Liquorice sneaks into the bathroom and sits by the toilet and slowly pulls on the toilet paper, unrolling it about two feet at a time. It’s our fault she does this as we were amused when we first found her and watched as she played. And it still amuses us. She has a brief chew, probably more trying to remove the dry paper from her wet mouth than chewing, then pulls down a couple more feet of toilet tissue. She continues until she is found, usually with a lovely soft pile of thick three-ply toilet tissue nearly as high as her!
Ever try to re-roll a roll of toilet paper, especially with used bits along its length. Lol!
Liquorice is intrigued with the rubber knob at the end of my parent’s walking sticks. When I walk, Liquorice goes between my legs or grabs the legs of the old trousers I wear about the place. She will playfully mouth and “puppy-bite” my hands, forearms and feet if uncovered. It may not be advisable but Liquorice has no other puppies to play with or adult dogs to learn how hard not to bite. <vbg> She knows instinctively not to do this to my parents. Exception being when she is playing on the family room floor and she spies my father’s toes poking out from the open toes in his elastic stockings! These she feels are fair game. <vbg> If I’m wearing “good” trousers I tell her “No” when she latches on to them and she lets go of that leg, tries the other, another “No” and she then leaves them alone. Liquorice does not hold on to my parents clothing at all, or walk between their legs when they are moving. The rubber knobs on the end of their walking sticks though, are something she likes to sample.
Liquorice was caught today very slowly and carefully going up the stairs in the vestibule. Clearly her destination was Nancy, our life-size, and quite life-like, Olde English Sheep-dog we have up about half a dozen steps, where the stairs fan out going around the bend in the staircase. I watched unseen, as with each step she would stop and stare at this rather aloof and silent dog that has been sitting there, in its corner, without ever acknowledging Liquorice’s presence in room. Liquorice would raise, then lower her head or move it from side to side, trying to observe even the slightest reaction in her unmoving room-mate. With growing confidence she eventually reached Nancy. As Liquorice gave Nancy a curious sniff and lick I made my presence known, scooped her up and told her “NO”. She is too young to climb stairs and certainly too young to descend with safety.
Arthur Witten
Liquorice