The Mighty Paw!!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

I have a couple of hand holding, or should I say paw holding, Doodles.

When we brought Fudge home, she would often sit by our side and extend her paw. I had never had another dog that did this, so I started reaching out and holding her paw. She seemed to like it and take comfort in that simple gesture and I have to admit, I like it too.  Even now, she likes when you stroke her paws when she is lying beside you and sometimes, I watch TV just holding her paw. Lots of times, if you are in the middle of a good belly rub and stop, she will move that paw in the air to remind you that you are not finished. We stop sometimes, just to see her do it. In the morning, if she gets back in bed when my husband is still sleeping, she will sit beside him as close as she can get to his face, and extend her paw in his direction as if to say, “hey mister, commence with the rubbing.”  Fudge is very ladylike in her demands, never pushy, and I imagine she is like the Queen of England with her subjects.  You might not like it at 8 am in the morning, but I bet if the Queen wants one of her ladies-in-waiting to scratch her back, I doubt the lady-in-waiting says, “Do you mind if I take a rain check?” but rather, “Is this the right spot?”

Vern, on the other hand, has huge paws and knows just how to use them.  I sympathize with Vern; because rumor has it I have big paws myself.  I have worn an 11B shoe since before I got out of eighth grade and used to hate shoe shopping with my mother.  My mom insisted on taking me to the one store known in town for its geriatric footwear and unless I liked wearing black shoes that looked like I came over on the Mayflower, I was out of luck. 

As I got older, it was easier to find shoes, but then I started having problems with my feet and ended up one day at a store that specialized in shoes for problem feet.  The gentleman that owned the store waited on me and spent a lot of time measuring and examining my feet and told me he thought I would be more comfortable in a 12.

 

Next, he asked me the width I have worn all my life and when I told him a medium, he said I was now either a wide or an extra wide. Once we clarified that he was still talking about my feet, I thanked him for his help and said, “Well, at least I know if you can’t help me, I will be able to get something at the clown shoe shop.” 

When I called my husband to tell him the search was over and Bigfoot had been found, he tried to be nice and told me a 12 wide was not that big of a shoe size. I appreciated his kindness and agreed with him that my feet were not that big if A) I wasn’t a female B) My parents were Kangaroos or C) I was the male lead in a Porn film and my name was Dickie Longstocking. 

I also went on to tell him, as far as I was concerned, the only good thing that might come out of all this is if we happen to lose our oars in the water when canoeing, I could help out with my feet as long as I take a few Pilates classes before we go, but I made him swear that he wouldn’t start calling me Oarie Laurie. 

After that, the only other comment he made about my feet happened when I told him a woman at the food market came up to me at the deli counter and told me I had very petite feet for such a tall woman and he asked me if they allowed her seeing eye dog in the market.

 

So, you can see Vern takes after me in the big feet department and like Fudge, he loves to use his paws and to have you hold his paws.  The problem with Vern is that he does not realize how big he is or that a human being is not made to be stepped on by a ninety-pound dog. He also cannot gauge the space he needs to clear an area and this has caused a few minor incidents.  If my husband is not paying attention when Vern decides to jump on the bed, he is usually quick to regret his inattentiveness as Vern always seems to land on my husband’s nether regions, or as we now call it in our household, The Never Going to Work Again Region.  I have the same problem when Vern stands up to reposition himself on the bed or couch and my lap happens to be in his way.  Thankfully, my childbearing days are over or they would be by now.

If Vern sits beside you on the sofa, he always likes to put a paw on your shoulder and if he can maneuver his other paw around your other shoulder for a Doodle hug, he will try.  He leans into you like he is smelling your hair or something and I have to say it always melts my heart.  The only part I don’t like about a Vern hug is he has been known to miscalculate the distance his paw needs to go around to bypass hitting your nose and/or eye for a painless hug.  I also anticipate problems if I start going to the doctor with bumps and bruises and am asked to explain to a Social Worker who is causing me all this pain and I have to ID Vern in a lineup.

I guess I could start wearing a helmet and mouth guard while sitting around my house or lying in bed at night, but I can’t imagine that it is going to help my love life. My husband already has enough problems sweeping me off my extra large feet, he certainly shouldn’t have to wait until I remove my helmet and spit out my mouth guard to give me a kiss.

 

Meanwhile, I will continue to be “pawed” by my lovable Doodles.  It certainly works better than one of those worry stones that you are supposed to rub on to ease anxiety.  Personally, I would choose a Doodle paw to rub any day of the week.

P.S. Remember, I am tall and Vern is tall. We need big feet to hold us up or we would tip over :) I bet the Science Group would agree!!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Deanna, My sister-in-law wears a 5, too. I know she has a terrible time buying shoes. You would think the people who make shoes would figure it out someday! I was wincing thinking about your poor husband and his chest incision. OMD I am so glad it did not reopen. Yikes!!

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

Once again, so funny - and another topic near and dear to my heart!  I HATE my feet!!!  They're Munchkin feet!  I generally buy size 5, but even those are occasionally too big.  Most stores and catalogs start at size 6 so my choices are very limited.  Forget buying kids shoes - too "youthful".  I do shop at Nordstrom and a few isolated brands make 5's so I don't go around barefoot!

Sedona likes to hold "hands", too.  Being a "medium" and a "lady", she's usually pretty gentle.  The "bull in the china shop" in our family is our daughter's lab.  Lucy thinks she's a lap dog (like her older brother Jack, the Yorkie).  Shortly after my husband had open heart surgery, Lucy tried to sit on his lap, missed, and stepped right on his chest.  Almost reopened the incision!   

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Karen, Even though they sometimes hurt, there is nothing like a Vern hug and a Fudge paw :) My husband might not agree...LOL!

BG, LOL...my sisters are both a 9.5 in shoe size (let me be clear). I don't know what happened to me :) Size 15 feet.....WOW!!!

Margaret, Oh, I agree so much. My DD wears a 6.5 and I always pull them out in her size and think, "cute" and then look at them in an 11 and think, "not so cute." LOL  Off to war.....ROTFL!!

Doris, I was awakened last night at 1:00 am by a large dog whacking me on the back with his paw.

[Doris, Knox & Flash]

Knox has big paws and likes to use them! He loves to wake me up in the morning by pawing the head of the mattress and it doesn't matter to him if my face is in the way! I just love being whacked by his paw when I'm sound asleep! Uh, not so much...

[Margaret & Pebbles]

Laurie your a hoot!  Pebbles is also a hugger.  But she comes straight at me when I'm sitting and puts her paws on my shoulder, then rests her head on me.  I just love that!  As far as shoe size, I wear a big old 10.  Why does every shoe look so cute when they are a size 7!!!??  I put the size 10 on and looks like I'm off to war!

[BG and Gavin]

We are a big pawed family as well.  DH who is 6' 5" wears a 12, but dodged a bullet as his dad wears a 15! Gavin's paws are like frying pans.  I am a "petite" 9, okay 9.5.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I was feeling very rejected here because JD does not like to have his paws held, nor is he a hugger. However, after reading about the damaged nether regions, maybe I should count my blessings.

 

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Linda, Thank you! I am glad I can make you laugh :) Maybe it is a male/female thing, because Vern packs a punch, too. Fudge is just persistent, but gentle.

[Linda, Webber and Seda]

Great blog, Laurie.  Love the longstocking.  You always make me laugh out loud.  Seda is my gentle paw, like Fudge.  Maybe it is a chocolate doodlegirl thing.  Webber has some heft behing his high fives.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Thanks, Janie. I have never had a dog before that likes to have his/her hand held until these Doodles :)