We are in the middle of another torrential downpour today and, at 8:00am this morning, Ray showed a distinct aversion to going outside. Carol used to sail, a long time ago, and therefore has some very effective “wet weather gear” which I duly put on and went outside in an attempt to coax him out of the shelter of the back porch.
After a few minutes he decided that he would come and join me in the garden, where he immediately peed… and then dashed back to the shelter of the porch! Unfortunately, Ray missed his usual poop routine yesterday, due to his aversion to the weather, so I stayed in the garden and tried to coax him off the back porch once again. I think he eventually deduced that I was not going to let him back into the house, which was probably supported by a distinct desire to accommodate some bowel activity! Whatever the motivator was, it worked!
Our back garden accumulates water quite readily, and Ray has always side-stepped puddles. I understand that there is a basis for dogs not being comfortable in rain, but he has never played in puddles on the grass in the garden!
In Winter, when we get the occasional spell of above freezing temperatures and snow and ice start to melt, Ray has always circumvented the wet areas! This will hopefully make our surprise at Wednesday’s performance more understandable. He has a history of running into Lake Ontario and thoroughly enjoying himself, but areas of water on grass and on sidewalks have always been things to avoid!
Regardless of his history with water, and regardless of the rationale behind his apparent inconsistencies, we had one happy dog with us on Wednesday. Ray typically has a very plush and well groomed appearance but, after playing on Wednesday….
… he gave us the wet and bedraggled look!
You mean the “wet, bedraggled, and HAPPY” look!.
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Absolutely! 🙂
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Its funny how they love to swim but hate the rain!
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I am told that it could be the rain on very sensitive hearing, although Ray is very happy around heavy traffic and construction activities. Who knows! 🙂
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He is even handsome when “bedraggled”. I don’t think Ray could ever have a “bad” picture. I won’t say the same for me. 🙂
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The only bad pics that I’ve seen of Ray are the blurred ones! 🙂
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Ray makes wet and bedraggled look good!
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He does doesn’t he. Now if only I could master that look! 🙂
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Count me in as someone who would like to master it as well!
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🙂
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Barney used to hate going out in the rain, and we had a pampas grass in the back garden of one property which provided him with shelter as an outside doggie loo!
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It does seem to be typical canine behavior to avoid rain wherever possible. 🙂
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Singing (barking) and dancing (splashing) in the rain … 🎶🎶🐕
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Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers… and Ray!:)
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Funny how a bit of rain has this effect on a dog. Mine were all the same too! I used to stand out in the garden with a very large umbrella, protecting the dog so he’d ‘go’! 🙂
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It is interesting isn’t it. Considering Ray was a stray when picked up by the Humane Society, I guess he just found shelter somewhere when it rained!
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I hope he did, poor old boy. Like I hope all mine did before I got them and they came to live in a life of luxury, with me a slave to their every whim! 😀
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Yes I can relate to that overview! 🙂
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😀
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🙂
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Wet, bedraggled, and all smiles”
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Hi Michael. What a wonderful combination eh! 🙂
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He looks so cute, this picture made me laugh!
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He is very cute… and enjoyed himself so much. 🙂
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I love the way he crosses his paws. He is a photo op!
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We have so many pics of him over the past few years that show his front paws crossed. It’s obviously a very comfortable and natural “chill” position for him! 🙂
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He is such a beautiful dog!!
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He is… in both appearance and personality. It is incredible that he was not looked after by his previous owners. They missed out on so much. 🙂
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Some just aren’t meant to be pet owners. In Ray’s case, he’s the winner, too. He found someone who’s loves him, as much as he loves them. Bravo to you and yours for making such a loving home for our 4-legged friend ❤
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Hi Dorinda – He just fitted in so well! He’s still not the easiest dog to live with, but we just have to love him for his good points, while we work on the “not so good” ones! 🙂
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Look at that face! When it comes to rain Rufus is much the same way. Have you noticed on Rays walks that after a rain that he thinks everything he just sniffed yesterday is brand new? I’ve always wondered if my dog was a little silly or if it was common.
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Yup! Ray does that. We think that it might be the dampness “releasing” other scents from the ground. I know that grass smells so much different to me after it has rained so, with his nose, who knows what he is picking up! 🙂
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I hope ray had a great time.
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I have rarely seen him as happy as when he was playing in the water on Wednesday. 🙂
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