Isabelle is a great dog. In the past 2 weeks, I believe she has grown 2 inches taller! Her antics amaze us sometimes.
Upon her return from her outside forays, she will traipse straight over to the cabinet where I keep her dog snacks and plop down on her butt to stare at me until I give her a cookie. She much prefers NOT going out ,though she has never had a "problem" in the house. She just likes to HOLD her potty for as long as possible. I try to coax her out, but she does not want to go outside in adverse weather unless it is necessary. Doesn't like rain or snow-Icky; you can just imagine the look on her face.
Bounds out to the truck when the driveway gate alarm sounds. She knows that it is Daddy coming home to see her. In fact, sometimes she will start whining just about 15-30 minutes before he comes home. ESP? Keen sense of Daddy smell? I don't know. When he opens the truck door and yells to her; she almost forcefully jumps with her whole body into the vehicle. Most of the time she gets her front feet on his lap in the seat! Wagging her tale, allowing him to pet and give her "huggies". What a wonderful way to be welcomed home every night.
Isabelle makes grunting "pig" noises when she is on the hunt. She has come home in the past and deposited many tiny shrews on our front deck. And lately she has been going over to the rock pile under the snow to listen for noises under there that drive her nuts! We believe it might be shrews or mice that are foraging for winter food.
When we take our walks at night, she plays with a deflated basketball shaking it and allowing us to kick it for her. She will bring it over to our feet, so that we either fall over it or have to kick it.
While in the truck this morning, traveling to get our early morning lattes, I pointed out a school bus as it was stopping in front of us. She looked up and stared at the bus, carefully watching the children that boarded. Greg and I could both swear that she understands us sometimes.
She is very picky about food. As in the case of my fixing Sunday breakfast and making extra pancakes so she could have some. She ate the sausage, but refused the pancakes. The plate sat there for a long time until I removed it. The same way she turned her nose up at the chicken & dumplings I made for her several weeks ago. The dog is not a pig, and does not beg for food. But she has certain tastes that she enjoys. She has a sweet tooth.
She loved when I made Snickerdoodles last year for Christmas. I would allow her to have a small plate of raw cookie dough, but her favorite was getting baked cookies direct from the oven. She wagged her tail and would sit staring at the oven when I baked them.
Isabelle has never wandered into the road like other dogs. She roams around on our 20 acres, usually in the same small area. She doesn't "run" like other dogs. Even when her boyfriend, Wolffy, comes to visit. (Wolffy is Mark's full bred wolf) They will play, tussle, have heaps of fun, but Wolffy runs off after playtime and Isabelle will stay in the area.
She sleeps a lot of the time. She will sleep 20 hours out of 24. I have read and heard from others that Mastiffs are a dog breed that is known for sleeping. Her overall demeanor is a very calm, easy-going relaxed state. However, and we don't know why, she has always been extremely frightened of little kids and children. She will pull away, attempt to hide, and run away from kids that approach her or try to pet her. Since she has never been abused; we have owned her since she was 6 weeks old-we don't understand this response.
I always laugh when I see this picture. It was a hat of Kelsey's and she left it here when she moved out. So Isabelle found it and likes to play with it. I just adore the expression on her face in the picture.
There will come a time when she is too old and we will lose her, and I know that in my heart, I will never want another dog.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Isabelle, The Amazing Fila Brasileiro Mastiff
Isabelle is a great dog. In the past 2 weeks, I believe she has grown 2 inches taller! Her antics amaze us sometimes.
Upon her return from her outside forays, she will traipse straight over to the cabinet where I keep her dog snacks and plop down on her butt to stare at me until I give her a cookie. She much prefers NOT going out ,though she has never had a "problem" in the house. She just likes to HOLD her potty for as long as possible. I try to coax her out, but she does not want to go outside in adverse weather unless it is necessary. Doesn't like rain or snow-Icky; you can just imagine the look on her face.
Bounds out to the truck when the driveway gate alarm sounds. She knows that it is Daddy coming home to see her. In fact, sometimes she will start whining just about 15-30 minutes before he comes home. ESP? Keen sense of Daddy smell? I don't know. When he opens the truck door and yells to her; she almost forcefully jumps with her whole body into the vehicle. Most of the time she gets her front feet on his lap in the seat! Wagging her tale, allowing him to pet and give her "huggies". What a wonderful way to be welcomed home every night.
Isabelle makes grunting "pig" noises when she is on the hunt. She has come home in the past and deposited many tiny shrews on our front deck. And lately she has been going over to the rock pile under the snow to listen for noises under there that drive her nuts! We believe it might be shrews or mice that are foraging for winter food.
When we take our walks at night, she plays with a deflated basketball shaking it and allowing us to kick it for her. She will bring it over to our feet, so that we either fall over it or have to kick it.
While in the truck this morning, traveling to get our early morning lattes, I pointed out a school bus as it was stopping in front of us. She looked up and stared at the bus, carefully watching the children that boarded. Greg and I could both swear that she understands us sometimes.
She is very picky about food. As in the case of my fixing Sunday breakfast and making extra pancakes so she could have some. She ate the sausage, but refused the pancakes. The plate sat there for a long time until I removed it. The same way she turned her nose up at the chicken & dumplings I made for her several weeks ago. The dog is not a pig, and does not beg for food. But she has certain tastes that she enjoys. She has a sweet tooth.
She loved when I made Snickerdoodles last year for Christmas. I would allow her to have a small plate of raw cookie dough, but her favorite was getting baked cookies direct from the oven. She wagged her tail and would sit staring at the oven when I baked them.
Isabelle has never wandered into the road like other dogs. She roams around on our 20 acres, usually in the same small area. She doesn't "run" like other dogs. Even when her boyfriend, Wolffy, comes to visit. (Wolffy is Mark's full bred wolf) They will play, tussle, have heaps of fun, but Wolffy runs off after playtime and Isabelle will stay in the area.
She sleeps a lot of the time. She will sleep 20 hours out of 24. I have read and heard from others that Mastiffs are a dog breed that is known for sleeping. Her overall demeanor is a very calm, easy-going relaxed state. However, and we don't know why, she has always been extremely frightened of little kids and children. She will pull away, attempt to hide, and run away from kids that approach her or try to pet her. Since she has never been abused; we have owned her since she was 6 weeks old-we don't understand this response.
I always laugh when I see this picture. It was a hat of Kelsey's and she left it here when she moved out. So Isabelle found it and likes to play with it. I just adore the expression on her face in the picture.
There will come a time when she is too old and we will lose her, and I know that in my heart, I will never want another dog.
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