In a recent Talk of the South newsletter, we asked readers about their dogs’ most annoying habits. Read some of the many responses below:
Donnie, my six-and-a-half-year-old French bulldog, finds his loudest, squeakiest toy when he thinks I have been talking on the phone too long, comes over, and proceeds to squeak it incessantly. My friends and I just laugh and occasionally end the phone call, as we probably have been on the phone long enough. —Denise D.
Our nine-month-old pup has learned how to open the door to the backyard. Convenient in that we don’t need a doggie door, but not so much when it comes to cleaning up her muddy paws after chasing the squirrels or digging after those pesky voles. —Carla D.
Outside, inside, outside, inside, outside, inside, ad infinitum. And farting. —Brandon S.
Being so cute that I will give her anything she wants. —Louise M.
Dog is gone now, but when whispering sweet nothings to her, she would lunge for your open mouth to French kiss you. Super yuck! —Rob O.
Belle, one-year-old mini goldendoodle: selective disobedience even with a look of complete loyalty on her face. A close second is her commitment to relocating socks from one room to another. —Tom M.
The fact that, even though I feed, water, walk, baby-talk, and anticipate her every need and want in this world…she still loves my husband more. —Shannon H.
My husband and I got our Belgian Malinois, Red, before I retired. At that time, I woke up at 5:00 a.m. every morning, so Red woke up then as well. When I retired two years later and had thoughts of finally being able to sleep in, Red is still on the 5:00 a.m. schedule. It’s so annoying. —Michelle K.
She paws at my book so I will move it, and then she sits in my lap. —Stephanie M.
Whenever my phone rings, my dog always comes out of nowhere wanting to play ball. It’s cute but can be annoying. —Cindi A.
I rescued a walker treeing coonhound/German shepherd mix a few years ago, and we named her Frankie. She was a trifle messy/sickly at first, and rather standoffish. Didn’t even like to be petted. She also was the Houdini of hound dogs, able to escape or disappear in a moment’s notice. Now she is the world’s most perfect beast. Annoying habits? Nary a one. Well, sometimes she licks me to death. —Craig B.
Higgins gets really excited about golf cart rides and going to get the mail. He jumps up and down like a rabbit while turning in circles and continues until we go get his harness and head out to the cart. While we might not be quite ready to go, he is. Gotta go, go, go now, now, now momma! —Debi B.
[asking for a photo] Digging holes. I’m not talking about burying a bone-sized hole, rather he’s quite capable of excavating a space deep enough for a hitman to dispose of bodies from the night before. Given a sunny day and his own devices, I believe he will present us with the basement our home doesn’t have. —Lesley M.
Gully, my seven-year-old yellow Lab, is better than any expensive watch or alarm clock. She is a serial cuddler and doesn’t like not being right next to someone. At 4:00 a.m., her quiet moan of “arr arr arr” comes to let us know she misses us. At 5:48 a.m., her “arr arr arr” is a little more distinctive: “It’s the time, people!” The alarm clock/phone is turned off and the day has begun. So annoying. (But not really.) —Chester J.
My wife taught our dog Mia to jump up and spin around for treats. But now she does it whenever I want to do something serious with her—like play fetch. —Kevin S.
My black Lab Jen will fetch any stick, ball, or anything one can toss, and upon arrival of guests and strangers she will annoy them until they throw for her to retrieve. Worst is a two- to three-foot tree limb in her mouth banging against everyone’s legs. Dog saliva and tree bark does not look good on pants. —Randy C.
Smiley believes that at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, when the family sits down, he, too, is to eat from his bowl in his spot. No other time of the day does he have a meal. The annoying part is the sounds he emits from the enjoyment and otherwise. —Henrietta H.
Miss Abbie is a six-year-old Springer mix rescue. She pulls tissues and crumpled paper towels out of waste cans. No punishment or corrective words are remembered long enough. The only real solution is preventive medicine—closing doors, tying trash bags up, and the allure of banana treats. —Angela P.
Barking like a maniac at every delivery truck that enters our neighborhood. —Tony F.
I had a yellow Lab mix named Earl who liked to escape, then return home with random food items in his mouth, such as a can of Pringles and an unopened package of taco shells. I suspect the neighbors found it especially annoying. —Allen A.
Head shake, ears flopping, at 5:30 a.m. Saturday morning when I finally have nowhere to be. He’s cute, so I allow it. —Laura R.
Eating her own feces. Yuck, yuck, yuck. —Jim R.
Our black Lab Bubba eats everything that isn’t nailed down. He had to have surgery to remove a tennis sock, which caused a blockage to the tune of $8,000. I caught him chewing the plastic cover over an outside electrical outlet. He was kennelled with our older Lab when we were away and managed to chew and swallow Moose’s collar during the night, leaving the plastic clip and metal ring. His latest was scoffing my husband’s money clip off the kitchen island. We found it in his dog bed with luckily just one bill nibbled and cards intact. We have ramped up his activity schedule to tire out this bored thief! —Chris P.
Drooling. Constantly. Drooling. Spit on the floor. Spit on his ball. Spit on his friends. Sniffing on walks makes him drool. Playing in the dog park makes him drool. But he’s such a good friend and loving companion that I’d follow him around with a towel anywhere. —Sally Z.
Our hound Lou bays while he spins in circles, then tears the grass out by clumps when he gets stressed. This is usually just after realizing the neighbor’s chickens are loose and in his yard again. —Libby H.
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