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. 

[Tina, Clover, Plus 5 More]

OMD this is Clover!  ROFL

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Okay, this is our house too. We would substitute Murphy for Rosco and ofcourse, you guessed it, BELLA for Boca!  But they are about the same ages so that makes sense. I look at Murphy and can only hope when Bella is his age, (2.9 yrs) that she will be as content and not so bored. Yup, time to go get some more bones.

[Adina P]

She really can wear me out mentally...it's THIS that makes this otherwise-not-too-guilty dog momma feel GUILTY.  I just want her to CHILL so I can chill too.  She will chill just fine if I'm at a table working...but put me and Clark on the couch either watching the tv or on our laptops together and it's over.  I am ready to wring her neck (metaphorically).

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Possibly she would settle down if she were invited up onto the couch (gasp!) to chill. Just an evil thought.

[Adina P]

*GASP* indeed!

 

I think she would just end up climbing over us, sitting on my belly, poking us in the head, typing on our laptops and inadvertently punching Daddy in the crotch as she climbed around.  Then she'd flop over, get a belly rub and jump off and ring the bell 10 x again.  What she WANTS is to spend 90% of the day and evening outdoors until bedtime, doing yard maintenance in hopes she'll be rewarded with fetch-until-she-drops only to be followed by more fetch-until-she-drops 5 minutes later.

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Wow Adina...that is one active Doodle!  Maybe she has ADD!!!

[Adina P]

Well she's not like that ALL the time, only when I want to relax on the couch.  I could be at the table on my laptop and she's not HALF as bad.  But maybe that's because she can't be directly in front of me.  She just likes her outdoor activities...I wasn't kidding when I've said she would LOVE to be an outdoor dog.  Rosco goes out to pee and poo and eat weeds now and then...and bask in the sun for a bit each day.  But he'd be perfectly content without the outdoors.

[Bonnie and Kona]

Exactly why Kona is allowed on the couch and Owen is NOT! He was never allowed on the couch until Owen drove him bonkers as a puppy. He had to get away! Owen will not be allowed on the couch. If he ever calms down, Kona won't need to beg desperately to get away and won't come up either.

[Michael Gurley]

Sunny IS allowed on the couch, and this is exactly what she does if I have a friend on the couch with me. If it's just me, she'll curl up in the adjacent chair.

 

All my male friends know to protect their crotches around Sunny.

[F, Calla & Luca]

My two are allowed on everything. It hasn't changed Calla's nudging to go out one iota!

[Jane Smith]

Too funny!

For Lucy you need to add:  Bring Mom every.single.toy. you own, hoping to entice her.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

And I'd have to add the "stare down" I get when I am ignoring her, or the plop of the head in my lap with the "humph" sigh, or the big paw on my shoulder that says "Hi, mom, can we talk?" or the ever so clever, perfectly timed with something important being said on TV or online.....BARKING!!!!  That doesn't get the results she wants, but I guess any interaction to her is still interaction.