Saturday, November 24, 2007

She's One of Us!

Pinot is definitely one of us these days (apples don't fall far from their trees):

  • She comes and sits at the sound of the ice maker (my guys love ice cubes).
  • She sits and waits patiently for treats and food (notice the new photo under the blog title in the left margin at the top of this page. I just had to update the official photo, you know!).
  • She loves being outdoors, sometimes just sitting and watching (the way Elsie does).
  • She thoroughly enjoys snoozing in the sunshine.
  • She loves to work (we're still just doing basic training for only about 5 minutes at a time).
  • She loves to romp with the big dogs.
  • She alerts immediately to any kind of bird sounds (even if they're on TV).

And....

She's a lap dog (go figure)!

Her favorite lap seems to be DH's, of course (you'll get no argument from me - hehe). But she's content with other laps, too.

Here she is on Thanksgiving:










































And yesterday morning with Don while he was trying to work from home (hehe):























And yesterday afternoon, sound asleep on DD's lap:









































Well, that is, until Mama Elsie decided she wanted Sarah's lap (notice Ridge far right on the couch - it's musical laps for dogs!):






















And she is, as are the rest, a snuggler:





















Some hunting-dog folks would tell us we're ruining the dogs -- softening them too much.

But I disagree.

I don't think dogs can ever be too people-oriented. The mutual affection between human and canine only strengthens the bond between master and working dog, and therefore strengthens their ability to work effectively together. Yes, Don is the task-master around here (firmer with the dogs than I -- he's the primary trainer), but he's also the primary snuggler.

And it shows. The dogs do what he asks them to do. And they vie for his lap. :o)

No, we're not softening our dogs in undesirable ways; we're socializing them. We're encouraging them to be even more people-friendly then their Lab genes alone would allow them to be.

And that, truth be told, makes them even more responsive in the field.

I'd say it's a win-win. :o)

Now we just need a bigger sofa (or more human laps!).

'Til next time,
Joan

6 comments:

JuliaR said...

Thank you for posting these great pix so I can have a dog vicariously through you. I love that last one of Pinot in the DH's lap with all 4 feet visible and her head ready to be kissed. And I agree - you can't socialize dogs too much!

Joan said...

Hi, Julia,

LOL...I enjoy posting the pics (it gives me an excuse to enjoy them a bit more than I would otherwise).

I, too, absolutely love the last picture of Don snuggling with Pinot (I just love how she's tucked her hind feet together the way she has in his lap). It's a tender moment -- it reveals Don's tender heart for the dogs.

And she stayed that way for several minutes, completely relaxed (poor hubby's legs fell asleep!).

I'm tickled you can enjoy the pictures, too. :o)

I'll keep 'em coming!

Take care!

J.

Anonymous said...

You can never love on or soften your dogs too much. We still hold our puppy....all 51 pounds of her at 5 months! Again, your blog has brought tears of joy and a huge big smile to my face. On this, Thanksgiving weekend, I give thanks for people like you and your family for bringing smiles to all our faces. May you be very blessed during this holiday season and beyond. : )

Molly said...

Both of our labs (Beo: 105 pounds and Jax: 75 pounds) are lap dogs. I don't think it is possible to socialize dogs too much.

Nancy Akin said...

She is absolutely precious! I love her dark yellow coloring. When we get our next lab, I want one with that coloring. Y'all have done a great job with the dogs. It's obvious.

XAgirl said...

"Some hunting-dog folks would tell us we're ruining the dogs -- softening them too much.
The mutual affection between human and canine only strengthens the bond between master and working dog, and therefore strengthens their ability to work effectively together. "

As one with a service dog ( I use a wheelchair) I have to agree on your stance. We must be firm, but loving. And wth all the loving she gets from me, she definately knows whos boss. She can get away with stuff around other people, but oh no. Not with me, and she knows it. And yes, shethinks she's a lap-dog too. When i get on the floor with her, I am smothered. All 60+ pounds (lab/Golden Retreiver).