Bark Border Terrier on High
Some might say Bark, my second Border Terrier, acts like a cat.
Others would say he has visions of grandeur. That he’s a dominant dog who thinks he’s the King of the Castle. But Bark isn’t dominant and the longer I live with dogs the more I think the Dominance Model is…irrelevant. And sometimes dangerous–especially when there are terriers involved. Coming to this realization has helped me solve a host of issues with my pups, too. [The more we can change, the more our dogs can change.]
Bark is just happier up high. As are many cats.
When Bark goes to Grammy’s house to visit, he climbs the tall staircase and sleeps on the sunny patch of carpet atop the landing. There he can hang off the edge and can gaze out the little port window at the neighbouring roof-tops. At home, he favours the back of the sofa even though windowed doors come right to the ground. A boy up high can see the rabbits and birds and other critters that a ground floor dog never can. And he can stay out of the way of a bossy sister. Sounds like a good plan to me.
Where does your Terrier like to hang out?
My next post will be other behaviours shared between Border Terriers and cats.
Terrier Logic 
Pingback: Does your Border Terrier act like a Big Cat? | Terrier Logic
I nominated you for the Liebster award. Please check it out on my blog: http://astronomybythecosmos.com/the-liebster-award/
I am honoured to receive your nomination for a Liebster Award. Like your blog, the award invites us to look up and out, celebrating the spirit of exploration and discovery. Thanks for the encouragement. Love YOUR questions! Will get right on it.
After months I’m finally able to post the Liebster nomination and tag it forward.
https://terrierlogic.com/2012/11/07/terrier-logic-…liebster-award/
Thanks again, Tina. Your blog is super.
my wheaten terrier is also very cat like when it comes to the couch. she lies on the back of it (like Bark in the photo above) and stares out the window. However she is not little like a cat and has totally compressed the back cushions – not that she cares.
What we do for the love of our pups!
Bark is so cute (and has a great name!). My border terrier, Baffi, likes to be vertical (I suspect this position may alleviate her arthritis?). She will settle into a corner of the sofa and prop herself against the arm vertically – facing the side, not outwardly like a human 🙂
Bossy is the “vertical” girl in our household, just like your Baffi. She’s the one whose dam looks like your Baffi.
FYI. Bossy and Bark are the dogs’ pen names. We’re told people like his real name, too. Thanks for commenting.
I think it’s cute that they have pen names 🙂 If you haven’t already, you should read “Stanley and Sophie” – a memoir about a woman who took care of 2 borders, very lovely, touching book.
Thanks for the book recommendation. Loo forward to finding it.
There aren’t as many books on Borders in North America than there are in the UK.
That boy is cute !