I can not begin to tell you how much I love this little dog. Anyone who has known a mini schnauzer knows that they are total characters. They are very opinionated, dramatic, smart, stubborn, a little mischievous (in more of a funny way) loyal, and have great senses of humor. Liesl knows she is funny. Sometimes after she does something she thinks is funny, she will get a big grin, like "get it?" Either that or she will be totally stoic, which only makes what she does funnier. These dogs have really BIG personalities, but will also try to push your limits. For the most part, Liesl is pretty mellow for the breed, and for all intents and purposes, she goes with the flow. However, if she thinks that what she is doing is more interesting than the reason I am calling her, she will totally pretend like she does not hear me. sigh.
So I thought I would share a couple of her stories. Liesl loves chewies and gets a few a week. She loves bully sticks but they are expensive and stink. Usually she gets compressed rawhide. (As a general rule, regular rawhide is not so good for dogs as they can tear of large pieces that can cause blockages in the intestine.) So Liesl has grown up on compressed rawhide.
Generally if I catch her trying to chew on a toy, I will redirect her, and will ask her if she wants a bone. She usually jumps up right away and will go wait in the kitchen near the cabinet where I store them. She will never take the first bone I offer her. She has to sniff each one that I have like a fine cigar. If she does not like the first one offered, after she sniffs it, she will nudge it away with her nose. At this point, she expects another choice, whereupon she sniffs it end to end. This will go on until she deems one worthy. I have tried to spare myself the role of her butler, offering her bone selections by figuring out her criteria. I can not seem to see a pattern. Only Liesl knows...
Okay, next story. Liesl has many toys but there are a few that are her favorites. One is her stuffed ladybug. She has had Ladybug since she was a baby. Ladybug is bigger than Liesl's head. Ladybug no longer has a face. (Liesl did not like Ladybug looking at her. LOL) And Ladybug has a few spots where stuffing is coming out. But Liesl loves her.
It is very rare that Liesl takes her toys outside. Last Sunday, however, Liesl decided that Ladybug should enjoy the sunshine in the backyard. She left Ladybug out there most of the afternoon. Until, I decided to water. I was watering the flower beds near the house. I was coming down the row as I watered each plant. My backdoor and path, intersect this row. Ladybug was on the doorstep. As I came close to the backdoor/path, all of the sudden, with a big dramatic flair, Liesl quickly came and picked up Ladybug and moved her into the safety of the garage, while giving me the hairy eyeball (my cousin calls it "the whale eye"), like I had a diabolical plan of soaking Ladybug.
Now this made me think. One would not assume that a dog would care if their toys got wet. It was interesting that Liesl made sure that I knew that she was moving Ladybug to safety. For some reason, she did not want her toy wet. Which made me think as usual, "Dogs know a lot more than we think they know."
She is such an interesting creature. I am so blessed to have her little bearded self in my life.
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