed for 10 years. Isn't it soft enough yet?" She grinned, came over to me, and kissed my face." How does one discipline such a sly companion and mischief-maker?

The Cardinals and Sassy Sue

Sassy is staring me down, knowing I will drink some pour-over coffee before I take her out for a walk. Sometimes the look is triumphant, grinning "I know you will go outside soon." The afternoon look starts at 3 PM, which is prime time for Ranger Bob to be around. Then she lifts her head and lets go with piercing, heart-breaking howls. 

"What's wrong with Sassy?" Mrs. Ichabod asks.

"It's Bob time, 3 PM." I answer. The scramble to the front door is inspiring.

Alaska has become a regular. He escapes routinely and often waits at our door for an escort back home. Sassy and Alaska played tag a little at Bob's, and Alaska was glad to go back home, across the street from Bob's. I called through their semi-open front door, "Does anyone want a large, black puppy?" 

Some evolutionists should study how dogs of all breeds and various locations play the tag game. It starts with a duck down and then a jump to the left or right. That is repeated for "Let's play tag." Sassy played the more advanced version, the "Kill Game," with her two mates at home. One dog would play victim, the other a killer attacking up and down the victim's body - no harm done. Then they would switch and do the same, making lots of noise and racing in and out the doggie door. In South Bend, far from home, Sassy played the whole game with new dogs. If humans look or pay attention, the game stops.

The Cardinal Is Married!

Squirrels will come up to the kitchen window and wonder - with their sad, orphaned eyes - when the next meal is coming. All the animals can tell if food is on the barrels and window ledges. Recently a female cardinal stopped on one barrel to search in obvious, beseeching ways, for food. She paced around, looking for food that was not there.

That must be the cardinal version for "Get some fresh snacks at the store. I'm hungry." Typical male. So she goes out, looks, and solicits. Bob says, "Indians consider cardinals good luck, so it is special if you always have them in your yard." 

To win and keep their approval, I have

• Five feeding areas in the backyard
• Two baths in the front and two in the backyard
• Berry plants, bushes, and Poke weeds
• Wild strawberries on the ground
• Rough areas where many creatures meet, greet, and procreate.

Sassy set up a defense perimeter when the Moline 66 ladies had lunch and Mrs. Ichabod attended. Sassy celebrates her great moments by barking happily.

How Pets Train Us

Our Lutheran Librarian, Alec Satin, sent me the link to this wonderful book, My Dogs in the Northland, by Egerton R. Young. He took on missionary work in the frozen north, had little in the way of income, and ended up famous for his stories. 

Alec's theory is that pets teach us the games they want to play, allowing us to think we trained them.

Young wrote fascinating descriptions of his special dogs. Jack was a character that could to the butcher shop and bring home the meat in a basket, after taking along the list and the money to pay for them. Another dog became the doctor for the other dogs and treated their wounds and sores. 

Young's wife had her own dogsled, which she used to visit the native Indians in that part of Canada. The cold, snow, ice, and blizzards - carefully described - would make anyone marvel at the sacrifice and endurance of people and animals in the far North.

As everyone knows, Sassy is all personality. She enjoys pranking me, and I see the delight in her eyes when she has turned the tables on me again. Ranger Bob is her enabler but she does well on her own.

She makes a game out of jumping up on her bed (which she lets us use). She can effortlessly flow up to her spot. But if I am around, she needs to stop and whimper and ask for help. She got to the point one night where she took 15 attempts to get up on the bed but never jumped. I was getting peeved, so I saw down instead and petted her face.

Sassy grinned, because that is what she wanted. In fact, she glowed and smiled with affection. When she thinks I am short-changing her, she gives me the arrogant German Shepherd look, which makes me laugh and makes her scowl even more. But this was her affectionate puppy look. I got up and took my place at the computer. She sat down on the rug again with her head resting on the bed - she wanted more. I got up and petted her face and whispered about her great qualities. She had the biggest grin - or was she laughing inside and trying not to show it? I sat down at the computer again, because she did not want to jump up. She sat down a third time, looked over at me, and smiled. Eventually she made the jump, but she had me trained to spot her trick and pet her face, and tug on her ears.

Now Sassy knows she can get loveys from not jumping up on the bed, but sitting down with her head on the bed - aimed at me, "Time for pets!"

Some other great animal books are The Dog Who Wouldn't Be by Farley Mowatt (another Canadian. I memorized the book, reading it first in elementary school.

And - All Creatures Great and Small, James Herriot, English vet, plus many other stories.

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