Friday, February 17, 2012

Differences

The first dog that my husband and I ever purchased was from a rescue shelter. It was a yellow lab, a boy, 3 months old, that we named Buhner. He was good, but because of our young age, lack of knowledge, and working full time, he could have been even better. It truly is amazing how much he behaved for how little we knew how to guide him. Loved him!!

Labs are smilers. I never picked up on this until we got our Beagle after Buhner passed away. I remember quickly realizing this during Cora's first few days with us. I thought she was unhappy. I thought we had messed up. She! never! smiled!  It was three months later during the heat of the summer did I see her smile ... she was panting. It was there that I finally realized Beagles must not get overheated, and therefore don't need to pant, and therefore don't smile.

Haddie came to live with us and she immediately smiled. Panting. Awww, it was fun to see a dog smile once again. I missed that part for sure!
Haddie has a bed that she sleeps on during the day when it is time to "chill out" (aka: when I need to get things accomplished with out her assistance). But when she is on a full Release, she will find a spot on the hard wood floor and just zonk out. Our beagle has never, and will never, do this. Never!
Our beagle is all about the cuddle. The cuddle to sleep on her bed, on our couch with blankets and pillows, on a circle chair in my girl's room that is wrapped in fuzzy, soft material. Never a hard wood floor.
Haddie also will chew every bite of food; either from her dish or as a treat. Cora, however, will skip the chewing and go straight to the swallow - which is funny because what's the point of the reward if you never taste it? But I guess to her it doesn't really matter because she is still highly food motivated!

It's fun to find the differences in breeds - the simple things - but differences nonetheless.

4 comments:

  1. Ansel "smiled" all the time, so did Jeb our Facility dog we had for 8 yrs. Carver...rarely smiles or pants, but his whole body wiggles when he's happy!

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  2. Mark's right - Ansel was a smiler! BIG TIME! And the smiling is one of the things I appreciate most about the labs and goldens! LOVE IT!

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  3. Now that you mention it - you are right ... the smile comes out even when not panting. Awww - love it!! But it sounds like Ansel is the master smiler. How fun!! =)

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  4. Reminds me of my CCI pups compared to my family's chihuahua's. Their differences are the same as Cora's and Haddie's!

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