Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Horse, cow, pig or pit bull?

What animal gallops like a horse, grazes like a cow and when laying down, can be mistaken for a pot bellied pig?
Why, it’s my dog, of course!
As my husband and I discussed our dog’s grazing habits this weekend, it dawned on me that for years we have been comparing him to farm animals.
The dog totally earns these comparisons. Here’s the rundown:

1) How is my dog like a horse? His gait. Sensi’s clumsily-formed body gave him giant paws, a huge chest, and a small little butt. He’s off balance and when he runs, it shows. His front paws hit the ground with a thunderous roar, all the weight of his drooping chest propelling him forward. Indoors, the entire floor quakes beneath him as he lumbers around. Don’t be mistaken — he is not like a thoroughbred. More like an adolescent Clydesdale who hasn’t yet mastered a graceful gait.

2) How is my dog like a cow? He grazes, and the amount of interest he has in grazing has vastly increased each year.
Some people say dogs only eat grass if they ate something bad and need to throw it up, or if they’re lacking a nutrient in their diet. For Sensi, neither of these applies. I am completely convinced he just enjoys having an endless supply of food.
He never throws up from it, and if you hold grass in your hand, he begs for it like it’s a treat. A couple years ago, I started noticing that on our walks, he kept stopping to eat the grass. Over the weekend, he was content to graze on our lawn for about an hour.
Sensi just meandered around, grazing — just like a cow.

3) How is my dog like a pig? He looks like one. Seriously. When Sensi lays down on his side and his big chest bellows out, followed immediately by a jolly tummy, he truly looks like a pig. All he needs are hooves in place of his paws and some minor changes to his face and I’ve got myself a pot-bellied pig. The markings on his stomach, a swirl of white and black with sparse hair, also help create the illusion.
We call him our pot-bellied pit bull.

Brent and I have always wanted a farm, but for the time being, I suppose we can just be glad to have a dog that is like three farm animals in one compact pit bull package.

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