Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Dog Lessons

Boz is being tolerant.

His new acquaintance, Bruno (aka Sausage Boy) is very young, and has a thing or two to learn about how not to annoy his older companions.

Boz will turn his head the other way. This won't stop Bruno. He'll just stick his nose in Boz's other ear.

Boz will get up and turn around, removing his ears from Bruno's reach. Bruno will lick something else of Boz's.

Boz will roll over. Bruno will nudge, nudge, nudge.

This will go on for quite some time until Boz finally tells Bruno, with a seriously scary bark, that he'd better quit it. Bruno will quit.

I'll enjoy that part, too, because Boz barks so rarely. It's a magnificent sound.

33 comments:

Cafe Pasadena said...

Boz is tolerant. Yes, a good doggy, & your understatement of the month.

Fine shot!

Cheltenhamdailyphoto said...

lol hilarious. How the young ones play! Lovely photo Petrea.

Dina said...

Ha, what a picture! And what a patient dog Boz is.
You give me the idea of learning to bark once in a while (like when dealing with our frustrating bureaucracy).

Jilly said...

Irresistible. Boz is so patient for a Boxer. Bruno, with all that ear stuff is trying to dominate, naughty boy. Glad Boz sorts him out when he's had enough. French bulldogs can be quite pushy. I've one here at the moment.

Anonymous said...

It is a dog's world I guess. These are really champions. I love them.

T Thompson said...

This needs to be a big print, captioned, "You distract them, and I'll grab the snausages!"

Saretta said...

But, Bruno was trying to tell Boz the secret of the universe! If only he had listened... ;-)

Tash said...

I let out a scary "bark" and Amy, our golden, still won't quit. Nudge, nudge, lick, lick.
Boz is the most tolerant dog I've met - a real sweetey!
Love the photo.

Susan C said...

Interesting what Jilly said about the ear licking being a domination thing.

Such a CUTE picture!

Shell Sherree said...

Oh Boz, what a honey! A really sweet photo, Petrea. "Aw, mum, do I have to play with it?"

Petrea Burchard said...

I think Jilly's absolutely right (Jilly knows her dogs!). Bruno is naturally an alpha dog. He's adorable, and people love him. But the dogs in his circle are teaching him a thing or two, and he's learning. He's basically a good boy.

Shell is correct as well. Boz was giving me a pleading look. But I try not to meddle. Boz can handle himself!

Shell Sherree said...

You're a good mother, Petrea. :)

Anonymous said...

Ok, you're right; you can do cutecutecute.

Boxers are known for being extremely tolerant of puppies and little dogs. Mine is also thrilled to meet huge dogs, like mastiffs and giant pits.

Her aggression comes out with dogs exactly her own size.

Petrea Burchard said...

Karin: I think Boz's time in the shelter broke him of aggression. He has to be pushed to the very edge before he'll fight back. Dogs his own size are fine, but like Chloe, he adores little and big dogs, especially young ones. He's also good with babies of the human species.

Vanda said...

Bruno just has a thing about (other dog's) personal hygiene. ;)

John Sandel said...

"His Pesterer's Voice"®

Linda Dove said...

Oh, the look on his face is so perfect.

Patrizzi Intergarlictica said...

This is a micro novel. I love it.

Margaret said...

Well, of course, I am a crazy dog lady so I love it. But I didn't know that all that licking could be a dominance thing. Interesting.

Patrizzi Intergarlictica said...

I watched a documentary on wolves and the licking is a form of grooming the alpha by the lesser. It is a way the younger or weaker ones in the heirarchy "kiss up" so to speak.

Bruno pays homage to Boz. Bonnie Prince Bruno! All Hail King Boz!

Thursday Girl/Hollis the Cat said...

Such a great photo. And your description fits the look on Boz's face so well!

marley said...

Great photo. Looks like he is thinking 'will you put that camera down and remove this thing from my ear!' Lol :)

pasadenapio said...

Boz is my buddy. Love that pooch! He was a perfect gentleman last Sunday when I took my wine glass out of his reach -- he didn't complain once.

Virginia said...

Back in the day, I had some dates like Bruno. Oh lord, they were everywhere. Now?????? I'd pay 'em.
V

Nancy said...

Oh Boz!! How I love thee...oh Bruno my baby!! :) I'm so glad that Boz is the older and wiser one to show my little Bruno the way. Bruno is slowly learning how to be a good boy. I think we truly lucked out and getting a Frenchie like Bruno (but then again, I'm completely biased). Thanks Patrea for Bruno's claim to fame!

Petrea Burchard said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Petrea Burchard said...

I should post cute puppies more often.

Hi Nancy! Hey everyone, here's Nancy, Bruno's proud momma. She and fiance Rajiv are doing a good job with him. Boz is crazy about Nancy.

I had an earlier comment for Virginia but I deleted it because this is a family blog. Suffice it to say, it's never too late, V. Some dogs are missing out.

PasadenaPIO, he didn't complain until after you left. But I still didn't give him any alcohol.

It's fascinating to watch the older dogs teach Bruno his manners, right Nancy? He's a puppy and he wants to play. He wants to dominate everything and everybody. The dogs in his circle are of varying ages and hierarchical types. We humans can teach him a lot but the dogs can teach him a lot, too. Their opportunities to socialize together are so important to their training.

Anonymous said...

WhErE R tHeIr fAcEmaSks?

Signed,
A well-meaning friend

(Wait, something tells me I didn't do this quite right.)

Ms M said...

Boz's expression in this photo is priceless...
What a good boy to put up with pesky Bruno :>)

Petrea Burchard said...

Dogs don't get swine flu, even though their nicknames are Pigboy and Sausage Boy (L-R). I know a certain Hiker who put lipstick on her pig.

Ms. M., he's only pesky because he's a baby. He's like the little kid who keeps asking, "why? why? why?" He's about the cutest puppy ever. He's madly in love with sticks and brought me several yesterday.

Trish said...

Boz is a wonderfully tolerant pup.

Ear licking can be dominant behaviour, can also be submissive, but it sounds like Sausage Boy is young and doesn't know he's not the elder.

Frenchie's tend to be a little stubborn, young ones tend to learn "a little slowly" when it isn't something they "want" to learn.

Boz barking reminds me of an Irish Wolfhound friends had. They would ALWAYS praise him for barking because in his 8 1/2 years, he barked only a handful of times that anyone heard---and ALWAYS for good reason (like burgler or Jehovah's Witness who wouldn't leave the porch).

Extra biscuit for Boz for tolerance and teaching!

Jean Spitzer said...

This reminds me of elementary school. I hear a voice, saying "If you have something to say, share it with the whole class."

elizabeth said...

oh, POOCH!

What a great pair of dogs. And what patience on Boz's part to put up with a whippersnapper slurping in his ear.