Trunkles the Dog

Trunkles at PawsWay

2010-09-09T18:00:00.000-04:00

Trunkles, the dog-with-a blog, the English Setter with the English Settler, will be at PawsWay for the English breeds weekend September 18th and 19th. PawsWay is located at 245 Queens Quay West in Toronto, which is the first building west of Harbourfront Centre. The event runs from 11 a.m. on both Saturdays and Sundays. Programming is completed at 5 p.m. on Saturday and at 3 p.m. on Sunday.

PawsWay is a public facility built for cats and dogs. Pets are always welcome inside. The centre is discreetly sponsored by Purina. Admission is free.

Honey, where's that pie? ... TRUNKLES!!!

2010-03-24T18:05:00.000-04:00

It was a quiet afternoon. I had been doing some administrative tasks at my home desk when I noticed that Trunkles wasn't in the room. Trunkles is always in the same room. If I leave a room Trunkles will up and follow me. The same goes for her new buddy Molly.

I looked around and sure enough Molly was on the old couch right behind me; but where was Trunkles? I was suspicious. I stood up and went to look for her. I found her quickly enough. She was lying on her bed in the hallway near the front door. She wagged her tail as I approached.

And then I remembered that I had left a plastic bag containing two steak pies on the chest near the front door. I had intended to take them out to the garbage; they had been in the fridge a little too long. I picked up the bag which felt light. Looking inside I saw only one pie. "But there were two pies in there a few minutes ago" I thought to myself.

"TRUNKLES!!!! Where is my pie?" Trunkles rolled over onto her back as she does whenever she feels guilty. Her tail wagged furiously between her legs. I looked over at her bed and there was the pie wrapper. The culprit had been apprehended!

To her credit, she had only eaten one of the two pies in the bag. Perhaps she left the other pie for her best friend Molly. But Molly missed out; the other pie went into the garbage without further delay.

Farewell to a Friend

2010-03-10T14:29:00.000-05:00

When Trunkles, the dog-with-a-blog, first came into our house she had to contend with the owner of the house - the cat! The cat has featured in these stories before. We had her company from the very day she was born. I had let her pregnant mother - a stray - into our house late one night because she sounded distressed. She was distressed - she was in the late stages of labour!

In the morning we had a proud mother and a litter of six kittens. Homes were found for all but one of the kittens. She was the runt of the litter; an unusually small animal that we christened "Velcro" because she would stick to our clothes using her sharp claws.

Eighteen years into the life of Velcro a blogging dog appeared. Velcro held Trunkles in great disdain. In an attempt to starve the usurper from her home, Velcro attempted to eat all of Trunkles' meals. It was a big task for a small cat, but she was determined.

Eventually they made friends with each other. Trunkles' attempts at affection were initially repulsed with the swipe of a sharp claw. But now Trunkles was determined. Velcro began to spend a lot of time sleeping and Trunkles would surprise her with a few affectionate licks on the side of her head. Finally Velcro accepted the affection.

Eighteen years is a long time for a cat to live. She began to lose weight. The vet checked her over and called with the bad news; Velcro's kidneys had failed. She died peacefully in the loving arms of her friend and lifelong human companion.

No More Puppies!

2010-02-17T16:56:00.000-05:00

Poor Trunkles, the English Settler's English Setter. She isn't feeling her best this week. The time came, as it comes to all, when she had to answer the veterinary's call. But, instead of her usual checkup and pampering by the fantastic staff at the Dufferin Veterinary Clinic, she went under the knife.

We had planned to have her spayed during the Christmas holiday period when we could spend some time with her during the two week rest and recuperation period. Mother Nature thought otherwise and put her in heat instead. The scalpel had to wait.

Trunkles date with fate came in February. After a few hours in the clinic she came out looking dazed and confused. Her big comfy bed was waiting for her in the van and she slept her way home.

But Trunkles, being the effervescent young dog-with-a-blog that she is, was back on her feet the very next day demanding her usual gruelling morning walk up her favourite steep hill. Of course, we had to disappoint her in that ambition. For three days she was permitted only brief excursions into the back yard to do the necessary.

The irrepressible Trunkles will be back. In her next blog post: Who is the boss?

Trunkles Goes to PawsWay

2010-01-28T21:17:00.000-05:00

It was an unusually mild January afternoon when young Trunkles, the English Settler's English Setter, decided she needed an adventure. There is a little known destination in the City of Toronto that is like a Disneyland for dogs; it is called PawsWay. That is where young Trunkles headed that afternoon.

PawsWay is a building on Queens Quay, right alongside the shore of Lake Ontario. Pet food company Purina is the very low key, but generous, sponsor of the facility. Inside is a cats' and dogs' paradise. Pets are not just welcome inside; the whole place was built for them.

I had visited PawsWay several times before, but it was Trunkles' first visit. PawsWay seemed to have a magnetic attraction for her. As we entered the front door she hit the end of her leash with enthusiasm and pulled me inside.

As she walked me around the building we met lots of other dogs - everyone of them as friendly and well-behaved as Trunkles. She put her name on the chalkboard for agility training and made two or three attempts at getting around the course. With the aid of a generous supply of treats provided by the volunteer staff she did quite well for a beginner.

We'll be back at Doggie Disneyland again soon. And as soon as new friend Molly has gotten over her travel sickness we'll introduce her to PawsWay too. PawsWay is located at 245 Queens Quay in Toronto and came be found on the web at www.pawsway.ca. Admission is free. Trunkles gives PawsWay her personal recommendation.

Good Golly; It's Molly!

2010-01-13T15:01:00.000-05:00

And then there were two. Trunkles the Setter had barely settled in her new home when the front door bell rang and in bounded a companion. Molly is a six year old English Setter rescued from her previous less than happy circumstances.

Trunkles and Molly have quickly become friendly rivals. They thoroughly enjoy each other's company but compete for attention ... and food.

Starvation Tactics
Trunkles learned a trick or two from the family cat. In a previous post we told the story of how the cat tried to starve the new dog (Trunkles) out of her home. Trunkles learned that trick. When the two dog bowls go down on the floor Molly buries her nose in her bowl. Trunkles feigns attention to her own food bowl for a few seconds then sprints across the room to assist Molly with hers. As soon as Molly's bowl is empty Trunkles sprints back to defend her own bowl.

Walk Me ... Walk Me!
Walk time happens twice per day. The dogs assemble at the front door in excited anticipation of their outing. Trunkles' harness goes on first - she insists on being first in line. As we turn to put Molly's harness on Trunkles pushes her nose in front hoping that she will be given a second harness. What is she thinking? That we will leave Molly behind and walk the dog with two harnesses?

This is going to be a whole lot of fun!

The Heat is On

2010-01-03T17:36:00.000-05:00

Young Trunkles, the dog-with-a-blog, came into our home in early September. Judging by her appearance she had not long been parted from her first litter of puppies.

We didn't think it was appropriate that she had been bred at such an early age (she was only 2 years old). We also didn't plan on breeding her ourselves. Trunkles is a pet and we planned to have her spayed at the earliest opportunity.

The Christmas holidays seemed like a good early opportunity to get the job done. We would be able to nurse her back to health and keep an eye on her during her convalescence. But, it was not to be. Just before the Christmas holidays were about to begin we found evidence that it was too late already - Trunkles was in heat!

The young canine blogger now has an appointment with the family vet in February. Meanwhile we have to be extra vigilant during her walks. Whenever she ventures outside, all the male dogs in the neighborhood greet her with her exuberant barking and she shows an inordinate interest in meeting and greeting any and every dog she encounters.

Cold Comfort

2009-12-16T20:05:00.000-05:00

Young Trunkles, the dog-with-a-blog, loves to follow me around the house. Even the bathroom isn't out-of-bounds. A few weeks ago she followed me into the bathroom early in the morning just after I had stepped out of the shower.

I flicked the hair dryer on to ... well dry my hair. Trunkles sniffed at the hair dryer inquisitively. I turned it around so that she could feel the nice warm air on her fur. I expected her to enjoy the experience. She obviously thought otherwise. To Trunkles, a hair dryer is a terrible war engine of which she is mightily afraid.

This afternoon I took her for a ride in the family van. She wore her safety harness which was secured to the passenger side seat belt. She was snug, comfortable and safe. But the van was cold so I turned on the heater fan. Mistake!

Trunkles leapt out of her seat, stretching the seat belt to its limits and struggled to reach the back of the van. Realizing what had happened I turned off the fan and encouraged her to get back into her favourite seat.

As soon as the fan was off she happily complied. We drove on in a cold vehicle. Trunkles now has a new nickname: "Thermostat"!

Dog On - Dog Off

2009-12-08T17:48:00.000-05:00

She has a daily routine now. Any deviation from that routine causes her to run frantically around the house as though she will find something to explain why her busy schedule has been altered.

As soon as I approach the top of the stairs each morning she is suddenly beside me. If I were to throw myself down the stairs Trunkles would still beat me to the bottom. Nothing on this Earth moves faster than Trunkles descent of the stairs first thing in the morning.

Her descent is so fast that her paws only actually make contact with the first half-dozen steps. The acceleration she achieves in those first steps launches her into an effortless flight that carries her outstretched torso in a glide over the remainder of the stairs.

Without missing a single stride she is firmly wedged against the front door, her tail beating heavily against it as she anticipates the next item on her morning agenda. As I reach for her leash the tail beats even harder until I wonder whether the door can withstand the pounding.

The door opens and in a heartbeat she is halfway through. She pauses, adopts her hunting posture and checks for any birds, squirrels or chipmunks that might be trespassing on her territory.

Then we cross the road and begin the tough 20-minute climb of the hill. Tough for me that is. Trunkles attacks the steep climb with the tenacity of a team of heavy horses. Her shoulders heave as she pounds her paws up and down and sometimes breaks into a mad sprint up the hill.

Her exercise is repeated at the end of each day. But as darkness falls she claims her place on the sofa and, within seconds, succumbs to a deep slumber. Laughing to ourselves we say, "here it comes, dog on - dog off!"

The 25 Foot Snake

2009-11-15T20:39:00.001-05:00

Poor Trunkles; she was no match for it. It was over twenty five feet long and it was right on her back. The serpent wriggled and squirmed as it lay directly along her spine with its tail on her tail and its head right behind hers. Trunkles trembled with fear and with a decisive shake of her body she threw it off and ran behind the sofa.

I picked up the serpent, called Trunkles back and placed the writhing snake right back along her spine again. The serpent cracked and rattled as we struggled to keep it on Trunkles' back. But once again Trunkles broke free and sprinted out of the room.

This time there was no return. Trunkles had fled upstairs and nothing was going to get her down again until the serpent was gone. Reluctantly I pressed the red button that released the spring and allowed the entire metal tape measure to retract inside its case.

I had been able to get a rough estimate of the length of Trunkles' back. Now we would be able to buy the correct size of winter coat for her. But never again will she allow me to use that metal tape measure while she is in the room.

The Kill

2009-11-02T21:51:00.000-05:00

The poor thing was lying at the side of the road, dying. Trunkles the fearless hunter was out for her morning walk and its bright colours caught her eye. She pounced suddenly and hard. In the blink of an eye she had it between her teeth.

She shook it violently but it slipped away. Limping across the road it managed to take flight and climb a few feet into the air. But Trunkles the fearless hunter took off in pursuit.

Trunkles swiped at it with an outstretched claw but with a supreme effort it evaded her deadly grasp and rose further into the air. Finally it managed to escape the frantic dog's desperate attempts to bring it to the ground and end its struggle for life.

It was all over in a few seconds. As Trunkles the fearless hunter and I returned home we saw the poor, dying "Happy Birthday" balloon rise high into the sky and, caught by the wind, head east down the valley.

The Biggest Best Bed Ever

2009-10-26T21:34:00.005-04:00

Quest for Comfort
Today there is more to the story of Trunkles' bed. Like in the story of the Princess and the Pea, Trunkles likes her comfort. She has tried our old sofa, a blanket on the floor, our old bed comforter folded three times for extra softness.

Eureka!
Then while prowling around the house looking for ways to create mischief, she discovered a very comfortable bed. It is a Queen size bed with a four poster frame. Room enough to sprawl on. Room enough to run crazy laps around and scatter the blankets.

Only problem with this bed is that it's primary occupants - humans - tend to express their displeasure whenever Trunkles uses it. Consequently, she will only use it when they are out.

The Biggest, Best Bed Ever
How to change this behaviour? A solution was found. Give Trunkles-the-dog-with-a-blog the best bed in the house. She now has an ultra-thick, super wide dog bed with a velvety soft cover. The human bed is safe again.

Say Cheese

2009-10-23T21:32:00.000-04:00

This dog likes to dine in style
She started with bargain store dry food. That was what her previous owner had fed her and you can't change a dog's diet overnight without repercussions. We mixed in a better quality dry food our vet had recommended and all went well.

Flesh on the Bone
Then we met a setter expert who looked at poor Trunkles' emaciated frame and recommended real meat to boost her protein intake. The very next Sunday an additional serving was carved from the family roast and Trunkles got a plate of best beef with gravy.

Salmon Enchanted Evening
Trunkles-the-dog-with-a-blog likes real roast beef far more than she likes dry dog food. Even Salmon flavoured Purina Beneful - her absolute favourite - doesn't compare.

Then one evening I cut myself a small wedge of cheese for a late night snack.

Here She Comes
I heard a noise like an express train coming towards me at full tilt, followed by a skidding noise as the approaching object braked hard. Then, without warning, a slothering English Setter landed on my lap. She was frantic. It was clear what she wanted.

I surrendered the cheese but she wasn't satisfied. She licked my hand until all traces of cheese - even the scent of cheese - had been obliterated.

What next?
Soft French cheeses? A Blue Stilton perhaps?

The Couch Potato

2009-10-19T22:55:00.000-04:00

Okay, it was probably a bad idea to begin with. I, the English Settler with the English Setter, being soft-hearted when it comes to animals, pulled Trunkles-the-Dog-With-a-Blog up onto my lap.

Trunkles, being a bit of sly character, slowly rolled off my lap, stood up briefly, turned three times (as dogs do - nobody knows why) and stretched herself out on the couch.

It happened again the next night. Trunkles, the English Setter with the English Settler, approached me once again. With a little encouragement she placed her front paws on my lap and wiggled her behind to signal that she needed assistance to get up on the couch.

This morning, as I prepared to leave the house, I popped my head into the living room briefly to make sure that the Setter was settled before I left. And she was settled very nicely, thank you very much - on the couch!

Head to Head

2009-10-15T19:34:00.001-04:00

Words cannot add anything to this beautiful, peaceful picture; other than to say that it was taken on the spur of the moment without being posed.

Call Me Number Nine

2009-10-13T19:32:00.000-04:00

When is a canine not a K9?

When you can't find a "K" anywhere on her coat.

But when you find a "9" in her coat markings you are half way there. So it is with Trunkles-the-Dog-With-a-Blog. She has a very prominent "9" on the left side of her face. She seems to be rather bashful about it too.

I had to use up several rolls of film in my Box Brownie before I could get her to sit still long enough with her left side facing the camera. Finally, I had the image I wanted. Trunkles-the-Dog-With-a-Blog is officially number nine!

Defiance!

2009-10-05T21:52:00.000-04:00

There comes a time in every dog's life when it just doesn't want to do what its owners want it to do. Perhaps I should rephrase that: there comes a time in every dog's DAY when it just doesn't want to do what its owners want it to do.

Is it That Time Already?

Trunkles the Dog with a Blog has a particular time in her day when she doesn't want to do what we want her to do. That time is when the last human leaves the house to go to work. She knows that is the time when she goes on leash.

Trunkles hasn't yet satisfied us that she can be totally relied on not to treat the entire house as one great big bathroom. So when we go out she is tethered to a corner of the room where her nice soft bed and her food bowls are located.

We Are Go for Playtime!

In her mind, humans abandoning the premises is a green light to re-distribute seat cushions, powder her nose on the carpet, raid the kitchen cabinet containing her treats and then retire for a good, undisturbed snooze on our bed.

We know this and she knows this. She also knows our morning routine. As the moment draws near, she withdraws to her defiance station - at the top of the stairs. Nothing will entice her to come down. Offers of treats, direct commands, nothing.

Surrender

As I have now learned, she will offer no resistance as I gently lead her downstairs by her collar. But then neither will she cooperate.

A Good Night's Sleep

2009-10-01T12:01:00.000-04:00

The Princess and the Pea?

We tried an old sofa - Trunkles preferred to sleep on the carpet. We threw a blanket on top of the carpet; she liked that even better.

Then, the day came to replace the old comforter on our bed. Trunkles had already given it her blessing - while we were out! I came home from work one day and Trunkles, the dog with the blog, came down the stairs so fast her paws barely made contact with each step.

Flying Down the Stairs
How nice, I thought, that she is so pleased to see me that she flew down the stairs to greet me. And then I became suspicious. I removed my shoes, went upstairs (with the dog at my heels, frantically wagging its tail so hard that its whole rear end was moving).

Now Trunkles Makes My Bed
As I entered the master bedroom I saw the unmistakeable evidence that Trunkles had made her bed on mine. In a previous post I recounted the story of how Trunkles likes to make her own bed - just the way she likes it. Well, she applies the same rules when she occupies human beds too.

The bed comforter had been re-arranged just the way Trunkles wanted it. It was an old comforter anyway, but the encounter with Trunkles condemned it to be replaced.

Doggy Heaven
But wait, we thought, Trunkles obviously seems to like the comforter and she has now left her scent on it; why not give it to her? So we did. Trunkles now sleeps on the folded comforter and thinks she has gone to doggy heaven.

As you can see from the picture, after a hard day's work pretending to be a ferocious hunter of birds, she enjoys a nice comfy snooze.

Sneaking up on the Birds

2009-09-29T22:00:00.000-04:00

English Setters were bred to hunt. Fortunately, Trunkles is not very good at it. However, she has all the instincts of a bird dog.

We have a bird feeder in the corner of our front yard. Every morning when Trunkles, the dog with the blog, comes out for her morning constitutional she will crouch and creep slowly up on that bird feeder.

The local birds probably have a good laugh at her expense. By the time she has made it the full 50 meters across to the bird feeder, pausing every few seconds to heighten the element of surprise when she makes her final pounce, the birds have all finished their breakfasts and made a leisurely departure.

The Chase is On

2009-09-25T12:01:00.001-04:00

Young dogs like nothing better than to chase. Young Setters have chase in their genetic makeup. So when young Trunkles is out on a walk she will chase anything that runs. In this rural community there are a lot of runners. Chipmunks and squirrels are the most common, but birds feeding on the ground are also an irresistible target.

While she is in training she wears a harness or training leash and she never runs off leash. Perhaps I should have owned a Setter in my younger days when I was a marathon runner. Trunkles is a lean, mean racing machine. When she has a squirrel in her cross-hairs the target's only escape is up a tree.

Trunkles' Revenge

2009-09-23T12:01:00.001-04:00

We previously told the story of how the cat is boss. But now that Trunkles has slightly longer tenure as a member of the household, she is striking back. The cat (Velcro) has been a household member for 17 years. As far as she is concerned, she owns the place and the humans are simply live-in servants.

When Trunkles appeared on the scene the cat attempted to starve the newcomer into submission by stealthily eating all her food. Well, they say, what comes around goes around. Now we have had to fix a chain on the door to separate Trunkles from the cat's food.

Dogs can devour a cat's bowl of food with a just few swift licks. One small omission in securing the door chain and the cat goes hungry. This battle has taken a new turn and the household humans have been forced to act as peacekeepers.

Trunkles and The Big Bright Light

2009-09-21T20:33:00.000-04:00

Humans can get up in the middle of the night to powder their noses, dogs cannot. Of course, dogs can howl and whine in the middle of the night, wake their owners and haul them outside in the cold and the dark to powder their noses.

A Good Night's Sleep

On the whole, humans prefer to get a complete night's undisturbed sleep. Dog owners usually help to facilitate undisturbed sleep by taking their pets out last thing in the evening to water the lawn.

So, like good dog owners, when Trunkles joined the family we took her outside for a late evening tinkle. At least we tried. Trunkles had other ideas. Instead of sniffing around for a suitable spot on the lawn to leave her mark, she made a beeline back towards the house.

Scary Creatures of the Night
There are a lot of coyotes in our neighborhood. Perhaps, we thought, the sound of the coyotes gathering for their evening hunt intimidated her. Or perhaps she could smell the skunks that creep around at night.

We installed a bright halogen light outside the house so that we could see what might be making her nervous out there in the darkness.

The Big Bright Light
Suddenly, there was no longer a problem. Under the illumination of the big bright light Trunkles was happy to walk around our yard leisurely seeking out just the right spot to moisten the meadow.

Problem solved. Trunkles is not afraid of the coyotes, the skunks or any other creatures of the night. Trunkles is afraid of the dark!

It's a Dog's Life

2009-09-16T12:01:00.003-04:00

Is it time for a walk yet? Trunkles lives in two states of consciousness: immobile on the floor or bounding with energy when it is time for a walk.

A Great Prescription

She loves her walks. My doctor should have prescribed a dog when he first looked disapprovingly at my weight. Trunkles gets a 30-minute walk first thing in the morning, several shorter walks throughout the day and a 15-minute walk after supper.

Walk All Day

She isn't putting on any weight - but then hopefully neither am I. Trunkles is underweight and I am - well, the opposite. She gives us the impression that she would walk all day if she could. But longer treks do take the energy out of her legs. Perhaps that is why she happily reverts to crashing out on the carpet between walks.

Sprint Laps at 5:00AM

We know when she hasn't had enough exercise. She has her own way of telling us. Usually at five in the morning. She will sprint laps around the bedroom braking at every corner by digging and dragging her claws into the carpet.

Get Me Outa Here!

2009-09-14T17:44:00.000-04:00

Alright, Trunkles didn't exactly show a great deal of enthusiasm during her first encounter with the warm, shallow waters of Georgian Bay.

Get Me Outa Here!
She agreed to paddle until the water came halfway up her legs, but she wasn't at all interested in getting totally wet.

A Bit of a Chore
But when one of us walked out into the water and called her she daintily explored a little further offshore. Still, teaching her to swim is obviously going to be a bit of a chore.

We tried throwing a stick into the lake just beyond her reach, but that didn't have much appeal either.

Doggie See, Doggie Do?
Finally, another dog appeared on the beach, gleefully dragging its owners at the other end of a leash. Trunkles and the other dog exchanged exploratory sniffs, in the way that dogs do, and appeared to approve of each other.

The other dog was an accomplished swimmer and ran and swam into the lake to retrieve sticks. Trunkles watched the other dog in fascination but without sufficient interest to overcome her reluctance to get wet.

This is going to take some time. Is there enough summer left here in southern Ontario to turn Trunkles into a swimmer? We'll keep you posted.

The Cat is the Boss

2009-09-08T22:42:00.004-04:00

Trunkles joined our family about 17 years after another friend and guest arrived. It was a cold night and a stray cat was making a terrible noise outside our front door. I had already gone to bed but the noise woke me.

Bagpipe the Cat

The devil on my shoulder told me to bagpipe the noisy intruder (a manner of embracing a cat in the style of playing bagpipes - unpopular with cats). But, my kinder nature prevailed and I let the cat come inside and returned to my bed.

And in the Morning ...

By morning, the cat I had so kindly allowed into my home had given birth to six kittens. The runt of the litter was an undersized kitten that was fond of using its claws to stick to people's clothes. For that interesting talent we called it "Velcro".

Live Forever

Seventeen years later Velcro is still with us. Other cats and dogs have come and gone but Velcro intends to live forever. She is not a social cat. Velcro treats our home as her property. She prefers to find a dark corner of the basement in which to setup her throne. She tolerates the presence of humans only when her banquet table or her bathroom suite need attention.

No Quarter

So, when Trunkles - the modest, meek, mild and submissive dog - entered her sovereign territory, she determined that she would express her displeasure at Trunkles' attempts to offer friendship. With a loud and aggressive hiss she drove back the newcomer who backed off immediately.

A Disdainful Diner

Having subdued the invader, the cat's next gambit was to starve it out. Velcro is a disdainful diner. She will consume small amounts of the finest cat foods we bring to her table, but is in no hurry to dine. She will sometimes make a meal last a couple of days.

A Huge Meal

But, as soon as Trunkles moved away from her food bowl, the cat stealthily crept into the kitchen and consumed a huge amount of the dog's food in one sitting.

This is a war of attrition; we'll keep you posted.

Trunkles Likes to Make Her Own Bed

2009-09-08T22:09:00.001-04:00

A Bed Fit for a Friend

Day 1. Arrived home with new family member Trunkles. She was used to sleeping in an outdoor kennel but we wanted to change her into an indoor pet. She needed, and deserved, a nice bed. We thought about a blanket on the floor, but then our eyes turned to the old loveseat at the back of the living room.

Pulling out a couple of old blankets, we covered the loveseat to protect it from dog hairs and whatever other doggie detritus that Trunkles might see fit to decorate it with.

A Few Small Adjustments

She was very pleased with her new bed and immediately adopted it with a big smile on her face. We were so pleased that she seemed to be comfortable and happy. But, her comfort and happiness were not to last. Within a couple of minutes she stood up and began clawing frantically at the blanket covering the seat cushions.

Deaf Doggie Ears

We chided her, but to no avail. Our protests fell on deaf doggie ears. Trunkles re-arranged the blanket the way she wanted it then lay down again, satisfied with her handiwork. Her satisfaction was short-lived. By the next morning she had decided our offering of a loveseat for her bed no longer met her requirements.

Human Company

By the second day with her new family, Trunkles had decided that the loveseat was just too soft. She now prefers to sleep on the carpet – as close as possible to any human found on the premises.
In the next post: Close encounters of the feline kind. The cat is the boss.

Welcome to Trunkles World

2009-09-08T22:09:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Trunkles World.

Trunkles is a 2 year-old English Setter. She was bred to be a hunting dog but when she failed to live up to her breeder’s standards for a working dog he decided to put her up for adoption.

Trunkles is small for her breed but she has a personality a smile wide and a mile deep. She loves everybody and everything. She has enough energy to launch rockets into space and enough stamina to keep the world turning.

Trunkles just recently joined our family and she is going to be the source of so many great stories on this blog. Read along as she learns to change her behaviour from a working dog living in an outdoor kennel to an obedient, faithful and loving house pet.

If you love dogs as much as we do we hope you will keep coming back here to read her story.