A few years back, feeling like bad dog owner after a particularly busy week, I was out running errands and came home with a bunny dog toy for Rigby. It was a soft floppy squeaky toy with squeakers in the head and all 4 feet. It wasn't the typical dog toy I'd buy for Rigby because she was still pretty much a puppy back then and destroyed anything that was not marketed as "indestructible". But it was cute, and I wanted to bribe her into loving me, even in my absence, so I brought it home. While she has a few other toys in her repertoire these days, Bunny is probably Rigby's favorite toy. Its floppy nature allows her to shake the bejesus out of it and carry it around like a fresh kill.
We also play tug-o-war with it, which wears us both out.
All of Bunny's stuffing has been long gone for quite some time now, but it still has a couple squeakers left. Rigby even knows which toy is "Bunny" when I tell her to go get it.
While recovering from some illness this weekend, I didn't have the energy for anything all that physical. So when Rigby started to get cabin fever, I sat at the top of the stairs with my book and threw her toys down the stairs. Usually this method wears her out as the running up and down the stairs is good exercise, that is as long as she doesn't catch on and decide to sit right beside me at the top of the stairs.
During this game, I had a chance to take a good look at little Bunny and, I'll tell you, its seen better days. I do remember a few months ago when we lost the foot, but I had not realized that little Bunny no longer has a head.
It might be a little bit morbid that my dog's favorite toy is a headless rabbit.
But she does love it so. And I guess that's a better option than
disemboweling a real bunny.
Wow, she is a beauty.Those ears make her look as alert as she probably is.
ReplyDeleteThat bunny looks well used. And you can't really re-stuff it for it won't be the same thing to her at all. The only thing you could use is a blanket belonging to her then stitch up the amputations/decapitations.
I wouldn't toss it for it could be her comforter while you are away.
How is your ear ?.
New keyboard, ses tres tres frustré, TRES.
And ccarpets ?. Light coloured carpets ?. With a dog, even if she's in the same colour palette ?.
Yes, feeling on the mend. I spent the weekend sleeping and sleeping and was able to get up this morning to walk Rigby. Not full speed nor full time mind you, but at least it's something beyond veged out on the couch.
DeleteIt is like a security blanket. She'll often rest her head on it after playing, and sometimes it ends up beside her in bed. But still, it's pretty much just a piece of fuzzy material with three legs. :)
When I first bought the house it had PINK carpet, I think it was called mauve back in the 80s when the house was built. I got a credit from the buyers to replace and put that in. I like the color and if it were darker I'd see every one of her million hairs that has shed all over my house. But my ultimate goal is to get hardwood-like flooring through the house instead. I dislike carpet and I think, with the dog, it may be exasperating my allergies. I've been talking about it for ages, but the work that goes into getting ready for new flooring is what has kept me from acting and the fear that if I spend the money in that and something else big and house related comes up I'll be broke for sure.
How are the pictures coming along? I hope you'll share that outcome.
Things all on the go here. Frames look better than I'd hoped. I'll gloss oil paint one to see how they'd look and decide then if I'll continue. They are all painted with water based paint now and look good. Well look the way I wanted anyway.
DeleteOn the floors. Yes the wood makes it easier to clean. But also the stuff stays airborne, so if going that route I'd get a robot vacuum.
Me, before Jessy I was getting to be a house proud man. Never a good look. But what I do is have a blitz every 2-3 weeks when Jessy sits on her chair with her nose to her butt watching me give her dirty looks when I find yet another wad of hair.
Oh great! Glad the frames are going as planned! The 15th is getting close. I bet you're getting excited...or anxious. :)
DeleteEvery-so-often i frustrate out loud about how hard it is to have nice things with a dog especially when I find a paw print on the newly washed floor or a sweater of hair on my couch where she curled up on while I was out. But, like you, it's only once in awhile. You'd lose your mind being too house proud when you have dogs. It's easier to resign myself to the fact that that, no, I can't have nice things and have a dog. ;)
Rigby is a gorgeous girlie! I am such a sucker for dogs. (We currently have nine!) You can tell how much she loves her little bunny from the photos. We've always had aggressive chewers as house dogs, so no soft or squeaky toys.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the 'real' bunny story you linked to. You would be totally grossed out by the things I've had to deal with where I live. Moving to the 'country' some 30 years ago really toughened me up. Still...you wont EVER find me touching a worm. No way!
Glad to hear the ear is mending and you're feeling better.
Thank you, yes, better is right!
Delete9?!?!?! Holy cow. I can see where that can happen though. I follow a rescue on Facebook who does great work and every time they post a new dog the ONLY thing that keeps me from driving out to get it is Rigby is quite fond of being the only dog-child. If another dog moved in, she'd disown me. :)
Everyone has their "thing" don't they, no matter how tough!
I never dreamed we'd have this many, but all are strays that were either dumped nearby or just showed up in the yard. Alice & Mabel (my inside girlies) were part of a litter of 12 left in a cardboard box across the road from our drive the day after Christmas one year. MamaDog (and Blue) showed up six months later and she was pregnant at the time (hence the name). We've taken in many over the years, each with a different story and personality. I think the two we took in this past summer (Sadie and Sam) have us at the saturation point outside. The pack won't support any more. (plus the cost of spay/neuter, food, etc.) Two puppies were dumped right before Christmas (realized too late why that car turned around in our drive!), but thankfully I was able to leave them at the local animal shelter (which is not a no-kill, but usually puppies get adopted out). I think Alice would enjoy another dog inside, but not Mabel...so we won't have another house dog until they're gone (and they're only 6). We love Rottweilers and have had three of them (the only dogs we've actively sought out and paid for), so someday we want another. They're wonderful house pets and our first helped raise our two younger kids.
DeleteSorry...I can get carried away talking about dogs!
That's great that you are able to do that. The idea of the "pack" is so interesting to me. It's nice that they have each other for company to. I often feel like Rigby is lonely, but cattle dogs are notorious for being pretty much a one-dog dog. I do feel the same about cattle dogs as you and rots. This rescue I follow has a bunch of puppy cattle dogs right now and they post pictures of them a few times a day. I'm THIS close...but know that I really can't. :)
DeleteThe whole DUMPING OF DOGS tears my heart out. I just don't get it. I was at the vet getting some flea meds a couple of weeks ago and their was a family there with 4 beautiful Malinois shepherd puppies who they had rescued after someone just dropped them off in an empty field near their house. I just don't get it. Disgusting. Thankfully, there are people who are willing to take more than their fair share to save them.
The pack mentality fascinates me, too. While certainly no expert, it's my opinion it depends more on the ages and personalities of the dogs than the number in the pack. We had a horrible experience about six years ago (I did blog about it, but will spare you the link) and it involved only three adult dogs. Sam, our latest has come close to being the proverbial straw on the camel's back, but we're working with him.
DeleteYes, I've ranted a number of times on my blog about "dog dumping" and had numerous conversations with my vet about it. It's cowardly and shameful.
Like you, it breaks my heart and tempts me to see photos online of those up for adoption, but we can't save them all personally.
My dogs can't deal with soft toys, and I have had yards of soft stuffing on the carpet over the years. Toys as hard as Kong toys are the only thing that stays whole. Glad you are feeling better.
ReplyDeleteShe's funny with the toys. Sometimes she tears the thing up within an hour and others she keeps in pretty good shape. The bunny lasted for probably about year before being completely de-stuffed. Her teeth will poke holes in the soft toy and some stuffing will come out here and there. Once those holes get larger though, I pick up that stuff for days. As a puppy I got her those "tough" type toys because she destroyed anything else, but the problem is they hurt when she'd drop them on my head or bang them against my leg to get me to play. I've not got them scattered about the house up on some high shelf where I put it once upon a time when she started to annoy me with it. The soft toys are much gentler when you're whacked in the face with it. That she's 4 she's not much of a lay down and chew and chew and chew dog. She loves to shake and play with them so we've done ok.
DeleteYou are the best dog mommy in America.
ReplyDelete