Wednesday, March 3, 2010

BALL ISSUES

Lately I've developed what my human calls an 'issue'. I think an issue is kinda like a bad habit, but worse. I've never had an issue before, but Brother Dutch has a bad habit of getting mad at boy dogs who still have their parts and my human says he has a 'testicle issue'.

Anyway. I don't care about testicles, but I'm really into these cool little tennis balls. They come out of the package squeaky, and my first instinct is to de-squeak them. I don't know why I have this urge, but something deep inside says KILL THE SQUEAK so I don't stop until the squeak is dead.

That's not really the issue though. The problem is that once I kill the squeak, another voice inside me says I'm supposed to guard the dead squeak with my life. This means no other dog is allowed anywhere near my tennis balls. Well, Dutch is OK because he's a wimp - but other dogs? I totally let them have it.

My human calls this psycho pug mode. Her friends think it's pretty funny, but dogs respect and fear my psycho side. Just yesterday I defended my ball and its dead squeak from an attack by a large German Shepherd. He never saw it coming and didn't know what hit him.

I don't really know how any of this qualifies as an 'issue'. I mean, I'm just looking out for my stuff. But my human says one day I'll go psycho on the wrong dog and get my little puggy butt kicked. Whatever. I got my butt-kicked last week by a Frenchie-girl named Bean and it had nothing to do with balls.

* * *

FLATTIE NEWS!
Today the flat me heads to New Jersey and hangs out with Frodo and his family (including a kitty!)

Read about Flat Puglet's adventures in cold snow and hot tubs over at flatpuglet.com.

21 comments:

pugsx4 said...

Loving Flat Puglet

Anonymous said...

I am sad to report Puglet that I have the same "issue" with the small ball that comes with a squeaker.....only I don't even let me brothers near it. Maybe there is something in that little ball that takes over our mind and our emotions....???
-Baxter

Brutus, Ellie, Pippa and Otto said...

Don't worry Puglet - Brutus has the same "issue" with the squeaky balls. Only he has a habit of putting them under the furniture after he has desqueaked them and just stands there and barks until mom or dad gets it out for him!

Pugs & Kisses,

Yoda & Brutus

Gracie the Agility Pug said...

I do the same thing with my toys. I don't have squeakers in anything (mom has a pug friend that died when they ate a squeaker and it got stuck), but mom got me an unstuffed dog toy that I guard with my life. I tore a chunk out of Arnie last night, when he LOOKED at my toy. It's all about mine, mine, mine.

Gracie the agility pug (Arnie's sister)

Anonymous said...

Zoe (my momma frenchie) has the same issue, except it is with A LOT of things. Usually not balls, but she sometimes guards food, toys, people, etc. She can be totally fine one second and then goes bonkers. She gets a lot of time outs. I pretty much roll with the punches, 'cause she can be a lot of fun, when she's not acting crazy.
-Tobee (aka Mr Green Beans)

Stubby said...

Hi Puglet! Sorry to hear about the squeaky ball issues. I don't play with balls anymore but I can get a little protective of things like food. When this happens I become what Dad calls "devil dog". I get snappy and have been known to back down a 175 pound mastiff. I have yet to get my little puggy butt kicked but I'm sure it's coming.

Stubby xoxo

Lola said...

I don't de-squeek toys, but I do pull all the stuffing out of my stuffed animals. I've learned that the best way to get to the stuffing is to chew off eyeballs or noses. All of my toys are flat now. I like small, squeeky toys- fun and noisy to chew on. I also like beanie babies (my mom calls me 'Beans' cuase when I was a baby, I looked like a beanie baby).
I don't 'protect' anything except the front door. I don't care who takes my food, chewies, or toys. I know there's always more wiating.
Sorry about your issue.
Lafayette Lola

THE PUGLET said...

Wow. I thought it was just me. My human made it seem like having an inner psycho-pug was kinda freakish because usually I'm so nice and happy.

And Stubby - If you've gotten to 12 without getting your butt kicked, I feel my chances of not getting whooped are pretty good. Except by Bean the Frenchie. She's whooped me twice now.

Kimmy B said...

Hi Puglet: my issue is food and food alone. My Forever Mom has had to put bandaids on her fingers after I mistakenly thought they were treats. It was all so confusing - they were so close together and I was foaming at the mouth. Treats and fingers do taste different. Now my brother Beans is OBSESSED with his Henrietta the Christmas Chicken. He has chewed the beak off but the squeaker is alive and well. It bugs me when I'm trying to sleep and all I can hear is that chicken screeching! He loves to stand next to me when it's really obvious I'm snoozing and screech, screech screech right next to my ear. Grrrr.. I hope you don't get in any trouble with another dog over your balls. Maybe they just want to stop and smell?

THE PUGLET said...

You can always send us your Henrietta. Dutch LOVES Henrietta. He doesn't eat her, but he does kill that awful screech in about 2 minutes by stomping on her neck.

PS > My human always warns people to watch their fingers when feeding me treats. I get so excited, I totally forget to only eat the treat.

Sequoia & Petunia & Emma said...

Hey Puglet we say its ok to keep the de-squeaked balls but just be gentle maybes. Tuni always guards all her toys from mes, I just wait till she leaves so I can play with thems.

Sequoia

Wilma said...

HiPuglet,
We all have issues here at my house, some more than others. Me I guess you could say I have issues with any pug coming near me when I'm eating. It only started when Sluggo came along. Me and Brigitte were cool before that. Now I get to eat in my own private dining area.
Brigitte, she needs to see her meal being prepared or she won't eat it. She also quite frequently needs value added , especially if Mom's not home.
Sluggo,he's got issues with just about everything. He has huge floor issues. Won't walk on shiny surfaces. I wrote a whole post about his lambie issues. He's quite a case.

THE PUGLET said...

I guess our issues are what make us all different. And special :)

PS> Is Brigitte a pug? I've never met a pug who won't eat!!

SpencerBartholomew said...

I totally destuff my toys. That's my thing. Once I even destuffed the humans bedspread-that was fun. I also have a thing for tissue paper...I love to tear it apart. But when it comes to food...the only ones defending theirs is my cat-brothers & cat-sisters. They sometimes eat my food so whenever I hear them coming down the hall I stick my big head in the bowl so they can't get near it. That seems to work.

Sabrina said...

Beulah was fine until Barney came along. That is when she decided that EVERYTHING was her's! Even when I get them the exact same treats, she will stop eating her's and then yell at him until he drops his so she can steal it. Lately Barney gets annoyed with her and has started to growl and snap back. We're going to counselling for this! Barney just discovered toys too, and he has decided that he likes Beulah's giant duck the most which really pisses off Beulah so I have had to confiscate the duck.

Crabbie Chris said...

It seems a lot of dogs don't like to share, but so far I think that sharing is fun. In fact when grandma's dog chews on a bone, I think it's great fun to chew on the end she's not using. You might have to work on it though...what if Jenny wanted to share the ball with you? I guess it's always a work in progress.

THE PUGLET said...

Yeah, me and brother Dutch don't always share 100%. My human always buys two of everything, but sometimes Dutch will see me chewing on something, forget he has the exact same thing, and then freak on me.

He can make some scary noises, but we all know who's in charge. And it's not Dutch.

Smushie Ranch said...

OH MY PUG!! I do the same thing Puglet. But my issue runs deeper. I ONLY want the yellow mini balls. The ones that squeak. And then I kill the squeaker. And I pity the foo that tries to take my yellow de-squeaked ball! I must be a pug thing...

Gunther

Wilma said...

Puglet, There is an explanation for Brigittes peculiar food issues. She's a chug, part chihuahua. She's recycled too. We are her third and forever home, so Mom and Dad didn't know at first where were these unpuglike characteristics came from. Then a chug joined our meetup group and it all made sense. So it's her inner chihuahua who is the food snob for sure.

Archie and Melissa said...

Hi Puglet!
how fun that you have a toy that you love so much!
emmitt has one of those too and we just make sure that he plays with it in a place he will not get in a confrontation with a bigger or stronger doggie that wants it. :)
i think emmitt would run with scissors with glee if he could!

Nikky said...

Hay Puglet,

Turbo (my 3year old pug) loves socks, any type weather there fresh off your foot or just out of the washer, its so funny, he has had his "issue" with them ever since he was 11 weeks old... he dont play with balls or stuffed toys either, he just LOVES to chomp and chew socks....... bless him :)

~xXx~