Odd Quirks

My shelties are quirky.  They have these odd little behaviours that make us laugh daily.  For instance both shelties love to rub on things.  Anything with a new smell or different texture and they are up on it rubbing vigorously.  The leather couch is a favourite.  Both shelties will rub their head along it, and then their whole body. Spryte will start at one side of the couch and rub her body while walking, until she has circled the entire couch.  They do this on our bath towels, clothes, if we are packing for a trip Spryte will be right in the suitcase rubbing her face.  It really is funny to watch.  Odd thing is Leanne and Cheryl have said they're dogs do the same thing.  Maybe its a Dynstar trait.

The shelties also bark at us when we sneeze (and again the other Dynstar dogs do this too).  Strider usually only does this when I sneeze.  Then Spryte came along and she started to do it too. But she takes it to the next level.  She will bark at me, Paul and even the OTHER dogs when they sneeze.  It's pretty funny to see her run up to Strider barking in his face while he is in the middle of a sneezing fit.  He doesn't think its so funny and usually shows her a few pearly whites, until she gets the message and leaves him alone.

If the phone rings or the timer on the stove goes off, or something beeps, Spryte will run to it barking.  I keep saying she would make a great service dog for the hearing impaired.  I think I know how this quirk came about.  Spryte being a typical sheltie loves to chase things that are moving (and chasing always involves barking).  When the phone rings or something beeps we usually have to run to get it as we are often in another room.  Well she thought that this was a great game just for her, and would chase us barking the whole way.  So now she hears the beep and assumes we will go running, so she is up and ready to beat us to the source.

Spryte also thinks fetch is the dumbest game humans came up with.  At night when the witching hour hits she will start to bring us every toy in the room.  She loves tug so she is looking to start a game with Paul or I.  But balls do not make great tug toys, so of course we throw it away.  When we throw it she will stand there and watch it land. Then she will turn to us as if to say "now why the hell did you go and do that!"  The look on her face is one of pure disgust!  She'll stand there for a while waiting, and when she figures out that no one else is going to get it, she trots off to retrieve it.  She'll bring it back, often flinging it at us, and then the cycle starts again. 

I love my shelties and their odd quirks.  They make me laugh and provide hours of entertainment.  Who needs T.V when you live with two shelties :)

The shelties rubbing on the new area rug when we brought it home.