Let Flopping Dogs Lie...

Why do dogs flop where they KNOW they're going to have to move? We went to a picnic at my MIL's house (good food!) and the senile dog went. He proceeds to flop first in front of the buffet table on the patio--and was forced to leave. He flopped next in front of the door to the house--you guessed it, almost got stepped on and had to leave. THEN, he must have gotten really disgusted because he went down to the lawn to flop UNDER the badminton net. Yes, he came back mighty quickly, looking dejected. The kids were playing, so I can only imagine how he lasted as long as he did (I think he was down there for five minutes).

Now, we don't live on an acre of land--we have 12 or so acres he could choose to flop on, and on 8 of them he probably wouldn't get chased away. I say 8 because the cows dominate a fair share of them and would definitely kick his sorry butt out of their pasture. They've never liked him. Whenever he goes out to their pond he looks both ways, slinks in, gets a drink, chases a frog or two then slinks back like someone beat his sorry butt. He KNOWS those cows are gunning for him.

But back to the patio... It doesn't help that when the poor dog lies down he sounds like a house dropped on top of him. My BIL's girlfriend kept asking, "Was that your DOG?" because he'd flop (mind you, he's 100 lbs) but he'd moan and groan as he went down, and there'd be a creaking of bones in there as well.

We're going back later for dinner. We'll see if he goes back down and flops somewhere different. Right now he's flopped in the foyer of the house. I'm thinking he doesn't quite get the whole path of traffic thing. I guess I have to remember you can't teach an old dog new tricks--or should that read, you can't teach an old dog where to flop?