7.05.2011

What Your Dog is Trying to Tell You

My dog Amber must be part retriever because, her entire life, she has grabbed socks and things and walked around the room when we got her leash for a walk. I never understood this. Doesn't she want to go on a walk? Sooner rather than later?

According to a new book out of Great Britain, In Defence of Dogs, this is just normal excited behavior for a retriever. They love to retrieve and will pick up anything at hand that will do the job.

We bought Amber from drug dealers on the street in Columbia Heights, DC, when the neighborhood was much worse than it is now. In 2002, drug gangs were having a turf war and young men were stationed on every corner throughout the night to protect their territory. One of these young men sold us Amber for nine dollars. He said he wanted her to have a good life.

To say the least, Amber was excitable when we first brought her home. But we loved her and worked with her to calm her down. It took a while.

But no matter what, she still grabs a sock or toy in her mouth and runs around when she gets excited. We have never done a DNA test on her breed, but her behavior is that of a retriever, according to this new book.

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