Izzi has a couple of odd habbits. After a good rain there's big puddles out on our walking track, Izzi loves to wade through them, she walks in & while she's drinking also pees, yum, some times she just walks in to pee. I guess that's teritory marking, any other ideas. The next one is when I'm having a shower Izzi knocks on the door to come in, wanders around & drinks off the floor, no peeing though, she gets pretty wet but doesn't mind , she's a water dog. Just thought of another one, when Izzi comes up to us, even to the cats, she does a big bow/stretch front & back legs before getting patted, don't know if that's a submissive thing or not. Any ideas about Izzi her habits ?

lol Mirra also does a big bow/stretch front & back legs thing when she wants a pat even on the bed in the wee hours of the morning she will start with the bow then if that does not move me she will start doing donuts all over the bed until i can't stant it any more and she has woken up every other dog that was in my room for the night, she gets every one up and out of bed just so she can go out side for a pee stop and a quick drink.

Our girls (when they get the chance) will stand in a puddle or wade into a dam and then pee, someone told me it was a reaction to the colder water, which I could equate to. Sometimes they will bow but what I have noticed is if you have just arrived they often come trotting over to say hello but as they get close they swing gently around to arrive perfect to be across your legs so when you bend over you give them a good scratch on the side not just a little pat on the head. I have seen other koolies do it at meetings also, like LH's Snowy he has perfected it. I call it "Turning the Queen Mary" it's very graceful.

OMG. Ceejay does the same thing with pat on the side, leans across your legs so you can pat her side. Ceejay and Izzy do the peeing in water thing, most embarrassing at the beach and they have perfected it, "wait, okay now those people over there are watching, we will go now simutanously".

Ceejay also does the nose dive when she drinks dunks her nose in and out whilst drinking, does anyone elses dogs do this? She sometimes does the stretch but not all the time, I think they do it coz it feels so good. Also after a good meal she gets up on her bed and lies down and goes ape.

The bow when used to people or animals the dog knows is a greeting stretch (Brenda Aloff). I think Turid Rugaas says it is a mark of respect (can't find her Body Language book atm!). It is different to a play bow. Dogs swinging their body into yours is an invasion of personal space, sometimes it is so they can watch another dog/animal coming towards you, usually it is a demand for attention. It can be an act of possession (as in dog say you are mine and others keep away) or leaning to you to avoid pressure coming to them from another source. All depends on what else's happening around you!
As for the peeing in the water - that's just weird!!!

The turning sideways can also be highly affiliative and deferential - face to face is much 'stronger', sideways can be used to reduce intensity by avoiding or softening eye contact. It's much like arcing as they approach.

It also quickly moves from being motivated by it's ethological, evolutionary purpose to being a learned behaviour with a history of being rewarded when we stroke them. Touching them on the head, which lots of dogs would rather we didn't do or at least would prefer we touched them somewhere else, can actually punish a face to face approach.

Wal pees in the water at the beach, too. I always just thought that he was too interested in being where he was to bother coming onto the sand.

Believe me the sideways turn is nothing but a ploy for a joyous good cuddle it is always with a wagging tail and a smile in the eyes and reserved for family or well known friends.

The peeing in water is just larakinism!! Koolies like many of their owners are 'characters' in their own right!

Ok Sil I'm scared to ask but how alike are you & your dogs, I'm getting visions of you all piddling, ah sorry paddling in the water . Sorry everyone but the thought just leaped into my mind. Now onto something not so crude LOL, I've just started walking dogs for people & getting paid for it , how good is that.

Dogz6, again I get the distinct impression - I am being set up!! Ah well here goes....haven't quite got to the puddles yet but after nearly 25 years of being proper around the farm, I am now able to "duck off" behind a hay roll and enjoy the relief instead of hanging out for home. It helps that there are only 2 of us around most of the time, although I have just given the game away to regular vistors!! So perhaps the koolies have taught me a thing or 2....

Lol nothing like an honest gal! I am sure you are not the only one that does that. There is always a roll in my car for the emergencies on bush trips. I lived on a property on 125 acres with nary a neighbour in site, I used to wash my dog and horse with not much on top hehe in my younger days of course. Too many neighbours and blokes at the pub on the front verandah to do that now!!

Dogs have a lot to teach us, both the good habits and bad. Mind you I don't think I could get the hang of rolling in really icky stuff. lol.

I know you can be trusted not to tell anyone my secret Sil, when I go walking with the dogs I drink lots of water & it's got to go some where, yes that's right I pee along the way. Don't tell anyone will you, see I wasn't setting you up just covering my bad habits . On that "way to much imformation" note I better get out of here .

Your secret is safe with me!! Don't know about all the other scallywags though!!! Now I must look up the name of the local paper in Murray Bridge....

Hmm, I guess it's universal, when you gotta go you gotta go! at least where I work, in orchards, there's plenty of "friendly" trees! Although I do at least go some distance away from anyone else. The guys seem to think that 30 yards and turn your back is sufficient! :-P

On the Koolie front... I thought that lovely habit of coming up to me and leaning gently sideways on my legs was a "Dice thing" - seems it's a "Koolie" thing. I love it! And you're right, he would rather I didn't mess with his head or ears. He often ducks sideways to avoid it, whereas the Welshies seem to like it.
None of the welshies lean, they tend to hit you about waist height with two front paws. Not nearly as endearing...

Paxy has learnt to have her face examined face to face and will tolerate handling quite well but when she is in heel position she shies away from the hand so no pats when training her! I did wonder whether it was her sight as her right eye is her weak eye but it's all a guessing game with her sight sometimes!!
But today at the beach Paxy was very ecstatic in her "hi Mum" with a two paw punch to the stomach and off again! She tends to only do this when she's very excited so I guess rumbling in the waves and sand with a Maremma, lab and rottie was a bit exciting. The Maremma was lovely but starting guarding (nicely!) by blocking to keep the other dogs away from his owner. It was interesting to watch!

all my guys love getting a good pat on the head, Summa even self pats her head on my foot if i am sitting with the one leg crossed over you know lady like lol. i even got to touch Barny (The Maremma) on the head this morning. since the workshop Barny has taken to playing with the sheep well he tries to play they run away and this is a bad thing for Barny to start doing so each morning i had been taking Mirra out to the paddock and letting her go she has a whale of a time playing with Barny and he adores her, but she keeps running back to me for a pat and play with mum, this has been showing Barny that i am not a bad thing and this morning he let me touch him for the first time in two weeks, Both Ron's Jackie's Ron and Kerrie's Ron tried to befriend him but he would not come close to them but always would check out the spot were they were standing or sitting after they left the paddock. oops got off the subject there lol