What Part of "Fetch" Don't You Understand?

Now, don't get me wrong, I love, love my dogs, Daisy and Doowee (see this post for an introduction: All Creatures...) They are absolutely wonderful, funny, demanding, frustrating, furry, sheddy and I love them. Now, Daisy, she's smart because she's a Sheltie, they are just really smart dogs. Doowee, he's smart, suprisingly so, it just takes him a while to learn something, but once he learns it, he's got it. Today, I left them inside, with Animal Planet on the television, as always, so they don't get bored or feel alone. (I always leave Animal Planet on for them, my roommate who is not exactly an animal lover, will even leave Animal Planet on for them. Ok, they are a little spoiled.) Anyway, so I left them inside today because it was so nasty hot here, 101 degrees hot. And, I don't want my furballs to overheat. I come home at lunch...wondering...open the door and see that Doowee has completely eaten up my roommate's flip-flops...beyond repair, way beyond repair. I scold Doowee, who is dutifully repentent, hangs his head because he KNOWS he did it. (Daisy does not do that kind of stuff, she's too sweet) Now, I have bragged to my friends about how good these dogs are, not destroying things and this is the second time in two months that Doowee has destroyed a pair of shoes, last time was my favorite squishy houseshoes.

Ok, now to reference the title. For some reason, since I got Daisy, random objects have ended up in my backyard. It's like the doggie angels are dropping toys from heaven for them. I'm talking chew toys, stuffed animals, soccer balls, whiffle balls, baseballs, a plastic bat, you name it, it's been in my backyard. I know that the neighbor's dogs and my dogs pass toys underneath the fence, how sweet is that? Anyway, since the arrival of the mysterious soccer ball, their favorite thing to do is chase the ball when I kick it. Here's how it goes: I let them outside, Daisy slowly walks out to where the ball is, looking back at me as she goes. If I just sit down, she sits in front of the soccer ball, staring at it, willing it to fling itself across the yard at breakneck speed, just so she can chase it. So, I walk over to the ball and stand behind it, aiming it across the yard. Daisy is ready, she can actually tell which direction I am going to kick it. She loves it. Doowee is there too, sitting between me and the ball barking at me. So, I rear back and kick the ball across the yard, flying over their heads and they ruuuunn after it. Next, I walk across the yard to where the ball landed and repeat the process, they can do this for hours. Here's what I don't get, they never bring the ball back. Never. Daisy used to fetch, but I have enabled her to just chase, without requiring her to bring it back. And Doowee, he's just happy to be there.

I don't have children to tell stories on, so I tell stories about my dogs. I love them and they are such fun for me. I can't really explain it, but I can go to sleep better if one of them is laying on my feet or legs. It just calms me down. If you want to know more about them, here's their Dogster Pages:

Daisy

Doowee (I could not put the link in for doowee, but you can get there from Daisy's page)

Added later: Ok, so my dogs get to watch Animal Planet. This weekend I got to puppysit for my BFF and her little Yorkie, Minny. Now, this is a woman who just could not understand my love for my dogs a few years ago. Now? With this tiny little dog? Her and her husband have morphed into dog-loving fools. Minny arrived at my house Friday night, both of them brought her in. Minny even has her own diaper bag with a potty pad, at least 4-5 toys, leash, bowl of yogurt doggie treats that she only gets little bits of, bowl of tiny little food, doggie cologne and doggie breath mints. I love it, they have crossed over! Minny started Puppy Kindegarten on Monday, I heard it went well.