Rocky the Otterhound: Sleepovers and puzzles

Well it’s been a week of almost non stop rain, but dogs don’t seem to care, do they? At least Rocky doesn’t. He can still be hesitant (even reluctant) to go out in it, but on the whole it doesn’t get him down. Especially if there is something going on to make waking up sometime during the week worthwhile.

He is of course still growing; he is now big enough to rest his chin on the dining room table when stood up. What does that mean to us? Well for starters it means that he can have a jolly good go at making us feel guilty for not setting a place for him when eating a meal!! Those who say that dogs do not have facial expressions have not really looked at a dog have they? Particularly when food is around there are a huge variety of facial expressions aimed directly at you …………… there’s the “I really, really love you” look ………. The “do you realise just how starved I am?” look ………. The “I am just a puppy who needs your care and attention “ look and the “you must realise that if I don’t get any of your food NOW I will probably expire in the next few minutes” look, to name but a few. We have had to resort to the shutting him in another room tactic when eating at the table; not only to dissuade him from begging but also in order to preserve our enjoyment of a meal. I wish I could perfect some of those expressions ………. I’m sure my life would have been entirely different if I’d had those talents!!!

Rocky has a new game that he is very pleased with! Having accepted that he is not the alpha male, doesn’t have to make decisions or feed every one; he has decided that all of life must be a game.

His newest one is “drag the human home at the end of a walk” ………………. Last thing at night Rocky tends to be taken around the block, it means you can keep to where there are streetlights, but it also means that Rocky has got to know when we are on the way home; very well. Consequently after the last bend in the road he does a quick turn around, grabs the lead firmly between his teeth and starts pulling you home! Haven’t quite worked out if it’s because he wants to go to bed or if he just likes getting his own back? But whichever it is, he loves it and seems to get quite a kick out of it. Funny dog!!

Rocky’s collection of toys (including the bits of toys left after having had a good gnawing) has become so large he has now got his own toy box. We had been trying to keep several toys back so that we could introduce some if he became bored with what he had; but this is much better. Rocky seems to get such enjoyment at digging around in his box and deciding which one to get out for a game. At times he is so picky that he just about climbs in, moves every thing about and drags out something from the very bottom. Having achieved this feat of scrupulous choosiness he prances about like the cat that got the cream (if you will excuse the analogy)! Who’d have thought dogs suffered from pride???

On Thursday we had a surprise for Rocky, he was going to have a sleepover with two of his friends!! We told him just before teatime and he was so overcome with excitement that he spent ages looking for them ……………… Couldn’t really help him out there, as he can’t tell the time we couldn’t give him and ETA!!

The first of his friends to turn up was Daisy, a little older and bigger (if that’s the right term for a Basset?) and they seemed very pleased to see each other. It did of course turn into a free for all playtime!!!

There was the obligatory game of tag around the coffee table. This was very funny this visit as Daisy has become very playful and fairly whizzed around the table in her flumpety way!! Rocky, being an Otterhound thought he would catch her out by stopping every now and then, turning to catch her coming towards her. However, along with everything else, Daisy has developed a bit more manoeuvrability and fairly dodged her way under his legs - doing a well timed flip back and headed the other way just as Rocky popped his head down for some face catching!!

You’d have thought that Daisy was at a bit of a disadvantage, being the smaller dog (by far)!? However, I think she had all the advantages this visit. She was particularly taken with Rocky’s hairy face and found great delight in Jumping up and grabbing jaw full’s of his beard. Plus, of course, she still has her puppy teeth which must have been a bit sore when she grabbed a mouthful of his jowls!! However, Rocky was a complete Otterhound and never got ratty or fed up. In fact they just played and played like they had been together forever. Lovely!!

Daisy was very cute with some of her antics and we all had such a laugh, even Rocky ………… again with the facial expressions!!!

Rocky and Daisy even continued to play before setting off for a walk together ……….. before the leads went on of course. You could almost believe they were talking to each other???!!!!!

Later his friend Sparky turned up as well, wow, so much fun ahead!! Sparky of course was quite happy to sit and watch the youngsters play …………… nothing Rocky said or did could persuade him to join in.

But he seemed quite content and the youngsters kept stopping to spend time with him. Daisy was not above using Rocky as a stepping stone for seeing Sparky, mind you Rocky didn’t seem the least bit bothered!

Daisy took a fancy to Rocky’s toy box as well, pretty funny seeing this little love jumping, scrabbling and mountaineering in order to get something that had caught her eye in the box. The fact that it was almost as big as she was, was not a drawback ……….. must be a hound dog thing!?

While things were quiet for a moment Rocky thought he would try and get a quick bit of down time ……….. Daisy was having none of it! She went for the sneak attack ………. then it was back to the fun and games!

Rocky tried the “but I’m supposed to be safe up here” tactic on the sofa but ………. To no avail ………….. it was game on again and what fun they had!!

The rest of the night was spent sleeping and in the morning they had a quick game and a walk until all went thier separate ways - and humans went to work. But Rocky has had some lovely howls in his sleep since then as he replayed all the fun and games.

Rocky has had his usual longer explore this weekend on the plain. He really has such a good time, he explores and runs and trots and explores. He hardly notices the weather as long as he is having fun; and that’s how it should be isn’t it? Life is for living they say and he certainly does!

Lastly, while watching Rocky sleep, we sometimes have a really good giggle ……….. you are sat there watching this big hairy baby sleep and wondering to yourself ……….. “How would Otterhounds get on in the wild”?? Looking at Rocky ………… it’s a conundrum!!