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Friday, February 11, 2011

A Few Quirks

Our post on Monday brought up some interesting questions from some readers.  One question that we've been asked a lot is in regards to personality.  Many people have heard rumors about a "blue personality" and wondered if it's true or not.  Blue dogs have a reputation for being a bit off.

When we got Blueberry as a two-year-old hound, she was a handful.  She'd lived with a woman who thought it was a great idea to teach her the trick of launching off the floor from a sit and taking food from her mouth.  Ah, yes, and Blueberry has a skull harder than a titanium plate, I might add.  Several black eyes and a few concussions later we decided that the habit had to end.  I'll also simply say that I don't think the woman who taught her that trick was completely right and leave it at that. 

A lot of Blueberry's behavior in those early years wasn't really her fault.  She has a strong desire to please us, and if she can't she will often just give up and retreat to a dog crate to lay down with a sigh and her back turned to us.  Greyhound puppies are often known as landsharks and some of them take longer to mature than others.  I think Blueberry was definitely one of those late bloomers, but when she turned the corner, she became a magnificent dog. 

I have always considered her a bit quirky.  Blueberry has a few unique traits.  One that I've mentioned before is that she has two differently colored eyes.  One is grey and one is brown.  She also has a rather endearing bobble to her head when she gets really excited.  She cannot resist stealing hamburger buns off plates when they're left unattended.  Her dewclaws were surgically removed when she was young, but one grew back and if we let it grow it curls outward away from her leg.  I don't know if that's the result of a failed surgery attempt or if her dewclaws grew like that before.  I haven't found her personality to be particularly odd, however.  I just think she's unique, our own little snowflake.

Other Greyhound owners who have had blue dogs have sworn that they had dogs who had blue personalities.  I have to wonder if it's not a vicious cycle, though.  If people are expecting to see strange behavior in a dog, then perhaps any quirk will contribute to that theory.  Would the same behavior even be noted as a trait of a dog of another color?  Are really odd dogs only born blue?  I tend to doubt that.

What I do know is that Blueberry has been a wonderful addition to our family and we have always been happy that she came to live with us.  She hasn't been any more difficult to get along with than any of our other hounds.  Blueberry has always simply been herself.

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30 comments:

  1. Love that belly shot!

    They say that "red" golden retrievers are more of a handful than blonder ones. I know that's true for my own small sampling (so far) but I'm betting my inexperience raising a dog had a lot more to do with it than his color did!

    Jump up to get food from her mouth? Yikes!

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  2. Fab photos of Blueberry.

    With not having a Greyhound prior to getting Song, I wouldn't know.

    I suppose it's like red headed people supposedly having a firey temprament, or hat supposedly black dogs (any breed) can be more aggressive. Is it true, or do we just stereotype?

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  3. First of all, Blueberry is gorgeous (I've probably said this before, but it seems appropriate to repeat it). I've got a soft spot for blues, George was born completely blue and then turned fawny, but luckily kept the original colour on his ears and face. Sometimes you can still see the blue underneath the fawn, it depends on the light.
    Anyway, to get back to Blueberry (you've got a way with dog names, you know) - I'm not sure that girl's got enough fancy collars, really :)Such a gorgeous girl...Love the different colour eyes, what a unique feature. And, from what I've read, there doesn't seem to be anything 'blue' about her personality at all. But, of course, you've put your heart and soul into 'educating' her, and your work's paid off. I completely agree with you on this, it's up to us to shape our dogs' personalities and correct any faults. It's easy to blame unwanted behaviour/traits on silly things like their colour (?!?!), but it's not what a good, responsible owner should do.
    Love all photos, but second from the bottom is my favourite.

    Didi

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  4. I've never noticed that about her eye colors. She looks like a lovely hound to me, and I love those blue collars on her!!

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  5. Blueberry sure knows very well what she wants and what she is capable of! She is a beauty with brain and she has her own eccentric ways of attracting others. She is unique and cute too!
    Those pictures of her show her beauty!!!

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  6. I didn't know about Blueberry's eyes either. I think that's so beautiful.

    (I do think wearing three fancy collars at the same time is going a bit far though - even for a dedicated hound follower of fashion! LOL!).

    Excited to hear there's a new site coming!!

    Love and Licks Winnie xx

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  7. Good golly, how looooong is her neck to wheres her can wear 3 collars. Dats just weird!
    It's possible dat hoomans are color profilin' us...even in my case where they say reds are FEISTY...so not me.
    ANyways, I agree...Blue is her own dog, so to speak...and what is wrong with stealin' hamburger buns? Good thing her can reach da counter huh?

    Puddles

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  8. I love the quirkiness of wearing three collars! And, is that second to last photo actually Blueberry as a young dog? It looks as if she was much darker then...

    Similar things are said about chocolate labs - that they have a screw loose, and are insanely energetic, compared to the more traditional yellows and blacks. In my experience, it's not at all true! I think that their parents' genetics determine it and that it's not linked to color.

    I love learning about Blueberry. Thanks!

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  9. Hi Y'all,

    Over a lifetime of living with dogs and horses I find each has its own quirks and personality, just like people.

    One trait seems to repeat in all my dogs, no matter the color or breed...I attribute that to something they read in me.

    BrownDog's Momma

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  10. Are her eyes really the same color as her fur? They look like it in the third picture. And I am all about quirks, I am quirky and so is my mom and so are the cats, papa, and the little girl!

    Your pal, Pip

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  11. What a gorgeous girrrrrl. No Matter the color!

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  12. Aren't we all a little quirky? She is beautiful.

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  13. Rider and Lilly and JackFebruary 11, 2011 at 10:38 AM

    Loved the line "her own little snowflake" :)

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  14. That's interesting. My friend has a blueish Great Dane named Violet. I wonder if she has a blue personality.

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  15. She sure is purrrty. Your post was really interesting. We hear white Frenchies have more allergies... True, Lily has them all
    Benny & Lily

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  16. It was great getting to know a little more about Blueberry! The lady that had her before you had to have been a bit loony to have Blueberry jumping up to her mouth to get food...yikes!

    Elyse and Riley

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  17. Like we've said over and over before, dogs are individuals and you can't judge a book by its cover. Or a dog by its color.

    Those are Most Gorgemous pictures of Blueberry and really show off her Most Beautiful Brindle Furs!

    Wiggles & Wags,
    mayzie

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  18. I think she's simply wonderful, quirks and all!!

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  19. Blueberry is a beauty. We love her eyes and the fact that she can wear so many collars at once! She got skilz!

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  20. Cassie is a red-tri (which on her appears more liver), but our vet calls her chocolate...he says that with every chocolate dog comes some nuts! I think he might be onto something!

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  21. Give me a quirky dog every time - Not a day goes by without a laugh or a story to tell. Anyone can have a regular dog, but where's the fun in that?!

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  22. We think maybe all dogs are a little goofy in their own ways! WHen you really get to know a dog, they all have such unique personalities, its probably easy to blame it on whatever is obvious... like being blue, for example. Mama always blames Lily's nuttiness on her being part terrier!

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  23. Ohh Blueberry I just wanna rub that belly!! I agree with you. I think we all attribute some traits as being part of the breed. Or in your case the color. :)

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  24. I believe the dog has the same personality as the owner, the dog is the mirror of the owner.

    And the Blueberry is also beautiful her eyes are beautiful, the color of the animal hair is perfect.

    Kisses

    Ruby ^ ^

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  25. Blue personality or not, everybody loves Blueberry!

    Nubbin wiggles,
    Oskar

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  26. Ooooohhhhhhh! Bluuuuueberry!!! You are GORGEOUS!

    OK, got that bit out of the way! LOL!

    There may possibly be a tiny smidgeon of truth in the rumours that link colour with temperament. I only say 'may possibly', and I base it on the fact that colour is definitely linked with certain physical characteristics, for instance, you'll seldom see a true tortoiseshell (calico) cat. This is because the gene/s for the tortie colouring are carried on the sex chromosome and are recessive, so if you do get a rare male tortie, there is definitely something funny about him - he has to be an XXY. And the gene/s which determine blue eye colour in white cats seem to be linked with a higher chance of congenital deafness. Similarly, there 'may possibly' be some personality characteristics which are carried on the same bit of genetic material which indicates 'blue'.

    But you're absolutely right. In MOST cases, it is merely a self-fulfilling prophecy!

    BTW, Sid also has an endearing head wobble when he's excited. It works for him because I just have to go back and pet him again. And again. And again, when he does it!

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  27. We are very happy to know more about Blueberry.
    We still had not noticed that she had one eye of each color. Interesting!
    We thought this only happened in mixed breeds...

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  28. My heart dog was Bruce a German Shepherd. I had had dogs all my life and loved them dearly. Then I married and he did not want a dog in the house. I went almost 20 years with out a dog. Then we bought this house where I am still,,, (with another husband) The house was started but then left and two dogs took it for their home. A pointer and a Shepherd. I didn't know they were here until I owned the place. I met Bozo (the Shepherd)one trip out to clean up.
    At first he was going to eat me up, but we talked about that, and then he decided I was a
    friend. The next time I can out here he introduced me to his lady, the pointer. When we got the house a little more done,, and we moved in,, we excepted them or should I say they, excepted us. The then husband found out that he loved dogs!!! This land was at the time 3 acres. We had no fence then. 30 days from moving in the pointer was run over in the road out front. I had had the dogs to the vets and found out Bozo had heart warms and the pointer did not. I had had her spayed. She died with her stitches still in!! Bozo was so sick about her dieing that he did not eat for 5 days. The vet had said that putting him through heart warm treatment was not fair to him, he was to far into the disease to treat. Bozo lived another year. When he died, the than hubby wanted another dog. We bought a German Shepherd. He was the hubby's dog. He went to work with him and was with him every second. Hubby breed Hank and we got a puppy for stud free. Bruce!!!! My heart dog!!! I went to the hospital and came home to a 7 week old puppy Bruce. We bonded. He was the best dog a person
    could ever want!! The marriage broke up and I got to keep Bruce!!!! My heart dog!!!!
    xx, Fern

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  29. I think she is a beautiful dog, and that first picture is so cute!

    Rudy's Raiser

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  30. Look at all those pretty collars! What an expressive face she has in the photo of her on the bed. Such a sweet look!

    "...skull harder than a titanium plate..." Oh how that brings back memories of our Blue Merle Great Dane! How neither Mike nor I ended up with a dislocated jaw is a miracle!

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