A Toy for Ty

Ty's favorite toy of the moment is a green Christmas Tree squeaky toy. We were quite surprised to see that he hadn't completely destroyed it within days (ok minutes) of receiving it. He got the toy from Grandma W last year at Christmas time, and for whatever reason it is his toy of preference. He makes me play fetch at least five times a day, and usually with that particular toy.

His favorite thing to do is bring it to you, and when you reach for it, he takes it away. Repeat about six times until the human gets smart and stops reaching for it. From there, he brings it to you, and spits it out on the couch/chair/floor wherever you happen to be. But then it's my turn to mess with him. I tell him I can't reach it, and that he needs to bring it closer if he wants me to throw it. So he does. He will pick up the toy, move it six inches closer, and then back off for you. Amazing. The dog understands me. Sometimes it creeps me out, to be honest.

Although that tree is his favorite toy, he still has to have all his toys out on the floor if he is going to play with anything. I put every bone, chew, rope, whatever back into his red bowl, and leave the tree out. But that is not good enough. Oh no, he has to go and one by one take each toy out, chew it for no more than ten seconds, and then get the next one. As a result, I am constantly stepping on his toys when stumbling around in the dark. sigh.  Children.

And what would a post be without the appropriate pictures? I know you all missed them in the last one, so here's a good one. He is such a ham, really.

A Song for Ty

Ty loves good music. Well I guess the term "good" is subjective. He tends to prefer a more upbeat tune, the more energetic the better. His current fave seems to be Mike Posner's "Cooler than Me". Who knows why? He could be dead asleep, and as soon as I start singing it, he is up and ready to play. If you have been living under a rock (or maybe, I don't know busy fighting a war) the link to the video is here.

I have to admit that I am loving the song myself.

Pizza for Ty

Yesterday, my Battle Buddy S came over and had lunch and we worked on some crafts. It was a pizza and wings kinda day, so who am I to argue? Now, Ty has gotten just ever so slightly spoiled since Daddy is not home to tell Momma not to share. He gets the crust from my sandwich, the wheat thins I don't eat, licking the plate after dinner is over, a piece of candy. You get the idea. He's spoiled.

Well yesterday as S and I sat down to eat, I happened to look over to see Ty laying on the couch just like this:

Ok, so maybe not exactly like that, but you get the idea. The couch is turned to face the kitchen now, so he had a direct line of sight to the table. He watched us eat the entire time, not moving. Totally not begging though.

I do not eat pizza crust, so of course Ty gets it. I gave him a piece and he took it into the living room to lick the sauce off (on my rug!) and then eat the bread part. I continued cleaning up, and Sharon gave him a piece of crust. At this time I went to throw wing bones away, and he just stopped. He was staring, and waiting. Waiting to see if I was going to offer him something better. Yes, he waited until the lid was put back onto the trash can, and he even looked a little disappointed.

I love his face when he realizes there is nothing left. It's kind of like this:

But I love him anyway.

Fears

Irrational or not, we all have them right? Including dogs, as I was reminded yet again tonight.

I was going about my business getting crushed ice for my glass, Ty was standing in the kitchen just fine, until it started actually crushing the ice. 0 to 60 he was in the living room, circled three times, and sat down facing the couch. So random, yet so Ty. This is one of several.

I will make a list:
1. The ice maker
2. The vacuum- I don't know if it's so much a fear, or he thinks it's a toy. He jumps on the couch to get away from it, then jumps down, crouches low, and barks. Then he runs around chasing it, barking, tail wagging.
3. Socks (I should clarify: socks that are being wiggled within his line of vision)
4. Paper (see number 3)
5. Loud trucks (this one is completely understandable

If I had the energy or the brain power, I am sure I could come up with a few more.

Getting to know Ty

Many of you have already been lucky enough to have an encounter with him. I guarantee you once you meet him, you don't forget him. I have never met a dog with more personality and character than my Ty. For those of you who have not yet had the pleasure, here is a little introduction.

Full Name: Ty Beau------- We thought he was a German Shep/Boxer mix when we first got him. So Ty Beau is a play on Tae Bo (yes we are dorks like that. we also had a cat name Sunni Chiba, and one named Moon Shine)
Age: 5 years old
Height: 18 inches
Length: 48 inches (nose to tail)
Weight: 75 lbs
Breed: Dutch Sheppard

Hobbies: Sleeping, napping, laying on the couch, playing fetch, humping other dogs
Favorite foods: Pieces, Licorice (and he will agree with me on this: Red Vines are preferable, but twizlers will do if nothing else is available), those stick things you can buy in bags of like 50
Dislikes: Bananas, peppers of any kind, being called "Old Man", messing up his routine
Tricks: The usual sit, stay, lay, heel, speak, shake. He can also say please, and he does go to time-out when told. Time-out deserves it's own special post with pictures.

In all honesty, Ty is a fantastic dog. He is loving, and fiercely loyal to his momma, following me everywhere. He loves to play fetch, and will play with anyone who is willing. He prefers people over other animals every time. He is an excellent judge of character, and if he just doesn't like you, there is probably a good reason why. He will climb into your lap when you are not looking, and step on your homework when you are. He has the grace of a rhinoceros on ice, which is amusing in its own right on hardwood floors. Sit in his spot on the couch and he will wait for you to move, or make a big production of having to get comfortable elsewhere. Find the spot on his back to scratch, and you have made a friend for life.  

Notice the date on these pictures. Ty was about 1.5 years in them. They are pretty much the same as his puppy pics, which I am still looking for.

A Sweater for Ty

On Sunday we had a bit of a cold snap here in TN. I came home after being gone all afternoon, and Ty cuddled up next to me on the couch. He was shivering, and I could not get him to warm up. I ended up wrapping him in a blanket, and he stayed there all night. We keep the house pretty cool year round, so I figured he'd be used to it at this point, but I guess not. Either way, something had to be done or he wouldn't last the winter.

So I bought him a sweater from the big W (aka Walmart). It isn't the coolest sweater around, but it will do for now. He did not like it when I put it on him yesterday. The whole putting something over his head aspect of it I guess. I took it off last night before we went to bed, and he seemed fine. Before heading out today, I decided I'd better put him back in the sweater, he tends to get cold while I am gone. I pulled it out, and he came running, tail wagging. He let me put it on, and he has worn it proudly all day long. I think he realized that it keeps him warmer than those stupid bandanas that he loves so much.

For your viewing pleasure, I have pictures!