The nose

When the outdoor temperature drops below fifty degrees or so we let the dogs come inside. This winter we decided to gate off our entry-way and create a little room for them to hang out. The only other thing that occupies that space is my cross collection hanging on the wall. Sometimes when Graycie Jane feels high maintenance and neglected she will nose one of the lower crosses causing it to swing back and forth on the nail. The response she is looking for is one where I come around the corner carrying a silver platter lined with milkbones and a nice, large, sterilized glass of chilled reverse osmosis water. Then repeat that every thirty minutes or so and she won't touch a cross. However the distinctive sound of a wooden or plaster cross swinging against the wall generally mildly enrages me to the point of running in there and yelling at her to ensure she doesn't cause any damages. No sooner do I sit down in the other room, after giving her time to decide that was not the correct response do I hear the sound of a cross hitting the floor. You might think that the swinging was a warning and the dropping was the final blow, but I have quite a few crosses and if I don't remember to take them down prior to letting them in, she'd drop them all until one of us responded to her needs in a timely and effective manner.

We were watching the "Dogs 101," on Animal Planet, that featured the Weimariner and they mentioned that they have very human-like characteristics and often think much more than most other dogs. After living with one for four and a half years and two for two years, it is very true and equally as creepy. I remember when I first moved in with Alan and Graycie I and would stay by myself when Alan was on shift, I would get so weirded out by Graycie and her staring or walking up to me and very slowly putting her paw on my hand and all of the other strange things they do.