The Bones Show!

    • Gold Top Dog

    The Bones Show!

     I thought it would be fun to share stories of what happens when you give your dog(s) a bone.  Do they eat it?  Gnaw on it?  Bury it?  If it is buried do they return to it, ever? 

     t out 4, one per dog -- 2 weeks back the package had 5, so I put all 5 out.  Lacey is not interested in bones until they are at least room temperature, so hers just sits idle, waiting for a 'steal.'  Riley is now afraid of Tasha, she won't touch one until it's been chewed a bit.  Willy runs around behind me as I toss them here and there on the lawn, figures out which one he wants, and settles down.  

    Tasha collects them all together.  MINE!  ALL MINE!  She growls at anyone who even looks in her direction.  Then she takes one and starts trotting around the yard, searching for the perfect hiding spot.  Of course, this leaves the rest of her hoard unguarded, so she is nervously keeping an eye out, and will drop the one she has to charge, snarling, at anyone who approaches her pile.  This is how Riley has learned to remain IN THE GARAGE when I toss out the bones.  She has no idea where it is safe to be, as Tasha is everywhere at once.   :hysterical:  Tasha will charge a bird who dares to land and hop near the bone -- not at all interested in the bone, but must have spotted some bug moving in the lawn.  NOTHING is allowed near those bones!  (If you've seen any photos or vids of the dogs playing indoors, Tasha gathers all the toys up on the sofa and won't permit anyone up on the sofa, either).

    Next, Tasha has to figure out where she dropped the one bone she was working with . . . depending how irate she was at the 'threat' to her pile, she may be able to run straight to it, or she may have to dash about sniffing to relocate it.  Eventually, that one will get buried.  Then she stands surveying the grounds, to see if she likes the spot.  Sometimes she doesn't, so she digs it up and has to find a new place.  Other times she is satisfied, so she returns to her treasure trove to bury another.  Once there is only one left, she 'may' settle down to enjoy it.  OR she will bury all of them then trot around from one to another stopping to check where the others dogs are, to see if anyone is watching, and then she will dig one out to gnaw on it.  By this time, I've had to open the house door and let Riley inside; Lacey is dozing in the sun, and Willy has finished the easy bits on his bone and is ready for more, so HE is watching where Tasha is!  I've never seen Willy dig one up, but he WILL steal the one Tasha has.  They don't fight, though Tasha will growl and snarl.  He shows rather submissive behavior as he crouches down and slowly moves in to steal the one she has.  

    Next Tasha has to make the rounds and decide which one she wants to dig out next.  It is quite a production!

    Once everything calms down, Lacey strolls over and takes the one Willy 'finished,' since there is still plenty on it, just the easy bits are gone.

    Riley will work on a bone the next time she is outside, which may be several hours later.

    QUITE the show, and I seldom get far in my reading, as I am too busy watching (to ensure no actual fights, which has only happened one between Tasha and Lacey, Lacey got out of there FAST), and enjoying.

    • Gold Top Dog

    I avoid any conflict and put each dog in a crate with their bone.  Belle will not eat or even touch hers until the other dogs have finished and been let out of their crates.  Once she sees that the others are watching her she'll start gnawing and enjoying their torture.  That's how Belle rolls with everything. 

    Sounds like quite a show at your house when they get bones. :)

    • Gold Top Dog

    JackieG
    I avoid any conflict and put each dog in a crate with their bone. 

     

    me too -- Tink can be more than a shade guardy -- so I just plain don't give her the opportunity to 'reinforce' that ever.  

    Charlie honestly probably enjoys them the most -- and he had never HAD one til he came to live with us (I literally had to teach him how to chew on it - I had to hold it while he licked it and verbally encourage him as he tried very very trepidaciously to gnaw on it!).  

    Tink does a good job on hers despite having a liddle pug mouf LOL.  Luna tends to be half-hearted with hers altho she pretty well finishes it.  

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    • Gold Top Dog

     I don't have a pack but have given bones to B and a furry friend at the same time - seems to always end with the furry friend having both after they switch back and forth a bunch of times. LOL

     B loves his bones but clearly loves to share more than he loves his bones Big Smile

    I always wonder though, when he gets bone he won't use his paws to hold it. With other things he will but his front legs are splayed as much as possible when he has a bone. He's a strange fellow

     

    • Gold Top Dog

    Freedom, I have to reply to this.

    When I read your post, I just pictured you being entertained during the whole ordeal, watching each dog and enjoying it. (I think it is great that you can do this, enjoy the interactions and be there if you need to step in.)

    This reminded me of what we do for entertainment.  We live in the country, 20 miles from the nearest town and 3-4 miles from the nearest neighbor.  So, sometimes we will take a handful of dry dog food and throw it on the driveway and watch it scatter then watch which dog can gather the most and how they use their smelling skills to find each piece.  (sad, huh, but cheap entertainment)  and if we are really bored, we will sit on the deck and throw the dry food in the grass below, that is a lot more challenging for the dogs to find.  And we laugh and enjoy.  And remind ourselves how lucky we are to live in God's country with animals.

    I don't think I will do the bone thing, Freida is not good at sharing yet, it is all mine mine with her.  LOL

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     That does sound entertaining. I don't give long lasting bones. So, in general they eat them right where I give them and right away because they are such a treat. When I do give larger bones, Neiko and Abbie rarely even eat them. They just carry them around. Abbie gets cranky because it stresses her out, so she will give her bone back to me for me to put it away for her for later. She's very obvious about what she wants when she gives me her bone. It's pretty funny. She will pace around the house, whine whine whine, then shove her bone at me. Once I put it up out of reach of the other dogs, she will stop pacing and whining and lie down with a sigh. Neiko will carry his around until Lily steals it, which usually doesn't take long. Once in a while he'll bury it somewhere in the yard or house. Lily always finds the buried ones and eats them herself.

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     Luke won't actually take a bone or a chew from me. I try to hand him a rawhide, he won't touch it. I just have to leave it on the floor,and he'll eventually take it. He'll take a rawhide chip, but not the bones or the rolls.

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     So interesting -- to me, anyway -- how different they can be! 

     I LOVE the 'toss some kibble' game, oh my that has me grinning ear to ear!

    • Gold Top Dog

    The images you guys are describing are too funny!

    We don't have a pack either, so no issues with guarding or anything like that.  Ruby gets Nylabones, not real bones, but she loves her bones.  We keep them in different rooms so she always has access to one.  It's the first thing she grabs when we come home after she's been alone in the house.  She runs around in happy circles with it in her mouth, her head bobbing from side to side.  She usually holds it herself, but sometimes she'll bring it to one of us and "ask" us to hold it for her so she can relax and not use her own paws!

    When Tonka was a puppy and we gave him Nylabones, he would chew on them, but when he was done, he would carry it to a corner of the room.  He'd put it down in the corner (usually behind something), then he'd push his nose several times on the carpet towards the bone, in the motion of pushing dirt over it to hide it.  After a few seconds of doing that, he'd walk away.  We used to crack up -- we'd say, "Good hiding spot, Tonka!  We can't see it at all!"