What one dog likes

Determining what our family dog Scotty (the Scottie) likes is usually pretty easy.

The evidence provided by his facial expressions, body language and tail movement typically makes it fairly obvious.

Here are some examples of aspects of Scotty’s daily life that he likes. I have no doubt that some of this (or a lot) will sound rather familiar to many of you who live with dogs.

Food.

This isn’t as much about sustenance and survival as it is enjoyment.

Any time there’s food in the vicinity, Scotty shows up right in the middle of things and patiently waits for his share. The right kind of food always results in him becoming a noticeably happy and grateful animal, and it’s always clear that he doesn’t take eating lightly.

And “tidbits” of human food? They’re not all cool (like maybe salmon skin or asparagus stems), and some cause Scotty to definitively – but very respectfully – turn his head to one side. But your basic steak gristle, chicken gizzard, baked potato chunks and many more scraps are reason for serious excitement.

It’s worth noting that although certain tidbits make Scotty highly enthusiastic, he’s always very gentle when he takes one from a person’s fingers. That’s a God-given talent; he’s just always been that way.

Traveling.

To Scotty, there’s no such thing as a bad version of going “bye-byes,” even if it’s just a quick trip to town and he never gets out of the vehicle.

And long road trips? Scotty absolutely loves settling down in the back seat, and then getting out and exploring some place he hasn’t been before or refamiliarizing himself with a place he hasn’t been very often, and he never has a hard time getting back into the vehicle because he associates it with the fun that might occur the next time it stops.

Visitors.

Scotty has never met a person or dog he doesn’t like (literally), so when a vehicle pulls up in front of the house, it’s time to offer up a greeting of conspicuously loud yipping and yelping. 

A stranger is only a stranger for a moment, as Scotty goes right up to them and wags his tail and bounces around to show how glad he is for the opportunity to meet them.

And new dogs that aren’t timid or fearful become immediate friends, and Scotty has even been known to get into a running and tackling competition within the first minute of making a fresh canine acquaintance.

Of course, some people don’t care much for dogs and therefore don’t care much for his openly affectionate actions, but most folks are quick to give him some “hand time,” which he generally craves and thankfully accepts.

It’s amazing how often people use the word “adorable” to describe Scotty when they meet him. 

The cat.

We have a young male feline family member named Andy, who came to us as a drop-off late last July and very rapidly became at home.

At first, Scotty wasn’t sure if Andy was a good thing, but now he knows he is.

Similarly to Scotty, Andy has an extremely positive outlook and happy-go-lucky demeanor, so the two are ideal buddies and share some extraordinarily hilarious moments. Scotty loves to chase Andy in the front yard, and Andy loves to be chased. He also loves to reverse the roles and will sometimes do an abrupt and athletic 180-degree turn (sometimes airborne) and stand his ground (sometimes with an arched back and maybe even a hiss), and then the 5-month-old kitty becomes the chaser as the 7-year-old pup pretends to run for his life.

I swear I can hear them taking turns giggling as they scamper around like a couple of kids at a park.

Communicating.

Scotty is really good at this.

There are several different sounds he makes in specific situations, like a quick little shriek when he’s at the front door and wants to come into the house, and again, the clamor he creates when he becomes a one-dog greeting committee.

He is also known to use his ample snout to push the ash can or a log near the fireplace when he wants a “chew stick,” and he often basically whistles when he’s trying to get our attention.

There’s also this wonderful “hee-hoo-huh” sound he makes, as if he’s asking a question or just talking about whatever is going on at the time.

The couch.

When it’s time to chill, Scotty loves to hop onto it and occupy “his spot” on one end.

He’s a family member, and that’s what family members do.   

The bed.

While Scotty will sometimes randomly elect to sleep on the couch, he most often prefers the bed mom and dad sleep in.

While he’s by no means the biggest dog around, it’s remarkable how solid and dense he is when he’s on the bed. Sometimes when me or my wife, Wendy, want to turn over, Scotty’s frame must first be shoved away a bit, and it kind of feels like moving an anvil.

Anyway, I’m of the opinion that a good dog is easy to understand because they have a distinct and discernable way of making that possible. 

Doug Davison is a writer, photographer and newsroom assistant for the Houston Herald. Email: ddavison@houstonherald.com.