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Rose's Nose
by Natalie Culver
Rose is a dog who will not bite your nose.
Even if you try [to get her to play nip], if you stare into her eyes,
if you make a little noise like a laugh or a squeal or a giggle or a squeak,
or you make a silly sound like pip pip pip peep.
Still Rose is a dog who will not bite your nose. But you need to watch out. She might go lick lick lick leap.
Hannah Culver & Rose Christensen, S K-M photos
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Nose stories from the past
Karen Sahulka - True's Nose.
Out in his run, True has been looking for the deer beyond the fence very evening- one doe came up to the fence, practically nose to nose with True, and he almost, but not quite, got her to play fence-chase with him. It was a "True courtship". Lasted a good 15 minutes, with her walking away about 15-20 feet, and then coming back. Both animals were really studying each other, and True made the extra effort to engage her. She took a few jumping steps with him along the fence and back, then seemed to come to her senses, "What am I doing!!?", and she walked away with her band, which consisted of a buck with a good set of antlers and two fawns. True almost won out- if it happens again I must get pictures. On the other side of the house was another little herd of deer was grazing peacefully with Passaro.
&
This morning True and I had a "Nature" experience, involving the few inches of soft snow here and a vole. We were in our neighbor's field, and True was nosing around. His face came up out of the snow, with a smallish sleek animal between his teeth. He flipped the vole (as they do to break the prey's neck), and immediately True's nose was in the snow again, looking for the corpse.
I allowed the leash to hamper True's movements just a bit (I wasn't keen on him eating the thing), and saw a very healthy vole take its fighting chance, off through the snow, submarine style. I could see the "tunnel-track" the vole was leaving as he headed for a big brush pile near us. True didn't see the trace of the vole's progression and was more interested in finding what he thought was a flacid field mouse.
So while True was snuffling around, getting snow in his eyebrows, vole was escaping. It pushed its (rather nice-looking) head up-periscope a few times looking around for True before it decided it was safe and just bee-lined for the pile. True scent-sensed what had happened, and followed the track right to the place where the vole went into the cairn of branches. He realized that it was more work to get to his prey than he was willing to perform, and happily gave up to sniff rabbit tracks on the way back to our driveway. I can see how Beatrix Potter's stories came to her. If one just stays quiet and watches, there is drama, suspense, and comedy almost anywhere....even in a quiet snow-filled field.
Peggy Pick - The Treat Under the Jar Trick.
The treat under the jar trick was illuminating and revealing. It revealed that I’m very well trained.
I showed Ivan the treat and then put it under a plastic storage container on the carpet. This posed no real difficulty as he was able to scoot the container over the treat and gain access. I then tried a tall cylindrical container. This tipped over fairly easily and his attitude about the whole thing became more enthused by the minute. I then tried a sturdy drinking glass. This also tipped over with minimal fuss. Ivan was happy to try any type of container I wanted. These science experiments are fun, Mom. Dasa was content to nibble treats from the hand behind my back while we were in pursuit of excellence and expanding the body of knowledge, as it were.
Then we moved into the kitchen with the sturdy drinking glass. While I praised his efforts, Ivan pushed the glass along with his nose. It scooted across the floor. He looked at me as if to say “hmmm.” Then he pushed it to the edge of the rug and tipped it over. I tried this again, and he pushed it straight to the rug and tipped it over, this time with no side trips around the kitchen.
Later when Ivan was downstairs napping, Dasa and I tried this test in the bedroom. I used a lightweight plastic cup over her treat. I showed Dasa the treat and then put the cup over it. She tilted her head and looked at me. I kept up a steady stream of encouragement as she pushed the cup across the carpet. She stopped and looked at me. I picked up the cup and treat, once again showed her the treat and put the cup over it. At my urging she pushed the cup around a bit more, clearly humoring me in this waste of time. She stopped and sighed. I showed her the treat under the cup again. She pushed it over to me, sat in front of me and place her little paw on my arm. I immediately gave her that treat and several more, apologized for putting her through this exercise, and told her she’s brilliant.
Karen Christensen - Burying His Nose.
A thunderstorm blew through during the night with a very stiff breeze. I got up
to shut the window (I know, it is November, but I sleep with it open all year)
and then wormed my way back between the sleeping basenjis in bed. Ian, who
usually sleeps by my knees, started to make his way out from under the covers
and had his front legs over my trunk, rear legs still on the other side, when a
rumble of thunder sounded. He is much better about t-storms than he used to be,
but apparently they still cause him a little insecurity, because he just
stretched out and collapsed onto me, burying his nose in my neck and draping
across me like a pageant sash. He stayed there, snoring, until the storm passed.
It was a very sweet 40 minutes of closeness with him!
Moot & Laser (it was a bit warm under the covers last night...)
Bubba Chuck and Margot Kitters the Katz (snoozin' on the kitchen bench)
Ian the Beanie Baby (wuz just a way to get close to Moot!)
Cherry on Top (actually, on the left side, as usual)
and Tutu, too (w-a-a-a-y down under the covers!)
on the left edge of New Jersey
Anne MacMillan - Squirrel?
Nicky was very interested in something deep under the couch cushion, so I figured I had better investigate.
The treasure was a half a pecan!
I dug it out and gave it to her, she started to eat it, then decided to re-bury it under a sofa pillow, using her nose to shovel a bucket-full of imaginary dirt over the nut. Now she is sleeping near-by, guarding her stash from her brothers, or any stupid squirrel who might happen by.
S K-M - And you know this is old . . . . -
When my dogs do the chute in agility, and find it very easy, I say it is familiarity from generations of bed dogs, tunneling under the covers..
Best thing is my guys pass on the info that the way to get back under the covers during the night is to lick ME on the tip of the nose. Several of them know this.
