Oh, My God! My Dog's A Freak!

I cannot say why, but for the last day and a half Saga has been acting a bit odd. She wants to go out, then once we are out, she stands on the deck staring at the door. But if I open the door to let her in, she stares at the floor just inside the door as if it were crawling with spiders or something.

Last night, while it was raining, she wanted to go out and she stood in the rain staring at the door, oblivious to the fact that she was getting soaked. (She has always hated water!) This morning, on our walk in the park, she bolted out, did her business, and then bolted back. Once at the door she stood staring out at my neighbor's bedroom window.

Last night I might have chalked it up to the distant sounds of fireworks that I just couldn't hear (though she has never worried over fireworks before). This morning is a different story. It is not as though anyone was shooting off fireworks at five-thirty. I thought last night it might be because the weather radio kept going off (the robot voice of the National Weather Service causes her to tremble) but I doubt she would still be frightened about that ten hours later.

So, I guess I could chalk it up to her being her dam's whelp! That nut didn't drop far from the tree! Inka, the first Canaan Dog bitch I was ever introduced to (and Saga's dam) was a bit of a nutcase herself. I remember, when I was living with my friends who bred Saga, we'd be watching television and Inka would stare off into a corner of the room's ceiling which could in no way be characterized as interesting.

Then, occasionally, she'd "start a conversation" with the empty corner of the ceiling by barking, whining, and whinging at it. This would go on for a minute or two, then stop as suddenly as it had started. Inka, her part in this play satisfied, would ball herself up with her head on her back feet and snooze for a while until it was time to start all over again.

Saga had not displayed this trait of her lineage in any discernible way until recently. Perhaps it is all the time I am spending at home these days is just giving me more of a chance to see her doing it, but...

Ah well. I am sure that this is just another of the phases she occasionally goes through; no different than the phase where she used to take her cookies to hide all over the living room. I still occasionally find one tucked deep under the couch cushions. It does keep life interesting.

Wherever you are today I hope that someone keeps your life interesting!

Don Bergquist - July 05, 2010 - Lakewood, Colorado, USA