Sunday, July 8, 2012

Beating the heat

Every once in awhile when we're at the park, I'm concerned that we're going to end up like the beginning segment in a show like Bones, or Law and Order, or the X-Files. Elka becomes super interested in an area and I'm unable to ascertain why, and I'm just certain she's going to bring me a skull or something one of these days. It isn't because we live in a bad area or anything, mind you. It's just my thought process.

Because for some mysterious reason, she won't drink water on our walks, I encourage her to hit the creek when we're near it. Dogs don't sweat to cool off, not really, they pant and they release some of that heat through their feet, so I figure standing in the creek must help.  I actually read somewhere that using alcohol wipes on your dog's feet can help them cool down quickly as well, but I don't remember where that was, and it's up in the air if it was a reliable source.

This time, Elka was super interested in this big rock that had (of course) a piece of rusty metal next to it. She circled around a few times, and pawed at the water, and actually moved a couple of smaller rocks, and spent some time alternately biting at the water (not trying to drink it) and staring intently.



I told her "If you come up with a human femur, I'm going to be pretty upset", though truth be told,  if she found any femur, I wouldn't necessarily know at a glance whether it was human or not. There are deer around here, at any rate. I just don't want to be that headline. She was unconcerned, though, and when I had her back off and looked in that spot when the water cleared up again, I didn't see anything. So who knows?





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30 comments:

  1. Huh, I wonder what she was trying to get! I would of been pretty impressed if she came up with a femur!

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    1. It would have made me think of the Flintstones too, really....Dino with a big huge bone!

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  2. Elka knows best. A femur! Oh my, BOL
    Benny & Lily

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  3. I had to laugh this post 'cause it sounds like how I'd be thinking. I always think I've read too much Stephen King! I do wonder what she was so interested in though? An eyeball perhaps! LOL!

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    1. I think an eyeball would probably be worse. Or fresher, anyway.

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  4. Woof! Woof! Oh! Oh! Happy MM! Lots of Golden ALOHA n Woofs, Sugar

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  5. Maybe there was a fish or something like that there? Our dogs have come back with bones and/or carcasses. When you tell them "fetch", you can bet they will...lol.

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    1. It could have been little fish, which I've seen before, or maybe a crawdad, which I think I've heard of being in that creek.

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  6. I wonder if maybe she was sniffing out some fish or frog eggs? Looks like a good little spot for them to be!

    As for the alcohol wipes on the feet, I think it would work. Only because that's the only spot on a dog's body that they have sweat glands. The alcohol would evapourate quicker than sweat, so I bet it would help cool them off pretty quickly. Don't quote me though as I've never done so myself! LOL

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    1. It does look like that, doesn't it? I don't rightly know!

      I've yet to find just "plain" alcohol wipes, so we may never learn.

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  7. With their incredible sense of smell sometimes it seems they are exploring a scent left months ago (but still interesting).

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    1. Sometimes, when Elka is licking a clearly empty Kong, we say she's tasting the memory of peanut butter. I wouldn't be surprised!

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  8. Oooh Elka,

    What did you find buddy? I guess sometimes you're too busy to stop for a drink, hey? :)

    Wags to all,

    Your pal Snoopy :)

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  9. Rooo my human is the same - she keeps watching too many TV shows and its always the dog walkers who find the dead bodies. I'm more interested in fetching sticks than sniffing for rotting bodies though, and I'm sure Elka is just as sensible! *Waggy tail*

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    1. I don't think it would be a morbid interest for Elka, I think she'd just be doing a civic duty!

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  10. I have had the same fears walking back through wooded areas as scenes from CSI start flashing through my mind. BOL!! My dogs don't won't drink on walks either only at the end of them. Though if we were near water they'd have no problem diving in. :)

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    1. Funny, I wonder what it is that keeps all our dogs from drinking on walks. I used to try, and frequently still carry water, but she never wants it.

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  11. I think some of them just like to keep us on our toes!

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    1. What I would give to actually know the thoughts in that pointy head sometimes!

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  12. Well...that would make for a great Monday Mischief post if Elka came back with a human femur. Looks like a fun time down by the creek. I'm looking forward to an upcoming X-Files post :)

    Happy Monday!
    Colby

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    1. I love the X-Files so hard, but I'm not hankering for that call to the police station. "Yeah, I'm in the park, and my dog just found what I think might be a human bone."

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  13. Hmmm, my dogs have led me to all sorts of body parts but none human! They even led me to a live mountain lion next to a deer that he'd just killed... Fortunately, he took one good look at us and decided to leave. He came back to eat the deer later, and my trail camera that I installed next to the deer got great photos of him with his meal.

    One of my pups won't drink on hikes either. We bring a little grated parmason, and we sprinkle it on top of a small bowl of water during hikes. It works. However, my vet has told me recently that a dog will drink if they really need to so I don't need to do this.

    Enjoy your hikes!

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    1. Oh boy, I would not want to surprise a mountain lion with his dinner, whether I had a dog (or dogs) with me or not!

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  14. Nice to meet you and Elka. Have a good evening.
    Best wishes Molly

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  15. Sometimes I try to chase after smells and my person has no idea what I'm going after.

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    1. You smart pups are just so much better at smells that we human are!

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