Bored Doodles...what do they REALLY look like?

[Adina P]

Every now and then I read about others getting the impression that their doodles are bored because they are lying around, doing nothing, looking 'sad', or something akin to that.  To me a dog laying around, relaxing is a dog that is perfectly content. 

 

Bored to me looks like Boca the second we sit down on the couch and if she were to instruct another dog to mimic her the instructions would look like this (substitute your brother/sister for "Rosco"):

1.  Poke Mom and Dad a few times asking for petting.

2.  When petting ceases poke them again, especially if laptops are on their laps.

3.  You will probably be told to 'back up' because they can't see their keyboard if your head is there.

4.  Pace back and forth through living room.

5.  Go ring the bell* to go out.

6.  Walk back to living room.

7.  Circle around Rosco whose being boring by lying on the floor at their feet.

8.  Ring bell again

9.  Return because bell is being ignored.

10.  Poke Mom and Dad

11.  Walk over Rosco a few times

12. Poke Rosco

13.  Keep poking Rosco (occasionally this will result in some wrestling so keep at it!).

14.  Ring bell

15.  Ring bell

16.  Pace back and forth from bell to living room a few times.

17.  Ring bell

18.  Stare at Mom and Dad and if possible, poke again.

19.  Ring bell.

 

THIS to me is the picture of boredom.  NOT Rosco who is laying there perfectly content to warm our toes. So to me when I see dogs/doodles laying around and chillaxin' I think 'Ahhhh, what happy content doggies!"  When I see Boca I feel bad because I'm DONE for the day and she's just caught her second wind...I also feel bad for me because her energy at that time drives me a bit bonkers...okay a lot bonkers.  Time to buy some new bones for her to chew on, I think!

 

*At this point in the night ringing the bell is 99% simply for the purpose of being outside, possibly digging, possibly finding her favorite ball and digging with it or if she's lucky getting a game of fetch.  Said activities are generally 95% of the reason she rings the bell through the day. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

We don't use bells . So Calla is a master of "the look". She goes to the doorway if upstairs, or the outside doorway if downstairs. She looks plaintively. I say "Later, not now". We do this multiple times from dinner on. Luca goes out maybe once during these maneuvers. I almost always give in. No dog can have to go that often but to her it's for amusement. Yet, what if she really has to go? Maybe this will be the last time? Sometime much later I tell her we're done. Sometimes she'll lay down and accept that. Maybe it's a female thing. Maybe because she's younger.

[Adina P]

Thule was a bit more like Boca but not nearly as bad.  So it's tempting to think it's a female thing.  A female, black, F1 labradoodle thing =)  How's that for sweeping generalization based on two dogs? :-D

 

With Boca I am quite certain when it's not a potty need.  Especially when she stares back at me once she's outside OR when she just sniffs around close to the house in search for her favorite ball.  My dear, mellow, Rosco does not hesitate about potty time.  He goes directly to one of several favorite pee spots and gets busy.  No dilly dallying for him!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Of course I'm using a series of two also. But if there are enough of us we could publish : )

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Black female f2 labradoodle takes F O R E V E R to go to the potty. She goes potty once a day whether she needs to or not. She goes outside all evening long. Are 3 black female dogs enough then to publish?

[F, Calla & Luca]

Don't think so and my female is white : )

[Anna and Achilles]

For Achilles we would also need to include drop a ball in her lap!!! Again and again.

[Adina P]

Come to think of it when we have bones around the house she prances around and can take a swipe out of your knee with those things!  She's dropped a bone in...um...Clark's 'lap' before.  OUCH POOR DADDY!

[Bonnie and Kona]

This is not a female thing. Haha. I have two males. Kona is almost always lying peacefully resting at my feet. Owen is pacing, looking for trouble, poking, finding trouble, chewing on his antler, moving on to a book or a chair leg, poking, pacing, laying head on computer. Arrrgh. I, too, am hoping its the age difference meaning Owen will outgrow it. Hoping, hoping, hoping! We have a dog door so no whining or bell ringing to go out.

[Adina P]

Good luck... I have no hope Boca will be as mellow as Rosco until she's a senior dog.  Thule was a year older than Rosco and preferred to be moving more than him always.  Rosco is just a low energy, mellow dog that only gets revved up for a few things in life.  Otherwise, his motto is "why bother getting up when sleeping is soooo comfy?"

[Pat and Traveler]

Hahahaha....I so relate to this!  Trav is another one who hates it when I'm at the computer.  He doesn't usually poke, but he'll walk under the tray where the keyboard is located which puts his tail across the monitor and his head on my knee and bump my elbow with his head, then he'll bring all his toys, do the STARE, go to the door and whine, and two minutes later want back in, then two minutes later want out, then repeat.  And repeat.  And repeat.   

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

OMD this made me laugh out loud so much! This is exactly SophieBear except replace 'ring bell' with 'bring over squeaky toy, push it into lap, and squak and squeak and squeak'. Instead of Rosco, she likes to harrass the cat. Then the cat comes over to me, crawls on the keyboard and meows loudly in protest, forcing me to pay attention to her plight. How am I supposed to focus on DK with all this nonsense?? Good thing work isn't too busy these days so I can get my fix at the office :-)

[Camilla and Darwin]

When Darwin gets bored he paces. Back and forth, back and forth in front of us. We get the idea... LOL