I've never had a dog -- help!

My dog is a total couch-sitter. Sometimes me and the hubby will want to snuggle alone on the sofa and we'll keep the dog off of it (he gets jealous and tries to get between us).

Well, little Sammy (the dog) will go stand at the back door like he needs to go out, just to get my husband to get up. Once the husband is halfway to the door, the dog ducks around him and jumps up on the sofa with me!

So that's just him saying, "I'll get your girl. You just watch."

My golden retriever used to keep all his toys in a pile. As soon as someone came in, he'd take their gloves and put them in the pile, too. I guess it was his old retrieving instincts coming out--despite the fact he'd never, ever been hunting. But throw a ball and ask him to retrieve it? Forget it! I'd have to throw the ball, fetch the ball, and put it in his mouth.

He could tell the time, it seemed. Always used to go to the window just before I came home. Actually, my Sheltie used to do the same thing.

I have a husky-shepherd mix. She "dances" when she's excited - turns in circles, taps her front feet rapidly, runs across the room and leaps over nothing. It's hysterical. She's also the only dog I've ever had who could catch rabbits easily. The best was when she leaped in the air, hit the ground, did a somersault and came up with a rabbit in her mouth. Of course, she's a bit older now, so mostly she just chases them.

My weimereiner can jump over the end table and clear the back of the couch with almost no running room - and she's only 9 months old. Yeah, we're building a higher fence.

I had a (large!) terrier-shepherd mix who would turn his back to me and huff if I'd been gone too long (more than a day) regardless of how much his caregiver had spoiled him. If I walked around to stand in front of him, he would turn around again, sit and huff. He also had the lovely habit of following on the inside of my first floor apartment anyone walking around the outside, occasionally putting his feet on the window sill to let them know he was still there and watching. He did the whole thing without barking, though he would emit low and ominous growls from time to time. He was civil to everyone but only affectionate to me. Until he met my husband. The fact that my dog instantly took to the man is part of why I married him. Every year, he got Christmas cards from his "fans" around the country. Sometimes I didn't even get cards from those friends! Best dog in the world. He's guarding the piece of my soul he took with him so we can reconnect in the afterlife.

When my shepherd/collie mix Bear was alive, he used to sit on the floor on my side of the bed when I was going to sleep. He'd put his head on the mattress, and wait. Then a paw would come up - and he'd wait some more. Then the other paw came up - another wait. If I didn't say anything, he'd climb into the bed, curl up into a ball at the foot of it, tuck his nose into his tail, and go to sleep. When my husband came to bed, he'd kick the dog out - but as soon as Bear was sure all were sleeping - up he came again.

Then, in the morning, when my husband would get up to leave for work, Bear would wait until he went downstairs, and then stretch out on my husband's side of the bed. Head on the pillow, all stretched and cozy. Did it every morning.

I miss that dog.

My older Schnauzer used to sleep cross-wise on the bed between me and Ol' Boy... with her head on HIS pillow and her butt on mine. When she died of lymphoma, we worried that the younger Schnauzer would mourn... but no. She moved right into Maggie's place - head and butt in the same place - and didn't miss her a bit. She was still in last place as far as pack pecking order, but she thought she'd gotten a promotion!

I had a mutt a thousand years ago (I could still cry over losing Rusty if I thought about it long enough) who'd dig forever if I made little birdy peeping sounds into my cupped hands and then tapped 'em on the ground. If I was sad, he'd sit with me and cry. He always seemed to know when Mom wanted to walk to the store... she'd call him and he'd give her the most mischievous look - and run the opposite direction.

I have an old English sheepdog/border collie cross, and she's easily the weirdest dog I've ever owned. She dances when she wants to go out or just when she's really bored - all four feet get going, and she shakes all over and whips her head back and forth. The more you ask her what she wants, the harder she shakes. She actually fell over a few times.

She also does this thing when we're play-fighting (yes, I wrestle with my dog, so what? ) - she'll turn rapidly around in very tight circles, then race from one end of the room back to me and do this skidding-to-a-halt play bow where she slaps both front paws down so hard the floor shakes. It's hilarious, unless she doesn't stop in time.

She also smiles - as in with full teeth and a little "nodding" gesture, and only at humans, never other dogs. I've been told it's a submissive thing, but I'm convinced she does it when she's happy to see someone too.

-of course, I'm convinced she's the greatest thing since sliced bread, so that that with a grain of salt.

Oh too many to tell. My female lab howls everytime she hears a siren on T.V. or outside. We figure we can tell how good a movie is going to be if it gets Sarah howling. Then Bear my male lab joins in with his high pitched squeeky voice. It cracks us up because the female sounds like a male and the male sounds like Tinkerbell.

There also will be no romantic evenings in our house with candles. Bear will dance around barking at the flames until we are almost peeing in our pants. He really should get a job at the fire department. I figure I'll be safe if the house goes up in flames between Sarah's howling and Bear snuffing out the flames. One New Years Eve we set off fireworks and he picked up the flaming fireworks and burned all his whiskers off. They fit my household perfectly......insanity rules!

You've never had a dog? You've missed out, really.

But, to your question. Dakotah the Wonder Mutt (See picture, left.) was raised, for the most part, by cats. If you rub her tummy she growls. She thinks she's purring. It's a ferocious love, I tell ya!

My dog's telepathic. He just looks at me insistently and I instinctively know what it is he wants whether it's for me to open a door for him or go play with him downstairs... It's freaky.

Oh, and, if he wants to be petted, he'll get in my face, especially when I'm watching Grey's Anatomy and he smells particularly nasty. It's a good thing he's a small dog, imagine a Great Dane sitting on my face... Ugh.

We had a very vain minature pinscher (the dog was about the size of a cat) name Bubbles. At one time, we rearranged the rooms so that if you sat on the bed, you could look in the dresser mirror. Bubbles hops on bed, sees reflection in the mirror. We tell her, "It's you! It's you!" Bubbles starts wagging her tail at herself, and every time she looked in that mirror from then on, she would wag her tail at herself.

When I took pictures of her, she would strike a pose for the camera, and then come over to lick the lens.

She desperately wanted to be friends with the cat, even to the point of being like the cat. It was sort of like Garfield and Odie. Cat would be lying on the bed with a "Leave me alone attitude." Dog would come by and want to play and start jumping up and down. "Let's play! Let's play!" Cat would get annoyed and grab dog with both front paws in a headlock and bite her. And Bubbles is furiously wagging her tail. Once, the dog found a bird the cat had caught, brought it into the house and played with it like a cat.

For food, we'd put a bowl on the floor for her and one for our other dog. Because she was afraid the other dog would steal the food, she would growl at the food. When we ate, she would hop up on one of the extra chairs and look through the glass table at us, her face pressed up against the table, watching intently.

Our other dog Snoopy would growl if our parents kissed. Very jealous. He'd take off down the street and come back with a guilty look. We'd ask if he was guilty, and he'd start wagging his tail. He was the crochety sort and didn't do anything unless there was a reason for it.

I have a boxer/ something mix, that we call the comma dog. when she wants attention she curls herself in the shape of a comma(while standing) and wags her little stump of a tail- if you ignore her she will walk in front of you like that until you pet her.

My chocolate lab 'talks' to you- I swear- I know exactly what he's telling me, he has different vocalizations for 'my water dish is empty' or "Yes, I really do have to go out now!"

My husky/ mix Bear (gone a year this August) used to rest his head on the bed and- well watch- we tried locking him out, but then he would, ummm, howl- you got used to the voyarism after awhile.

Whoooooooooo Whoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!

That means I'd like to play.

Ooh, I've got lots of fuzzy baby stories. Sometimes in the morning when Hubby gets up quietly and goes to work,Molly, a overgrown yellow lab, who usually sleeps on the floor, eases herself in the bed and wakes me up with her snoring. She literally puts her head on his pillow and goes to sleep.
Our oldest, Sidney is a pomeranian, who will snip (it's not a full bark, nor a growl, but something in between) when she is ready for us to go to bed. We can ask her 'You want to pee-pee?' and if she walks in circles, she wants to go outside, but if she don't want to go outside we can stand up and before we get there, she is fixing her spot on my pillow. She also understands 2 languages and we can make her bark really loud and then start with 'ssshhhh' and she ends up in a low growl.
And then we have Barney, a half chihuaha-half pekingnese (sp?) is just a Mama's boy. He is on my lap the minute I sit down.
After 8pm, when the kids are in bed, no one is allowed to bark. I don't know how they learned this, but they all just go to the door.

Had a golden colored that looked alot like this one.

Her name was Shalimar

I taught her how to count, spell, fetch, and tons of other things. Her love and loyality was more then anyone could ever ask for.

I had a list of things I would say when she would come sit at my feet and look up at me. (Her sign she wanted something.)
The list:
Do you want something to eat?
Do you need some water?
Do you want to go outside?
Do you want to go bye bye?
Do you want to go B y e B y e? (Spelling it out.)
Do you want to take a bath?
Do you want to go nite nite?
Do you want to play?
Do you want.....(then would throw in something really dumb..like read a book?)

I never said them in the same order and most of the time I already knew what she wanted, so I would put that towards the end of the list. When I got to the one she wanted she would stand up and wag that tail and get all excited.

Sometimes she would be laying on the floor close to me and we would make eye contact and if I smiled at her....she would know it was okay to jump up and sit next to me. If I didn't smile...she knew to stay on the floor.

I could place a doggie treat on her nose and she would not move until I told her 'okay', then she would flip it up a bit and grab it in mid air.

When my husband would get out of bed in the morning and go into the bathroom she would move up from the end of the bed and get all snuggled into his pillow and go right back to sleep.

She loved to take a bath and get the blow dry/brush out when done, then would prance around like she owned the place knowing she was the best looking dog around.

In the car, her place was on the center consoul sitting all nice and neat and she paid great attention to the passing sights. She knew when we were heading home and within a few houses would start with the wagging of the tail.

When working in the yard she would be right at my side and if i was planting things she would help me dig the holes. At Christmas she waited for her presents and would open them with great joy when the word was given to her to go ahead. She never bothered anyone elses gifts, or messed with them when they were under the tree.

When the first grand baby came along she was very interested and caring for the baby. When the baby would wake up she would come running and get one of us.

When she died.....I felt I had lost a great friend, a member of the family....one of my own kids. It was hard.

More information then you probably wanted...sorry.....

Cactus Wendy, you reminded me of my brother in law's dog, Sandy. He was a pound dog, rescued from a street pack, mangy as hell until they cleaned him up - and then he was a fluffy, gold, shepherd mix. Smartest dog I've ever known. He not only knew 39 different commands, he learned to spell. We couldn't spell walk or car or ride or woods without him racing to the door and back. He learned to close the door behind him when he pushed it open; he'd hit it with one paw, then the other, then lean on it until it latched. Someone tried to steal him once. He came home two days later with a new collar and a piece of cloth in his teeth. I've always wondered what the other guy looked like...

It's amazing just how smart dogs are. They sure know how to train us real well. For the past 20 years I've owned labs and now one pit mix and I'm always amazed at what they know. I talk to my dogs like they are human and I swear they understand. As stated earlier, I feel like there is this ESP connection where most of the time words aren't even needed. Now that my daughter is off to college they've taken her missing spot and are spoiled rotten.

you've never had a dog? no wonder you're so #$@&!! delicate
my old lab/chow mix, Stella, will thump her tail on the ground when she hears her name called-it's a good way to know if she's in or out, I just say her name, and she thumps. she's also extremely ticklish and will laugh when her pitts are poked.
Stanley, the dachshund, will jump in the middle of any kind of horseplay amongst the kids, barking and jumping and playing along. it's rather annoying. he will also nudge his food bowl if it is empty, until it flips over and makes a sound to get our attention.

When I was a kid, I had a little Toy Manchester named "Chopper." He was obsessed with fetching. He'd bring his toys, balls, rocks, sticks, walnuts, and sometimes what looked like large pieces of lumber. If it could be thrown, he'd go get it. He also spoke fluent English. As a child, I used to pick wild strawberries and sell them for some extra cash. Once I was in a berry field when another child known only as Junior showed up. I wanted ALL the berries, so I looked down at Chopper, loyally sitting by my side, and said, "Chopper, Junior's trying to steal my berries. Do something about it." Before I could blink, Chopper dashed at the boy, growling and snarling like a Doberman. The last I saw of Junior, he'd just leaped across the fence and was running toward his house. Chopper returned, looking very smug, and resumed his position. What a dog! He died at the age of 14, fighting over some bitch.

Awww I love reading doggie stories!

I've got a collie/spaniel cross that we got from a rescue centre when he was a pup. He's smart, but possibly the daftest dog I've ever met. You could probably pull all his legs off and he'd just sit there with that 'love me' face on.

When anyone comes to the door he barks like crazy. If they come in, he 'talks' to them, kind of a mix between a growl and a howl, until they make a fuss of him.

He gets jealous if me and the Old Man have a hug and tries to get in on the act.

At dinner time he sits with his head in my daughter's lap, just in case she drops a pea or something. Dropped food never makes it to the floor.

At the beach he'll bark at you to throw a stone. You throw it, he runs about fifteen feet, doesn't even try and get the stone, then runs back and barks again 'throw another one!' He'll do that all day.

He's petrified of the cats. When we first brought him home he tried to play with them. They legged it out of the back door, so he thought they were playing chase....He even fights like a cat -- another dog tried to have a go at him, he copied what the cats do to him, and swiped it across the nose.

He's very protective of the kids. Other dogs are not allowed too close unless he knows them, and if my son gets too far ahead on his bike, he gets upset and tries to round him up.

Communication - We had a husky type mix who was very protective of me. If he thought I might be in danger, he'd grab my wrist and pull me away from whatever the source of his concern was. When our daughter was born he camped out under her crib for days and would run downstairs to get me (by grabbing my wrist) if he thought she needed something. He also knew the words for things he liked to do and we had to start spelling some of them if we didn't want him to get too excited in advance (like go for a ride).

Our daughter's dog "talks" almost constantly. She'll put her head on one of our laps and make "talking" noises. If you ask her what's wrong she says "Ay-un-o" (I don't know - our daughter's done a lot of prompting on that).

Our current two, water spaniel mix and English setter mix, drive us bonkers when there are sirens. They don't start howling until after the siren is past our house and then they start and goad each other on - if one stops, the other starts back up. I swear they'd go on complaining to each other until they were hoarse if we didn't stop them. Puma