I learned a long time ago to pay attention to dogs.
They communicate a lot better than people I know. Heck, my dogs communicate better than I do half the time.
I guess I should pay better attention to dogs and humans.
We have a miniature Australian Shepard.
Kind of a rescue dog, because she was pinned up a big chunk of time when she was a puppy.
Then we got her and she has plenty of outdoors to run free, as her breed dictates.
She, her name is Harlee, and I bonded early on, but I know I frustrate her because I sometimes don’t react when she’s telling me something.
Jessica named her, by the way.
Usually, it’s simple stuff like when she needs/wants to go outside. And she wants to go out a lot.
The other day she gave up trying to tell me something, so she walked over to Jessica and told her.
Then I got up to take Harlee out, but MaLinda said she had just been out.
No matter, she wanted out and demonstrated her request promptly.
We also have a cocker spaniel, Penny, who is a wonderful dog and kind of the boss lady of the dogs here.
I take her out on a leash every day, and there’s where her other side shows up.
She loves to chase our chickens. Before we realized the need for a leash, she led us on many merry (to her) chases.
We were out the other day in a fairly heavy fog.
Penny started acting up a little bit and kept looking back at Harlee who had sat down and was just staring in our direction. She does that, then I’ll call her and she comes.
Harlee didn’t move on the foggy morning and I began to understand something else was at play.
I strained to see ahead in the fog and, sure enough, the much larger neighbor dog was bounding about a hundred yards away.
Harlee saw him and then he saw us and came over – quickly appearing out of the fog.
No match for his size, Harlee headed for home and then Penny began pulling frantically in the same direction.
The neighbor dog was no real threat, but to our smaller dogs they weren’t taking any chances.
Once again, I’ll pay better attention to Harlee – she knew something was out there and then I did.
I walk the dogs closer to the house now. Harlee knows best.
