Comments on Julie Zickefoose: Watchful Chet Baker

My Boston terrier disappears into the woods for ho...

2008-12-02T23:00:00.000-05:00

My Boston terrier disappears into the woods for hours. I had to stalk her to see what the deal is. She sits transfixed at the base of a tree where once a squirrel was, staring up, even long after the sq is long gone. She has started to even do this in the front yard where we have a huge Douglas fir. She just sits there, staring up, even though there seems to be no real squirrel action. I have speculated that she is counting the lines in the bark. She is so oblivious to the outside world when this is going on, she seems startled if I touch her, despite much loud calling and warning.

I Mo Chew on you isI am going to chew on youas in ...

2007-08-14T19:02:00.000-05:00

I Mo Chew on you is

I am going to chew on you

as in "I Mo Be Ya"

which is Michael McDonaldese for I'm Going to Be There.

It is Motown Speak.

Obtuse enuf?

Loved your answer, Lucy.

Correct response is: Chet Baker is extraordinary, not really a dog, but a little man in a tuxedo.

Thank yew.

J.

Hmmmm... Er... Well... Answers (pick which one o...

2007-08-14T17:48:00.000-05:00

Hmmmm... Er... Well...

Answers (pick which one or ones you like best):

A) Chet is not really a dog, he is a little man in a tuxedo.
B) Chet is indeed a dog, but is superior to all other dogs on the planet.
C) Some dogs are capable of feeling guilty some of the time.
D) I am full of BS and have no idea what I am talking about.

In my defense, my example was the classic "Owner comes home to a mess in the house (be it doggie doo-doo, a chewed up house plant or a dumped over garbage can), blows his or her top, and the dog 'acts guilty'" scenario. In that case, I truly believe the dog has no clue why you are upset. He make the mess a long time ago, and there is no association for him between when he dumped the garbage, shredded the plant and pooped on the floor to when you came home, red-faced and screaming. In that case, the "guilt" posture is really "appeasment."

To me, the difference between my situation and yours is the timing. In your story, the Bird Spa got knocked over and Chet came to you in distress - an immediate response. Something about the incident made an impression on him, but we don't know what. Did it make a big noise when it crashed? Did he get wet when it spilled over? Was there some association in his brain about Mether's toys getting broken and somebody getting yelled at? We can suppose until the cows come home, but we will never really know why.

"Why?" is the greatest question when it comes to animals. Why do birds migrate? Why do dogs roll in stinky dead things? Why do well-fed cats insist on killing mice and then leave their bodies by the back door? We can make up all kinds of answers, but the only ones who truly know "why" are the animals themselves.

I like to think that Chet is an honest enough dog to report to you when he accidently knocked over the bird bath, and was worried about how you would respond.

Or, D) I am full of BS.

~Kathi, still pondering the meaning of "mo chew"

Yeah, well, OK, Katdoc, but I'm mo chew on you for...

2007-08-14T16:39:00.000-05:00

Yeah, well, OK, Katdoc, but I'm mo chew on you for something you said on your blog about whether or not a dog can feel guilty. You stated that a dog can't feel guilty for something he's done that he "knows" is wrong. That the actual mechanism of it is that the dog picks up on the fact that his owner is angry, and acts submissive. He doesn't know what he's done, but he thinks it's appropriate to act submissive, or "guilty."
Then explain this one.
Chet Baker came into the house, all doubled up, eyes rolling, ears plastered back. I had no idea what was wrong. I thought he'd been stung. Couldn't find anything wrong. Was very concerned. Kissed and hugged him, made a fuss over him. Still he groveled. Took him outside to see if there was some evidence that might explain his groveling behavior. And found the Bird Spa tipped over. I looked at it, looked at him questioningly. He was hanging back, looking off to the side and licking his lips. He rolled over on his back. I laughed and put it back together and told him I knew he hadn't meant to tip it over. He instantly transformed into the happiest pup on the planet. Bouncing around, leaping up to lick my face. So. He couldn't have been reacting to anger from me, because I was mystified as to why he was acting so strangely.It was clear to me he was anticipating my anger and knew he'd goofed.
Esplain that one to me, Lucy.

Gotcha covered, Northern Birder! I'm a vet, too, ...

2007-08-13T19:09:00.000-05:00

Gotcha covered, Northern Birder! I'm a vet, too, and I pick on Zick regularly when I think she is putting our favorite Boston Terrier at risk.

Still, can't have too many warnings about GI foreign bodies. I haven't had to take out a corn cob (yet) but a peach pit will do the same thing. (Looks similar on rads, too.) I also had a half-popped popcorn kernel cause an intestinal obstruction in a ferret once.

Nice to see another DVM-birder here. Stop by and visit my blog sometime if you are bored - I run a weekly toxicology quiz on Tuesdays.

~Kathi

I love the pictures of your handsome boy. Thanks s...

2007-08-13T12:27:00.000-05:00

I love the pictures of your handsome boy. Thanks so much for another great Baker fix, I just love his face, the masculine version of his momma.

snicker you said "ballectomy"

2007-08-13T12:06:00.000-05:00

*snicker* you said "ballectomy"

Thank you, Northern Birder, for the corncob warnin...

2007-08-13T05:58:00.000-05:00

Thank you, Northern Birder, for the corncob warning. I was roundly spanked by my readers soon after posting about Chet chewing on a corn cob. It was his first, and will be his last. I was sitting right next to him, watching him spit out every bit, but I wasn't aware at the time what a problem they could be. Now I run around telling everyone what I've learned in the comments section. I was just telling some prospective Boston owners yesterday about grapes, onions and macadamia nuts!
Thanks again.

I think you should have called Chet "Tuxedo". And...

2007-08-13T00:21:00.000-05:00

I think you should have called Chet "Tuxedo". And I love "ballectomy"!

I love to see and hear about Chet. I wanted to com...

2007-08-12T10:08:00.000-05:00

I love to see and hear about Chet. I wanted to comment on something you said a while ago. You said that you sometimes give Chet corn cobs to chew on. I am a veterinarian and I have done emergency surgery on dogs more than once for bowel obstruction caused by pieces of corn cobs. Thought you might like to know.

I keep snickering over your use of "ballectomy." I...

2007-08-11T15:25:00.000-05:00

I keep snickering over your use of "ballectomy." I hope I never grow up.

Chet did much better with the French poodles this ...

2007-08-11T08:16:00.000-05:00

Chet did much better with the French poodles this year. There was just one that didn't like him this year, and it was the same dog as last year. Baker is maturing into quite a gentleman, and he'd stand stock still while he touched noses, very rarely trying to initiate play or any interaction. I was proud of him!

I think Boomer could have beat Chet in a mucilagin...

2007-08-11T01:03:00.000-05:00

I think Boomer could have beat Chet in a mucilaginous contest. But Boomer's bubbles were caused by the cats. Yikes.
I remember last year when you were up there and Chet's strange aversion to poodles. Has he matured past that, or do they still make him nutty?

Chet is absolutely entrancing - such concentration...

2007-08-10T15:33:00.000-05:00

Chet is absolutely entrancing - such concentration in that sometimes mucilagenous face! I'm a cat person, but I'd have to hug Mr. Baker.

Ruby, the Rat Terrier, would love to chase squirre...

2007-08-10T14:46:00.000-05:00

Ruby, the Rat Terrier, would love to chase squirrels with Chet. She says she thinks together they could catch one!

I love Catahoula hounds -- I especially love that they are called Curs -- not a word you hear much anymore! :)

As I am sitting here contemplating the beginning o...

2007-08-10T11:15:00.000-05:00

As I am sitting here contemplating the beginning of another year of teaching biology and catching up on Chet's adventures, Indy (my Catahoula Leopard dog), says she is happy Chet got to meet one of her brethren and that if he is ever in Va., she'd love to meet him. He's a fine looking dog :)

Thanks for the Chet fix, Zickie. What a way to sta...

2007-08-10T09:07:00.000-05:00

Thanks for the Chet fix, Zickie. What a way to start a weekend! That "white shirt" reminds me so much of the Boston we used to have when the (other) kids were young: Miss Muffet. (So named because as a wee puppeh she loved to eat cottage cheese, more archaicly known as "curds and whey.") Everyone always assumed she was a "he" because her white shirt and collar looked so much like the front of a tuxedo.

Have fun in Chautauqua and a safe trip back home!

Some how, some where I will use mucilaginously.My ...

2007-08-10T08:38:00.000-05:00

Some how, some where I will use mucilaginously.

My spell checker (shades of Harry Potter) doesn't like mucilaginously.

RR

When I saw "mucilaginous" I thought, here's anothe...

2007-08-09T22:02:00.000-05:00

When I saw "mucilaginous" I thought, here's another word for my dear Merriam Webster...

I'll use it!

God, I love him. He doesn't want to pet the squirrels or bunnehs, you know... But he *is* a perfect American Gentleman.

Chet is just the cutest little dog! His fur looks...

2007-08-09T21:28:00.000-05:00

Chet is just the cutest little dog! His fur looks so smooth, like a little seal.

I tried to write it in a sentance but no matter ho...

2007-08-09T17:59:00.000-05:00

I tried to write it in a sentance but no matter how I worded it, it sounded naughty!