Last night I watched as our dog Maisy carefully slunk up to my desk, picked up one of my business cards delicately in her mouth, and walked past me looking guilty before hiding in the spare room. This morning I woke up and discovered that at least twenty business cards had been methodically torn to shreds and left in a neat little pile.
It brings a whole new dimension to the excuse “the dog ate my homework” doesn’t it?
We brought Maisy home from the Dogs Home almost two years ago now. She fit in perfectly – a quirky family needs a quirky dog. She’d been mistreated and finally found by council workers, wandering in the Northern Suburbs of Hobart – not the ideal home for a sheep dog.
Two years later, some of her quirks have faded. She no longer hides from visitors, she will finally accept food from our hands and she doesn’t cower at loud noises anymore.
However Maisy still eats paper, used tissues being her preference, these she steals from wherever she can find them. She still cowers away from the broom and she’s still worried that we’ll slam a door on her as she ducks inside and out.
Some of the quirks she has developed since living here. She stalks the cats intently, pretending that they are her sheep. She likes the chooks to be neat and tidy in a tight little circle and she will herd them until they fall into line. Pretty standard things really, for a border collie.
It’s not only our dog that is a little weird, it’s our hens as well.
Hen #1, the lavender bantam – she has anxiety issues. Of course, she watched her entire flock get slaughtered dogs, so you can forgive her a certain amount of nervousness.
Hen #2, the lavender araucana – she is agoraphobic. Before coming to live with us, she lived in a back yard, with paling fences and no horizon. She spent the first two weeks here hiding in the hedge and garden and when we first convinced her to go out into the paddocks, she had a minor chooky meltdown. She probably thought the sky was falling, with the wide open spaces and the horizon in the distance.
The cats are however, pretty normal. This belies their harsh start in life, as they were dumped in parkland when they were six weeks old. An animal lover rescued them, offered them on freecycle and we collected the slightly feral kittens a day later. Cat #3 however – something happened to her before she came to live with us and she isn’t the biggest fan of people all around. I suspect a serious amount of taunting from her previous neighbours – what else makes a perfectly nice cat suddenly a little vicious? Worming her is a three person job and she frequently attacks my ankles for walking too close to her.
Of course, none of this matters, as all of the animals fit in quite nicely with our quirky children and us, the slightly weird adults.
All in all, we make a pretty interesting family.
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Have you had any pets with quirks?
All sounds pretty normal to me! Lol
Yes!
We had a chook called Bent Neck cause it ran sideways and it’s neck had been snapped and healed bent. The damn thing had been attacked by foxes AND run over by a car and ended up dying of old age.
We had a rooster we called “Oscar the Super Chook” that thought he was a dog. He was pretty cool – he’d ride on my handlebars. But a chook with a neck that healed bent? He must have had the best luck!
no pets here, too many kids. One daughter allergic to cats and one allergic to dogs and we don’t have a fence. Wished we had a dog last month when we were broken into and had my handbag and DH’s workbag taken while we were asleep. The bags were found, less cash, and DH’s doctor’s certificate and payslips. Two days later, a neighbour found the certificate and payslips….best excuse ever for DH! Burglers took my certificate and then the dog ate it.
What a lovely post and what a great dog portrait! Our labradors each have their own little “things”. Bongi is pretty much your standard labrador – lazy, loves to cuddle and adores the kids. But she alway has to touch you – it’s so cute. even if it’s just the tip of your shoe. Moya is such an active dog – at almost 11 she still catches the doves as they fly over our yard too low. ANd a ball – she is fanatical about a ball.
You’ve had the dog for TWO YEARS?? I remember when you first got her, man the time flies by.
You guys are like my sister. She can’t seem to get a normal pet, either.
No pets here. We did once have a dog that liked to lay along the floor in front of the couch, watching TV, then he’d fart and look at each of us in turn as if we’d done it and then get up and nose the door open to go outside away from the smell.
You’re going to have to be vigilant with Maisie when Amy brings home homework.
“the dog ate my homework”
I do apologise for Lavender. She’s always been a bit “special”
Has it really been TWO years since you got Maisy?? Wow!
Hmm, well, Kenzi has many quirks, the most annoying being the insistence of following me *everywhere*. So much for getting to pee and shower in peace! >_< She's also the first animal I've had that is a total sun worshipper. She'll move around the living room floor to lie in the sun all day, which is rather cute!
As for Milo zee cat… he's just your average cat, who likes to pretend he's asleep to Kenzi, and then pounce on her. Which, of course, she loves. Strange boy! lol
That's about it really! Rocky, now he was a character! The looks I'd get from him when I said something stupid. And the "miaow" that he'd attempt to do was so hilariously pathetic! Oh how I miss him! 🙁
I love animals with unique personalities! I had a friend with a very scared cat once also, they crate trained it, similar to a dog I guess. Just kept her in a not too big but not small – big enough for litter tray, bed and food and a small amount of stretching room cat crate. They kept her with them at all times.. And I mean all times.. If she went to the toilet, the cat crate came too! After a time of this (not sure how long but didn’t seem long) she started to put a lead on her and take her for walks around the house as she did chores for a short amount of time each day, gradually increasing. Then graduated to the same outdoors. Each time a new friend came she would put her back in the crate and set her by her. The cat came to realise it was totally safe in the crate, then on the lead by her, then no matter what. I initially thought it a little wrong keeping her copped up like that, but watching her over time settle down and not be so skittish and scared was just gorgeous! And I’m not even a cat lover! Lol
Forgot to add, I have 2 pets with quirks. The first, Pepper a golden cocker spaniel. He is the smartest yet dumbest dog I’ve ever known! And has a fetish for bras and undies. But only ever takes the good quality pretty ones! He also loves the jila brand of peppermints.. And a good thing too as his breath is B.A.D! The second, is Lily, a Maltese cross or Lhasa apso cross, vet wasn’t sure. I adopted her at 2. She also was abused by her previous owners and was found on the run. I’m sad to say after havig to forage for her own food for so long she saw our guinea pigs as dinner 🙁 not one survived.. All we foud was her stuck in their cage and a couple of guinea pig feet left behind 🙁 we decided giving an abused dog sanctuary was more important than owning more pets, so kept her and chose not to buy anymore small animals. she has only just recently stopped being scared of loud or sharp noises.. Mostly because she’s now 12 going on 13 and almost stone deaf! When I first got her she was petrified of men and I helped her gradually learn to feel safe with my dad. It was a super special moment the first time she went from sitting rigid on his lap, to giving a big sigh and nuzzling into him for pats. She loves curling up on his lap now. She also LOVES soapy water :-s
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