Liquorice our little twelve-week young Newflette has brought fun and distraction back into our home after so many months of being Newfless. Here are a few silly things I thought I would share. Nothing momentous or clever, just silly little things. 🙂
Liquorice walked across the family room when she noticed her bright yellow tennis ball (her indoor one) on the floor just under the lounge. With a single-minded determination Liquorice decided it would be hers. She strode purposely toward that bright yellow ball, head lowered, her eyes focused solely on her prize. She failed to notice the lounge and walked, head-down, into the edge of the cushion. Her body bounced back and she ended up on her butt. She had not a clue what happened, but somehow she knew that bright yellow tennis ball was responsible!
She has noticed the other creatures with which she shares her world. Like the black and white Magpie that has been enjoying our “table scraps” since Peggy and Nanny passed on and the Noisy Minors that, with the Magpie finish any food Liquorice does not eat. The Magpie was on the back lawn one evening when our friendly Liquorice decided to introduce herself. As she approached the Magpie walked away, so Liquorice followed. The Magpie had it worked out well, with Liquorice’s small steps and his smaller ones, he timed it so when she was three feet away he just hopped and elegantly landed on the perch we had for him at the edge of the vegetable garden. Liquorice just sat there, looking up, studying him for close to ten minutes while I watered the garden. The Magpie was used to playing games with our dogs, Peggy, our Dalmatian, used to chase him for fifty or sixty yards across the lawn. The magpie would glide just in front of Peggy and when Peg was at her keenest and closing, he would simply glide a little higher, enticingly just out of her reach. Then they would repeat the chase. They did that often. I believe the Magpie missed Peggy, even though he inherited the “table scrap” franchise.
When being brushed, Liquorice will choose one of the assorted tools one uses for grooming, to mouth and otherwise amuse herself, while she allows me to groom elsewhere on her woolly junior-Newf body. It is only when I try to groom her “sharpish” end (I’m sure she has a mouth filled with barbed wire <vbg>) that she decides my brush is more to her liking. Then it’s “musical brushes” as in rotation, she takes mine and I use another until it’s my turn to use the one I want once again for a few more strokes before playing musical brushes once more. In time I may have words with her about this habit or just buy a second set, until then we both keep ourselves happily amused! <vbg> Once though, with her attention focused on the floor of the breezeway a few feet away and there was no brush competition. Liquorice was observing a few tiny black ants going about their business. She watched them with such intensity that when I rolled her over, with her head turning 180 degrees she never took her eyes off them.
Liquorice likes to follow sugar-ants that take the easy “highway”, trekking along the garden hose across the lawn. It’s easier for them than making hard going through the mown grass, climbing over one stem, under the next, around next etc. She follows them until she gets too close and they turn off into the grass, undoubtedly cursing our puppy’s inquisitiveness.
For several days Liquorice could not pass our stainless steel kitchen-tidy without noticing the distorted puppy reflected on its round surface. Sometimes she would stop, trying to better make out its oddly changing form, other times she would walk straight up and give that strange puppy a friendly lick. Of course a couple of these and the image was really messed up until I cleaned the bin, or, being lazy, turned it around. <vbg> Then when she saw this puppy, refreshed and shiny again, Liquorice sometimes gave it a little bark in greeting. But sadly, it did not reply. The wonderment she displays when the top flies open as an unseen foot is placed on the pedal is amazing. To see what this “bigmouth” is being fed she comes closer, only to have it open and close its mouth at her as the pedal is worked. Her head bobs up and down in disbelief. Eventually though the bin’s “bad breath” must overcome any concerns she may have with “bigmouth”, and she comes closer hoping to better understand this strange creature.
Liquorice has discovered the refrigerator. She watches it often during the day. It has almost become her daily “soap opera. Liquorice sits before the refrigerator gazing, full of expectation, up at the white door and her demeanor becomes more agitated each time she suspects someone is coming to open the “ice-box” door. Liquorice enjoys having the contents of our icebox being revealed to her. The more often, the better! <vbg> She will then sit herself in front of the refrigerator so the door cannot close. Her upturned face enjoying the cold air cascading down upon her. The joy on her little Newfy face as she takes in the aromas, the variety of foods, a roast leg of lamb, cheeses, butter, salami, bottles of milk, soft drinks and condiments, and all of the containers, the contents of which, she believes, must contain delights beyond her comprehension. What enjoyment she will have when she becomes full size and can reach all those “goodies”. But for now must be a good girl and make herself content with the flood of cold air, window shopping for the future and receiving the attention and tasty payments made for her to vacate her spot in the cold. One day while the vegetable crispers in the bottom of the fridge were out being washed she laid down head, shoulders and chest in the veggie section. <vbg> She enjoys her sits there almost as much as we do. I might start her “stay” training there, by the refrigerator, or is that cheating? <vbg>
Liquorice has found out that she can bark! Short, sharp and piercing and without warning. Fortunately, usually single barks only at this stage. If a toy becomes out of reach she will stare then give it a sharp rebuke. I will sit on the floor playing with Liquorice while watching TV of an evening. If my interest wanders too much to the TV she will remind me who is the more important by giving me a short, sharp bark. She can frighten the daylights out of me if I’m not expecting it. <vbg> If she barks a second time I instantly WOOF back in her face sending her collapsing backwards in a heap on the floor. There is currently an irritating ad on TV with a baby crying, then another, and another etc. Liquorice looks up at the TV and listens with her head to one side, when the third baby starts crying Liquorice starts barking in protest! It’s a useless ad, I mentally turn off and don’t even know what they are advertising!
When Liquorice and the Noisy Minors (birds) play, Liquorice sits and they gather, on the lawn or in shrubs, in a circle around her chirping. As she moves toward one it flies to the top of a shrub, if she moves to another it moves off and the first one returns. When this happens several times she gives them a bark. Or if they land on the guttering they will get another single sharp bark.
We need to teach Liquorice to put her toys away at night. Liquorice does her very best to entertain during the day and at night. A task she excels at. At bedtime though, the floor of the family room looks like a pair of unruly five year olds kids have been having the time of their life with stuffy toys, assorted types of balls, jacks, knotted ropes, plastic bottles and squeaky toys littering the floor.
Life with Liquorice holds joys we had not imagined we would see again.
Arthur Witten
Liquorice