# Silly things dogs do: barking at seed fluff. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 24, 2015, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-dogs-do-barking-at-seed-fluff/720728 "2015-05-24T15:33:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2015, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-dogs-do-barking-at-seed-fluff/720728/1 "2015-05-24T15:33:16Z")
Piper Dog, a mini-Yorkie, is most upset this morning. EE-VUL poplar seed fluff is floating down in her backyard. After 20 minutes of barking at it, she concluded that I had failed in her attempts to get me to do something about it, and went inside in a little mini-Yorkie huff. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2015, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-dogs-do-barking-at-seed-fluff/720728/2 "2015-05-24T17:23:01Z")
That’s pretty good! Mine are both kind of dumb, but they didn’t resort to barking at seed fluff this spring. Whew! A few weeks ago I was outside with the dogs and they started boring me, because they insisted on eating grass and rabbit poop instead of playing. So I walked over to the middle of the yard and sat down on the ground. My girl dog eventually looked up from her grass and started barking at me in a very scared way! She had no idea what this blob in the middle of the yard was - it certainly wasn’t mommy-sized! She barked and slowly inched towards me until she figured out who I was, and then cowered while I petted her. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2015, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-dogs-do-barking-at-seed-fluff/720728/3 "2015-05-24T17:30:12Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > After 20 minutes of barking at it, she concluded that I had failed in her attempts to get me to do something about it, and went inside in a little mini-Yorkie huff. Yeah, but I bet that fluff didn’t get into the house. Mission accomplished! ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2015, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-dogs-do-barking-at-seed-fluff/720728/4 "2015-05-24T17:34:08Z")
Bentley, a rescue dog of uncertain heritage, likes to go out in the morning to pee. We have a covered walkway about 20 feet long with 4 support post holding up a covered walkway from the door, along the side of the house, to the street. Bentley typically does something like this. Ah, post #1, great, stops lifts leg…wait, I have other choices. Off to post 2. Post #2, a better choice, stops lifts leg…wait, I have 2 more to check. Off to post 3. Post #3, stops lifts leg…naaa, I liked #2 better. Back to post 2. Post #2, stops lifts leg…wait, I forgot to check post 4. Off to post 4. Post #4, stops lifts leg…naaa, this is too close to the front - I’ll start over. Back to post 2. Post #2, stops lifts leg…naaa, I still think I want #1. Back to #1. Post #1, stops lifts leg…ahhh, relief. Returns to house. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2015, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-dogs-do-barking-at-seed-fluff/720728/5 "2015-05-24T21:16:14Z")
We have an old wheelbarrow that’s been upside down in the side yard for years. Long before we got our now 3 year old pit bull/Shar Pei mix, Sonny. Yesterday, **Suburban Plankton** turned it over and filled it with dirt. Commence angry, mad barking at said wheel barrow by Sonny. Goofy dog. ---
**Author:** ![Marion\_Wormer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Marion\_Wormer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Wormer)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2015, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-dogs-do-barking-at-seed-fluff/720728/6 "2015-05-24T22:11:34Z")
I used to walk my dog on a nearby military base. She weighed 80 lb and it was a 3 mile walk around the residential area of the base. We’d enter the gate, say hi to the guard, and turn left. Towards the end of the walk, we’d pass the Admiral’s house. She’d poop on his yard. This dog also had a peculiarity, that she had one more poop in her than I had bags. One bag–two poops. Next day two bags–three poops. You get the picture. So by the time we get to the Admiral’s house, I’m out of bags. Oh-ho, I think. After the first two miles everything starts moving in her gut so as we pass the Admiral’s house she’s ready to go. Next time we enter the gate, we turn right and almost immediately go past the Admiral’s house. She poops since apparently, she had a rank sensing butt. But AT LEAST I HAD A BAG! ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2015, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-dogs-do-barking-at-seed-fluff/720728/7 "2015-05-24T22:34:42Z")
My 4 wiener dogs bark at the crow that flies over the yard. I think that damn crow is doing it on purpose. They are quite smart birds. I take them out into the sage to hunt ground critters. Its fun to watch them digging at the base of an old dead sagebrush, ripping it to pieces with claws and jaws and hurling giant chunks into the air. Very cartoonish. I think the Dachshund is the most comical of all dogs. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2015, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-dogs-do-barking-at-seed-fluff/720728/8 "2015-05-24T23:36:07Z")
I used to work in a mostly outdoor space. One of the bosses brought his dog to work all the time. He always chased helicopters. I never saw him catch one. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2015, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-dogs-do-barking-at-seed-fluff/720728/9 "2015-05-24T23:58:02Z")
I had a black lab which would bark at towels and sheets flapping in the wind on a clothesline… ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-dogs-do-barking-at-seed-fluff/720728/10 "2015-05-25T02:00:31Z")
My boy dog loves to attack the lawn mower. Not while it’s running; I make sure he is in the house before mowing starts. But if I pull it out from under the deck he is fierce in his attack. He pulls at the wheels and the housing and every part of it he can. He gets so overwrought that he ends up pulling the mower out for me. Then he goes after the cover I keep over it… My girl dog couldn’t care less about that stupid mower. Meh. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-dogs-do-barking-at-seed-fluff/720728/11 "2015-05-25T21:35:54Z")
My elderly English Setter receives daily instructions from invisible aliens. At a certain point in the evening, usually between 7:30 and 8:00 pm, he runs out into the back yard, sits in the exact center of the yard and stares directly up at the sky. He sits stock still for about 15 mins., occasionally nodding his head for all the world as though he is responding to whatever it is he is hearing. After 15 mins. is up, he gets up, quietly walks back into the house and goes to sleep. We have never figured out what it is that he is reacting to - and we’ve looked repeatedly. If it is true that dogs are extraordinarily responsive to communication signals on a level that humans can’t detect, he may be reacting to something going on at the air force base about 5 miles down the road. They do top secret communications work there. The only deviation from his routine is on stormy or heavily-clouded nights when he doesn’t go outside for his nightly communique. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-dogs-do-barking-at-seed-fluff/720728/12 "2015-05-25T22:52:04Z")
> [@stillownedbysetters](#): > > My elderly English Setter receives daily instructions from invisible aliens. At a certain point in the evening, usually between 7:30 and 8:00 pm, he runs out into the back yard, sits in the exact center of the yard and stares directly up at the sky. He sits stock still for about 15 mins., occasionally nodding his head for all the world as though he is responding to whatever it is he is hearing. After 15 mins. is up, he gets up, quietly walks back into the house and goes to sleep. > > We have never figured out what it is that he is reacting to - and we’ve looked repeatedly. If it is true that dogs are extraordinarily responsive to communication signals on a level that humans can’t detect, he may be reacting to something going on at the air force base about 5 miles down the road. They do top secret communications work there. > > The only deviation from his routine is on stormy or heavily-clouded nights when he doesn’t go outside for his nightly communique. Signals from Sirius? ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-dogs-do-barking-at-seed-fluff/720728/13 "2015-05-25T23:13:43Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Signals from Sirius? If the aliens truly do invade one day and Rocky is still alive, if he comes in the door leading the alien force, we’ll know why. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-dogs-do-barking-at-seed-fluff/720728/14 "2015-05-26T00:33:09Z")
My chubby little Ian, who is half black lab/half corgi, will frequently go over to an old rocking chair we have in the living room, stare at it, and bark. He does it for a couple of minutes until we can convince him that no one is there. Maybe we have a ghost? ETA: Okay, I just creeped myself out because I noticed the number of this post is 3,666! ---
**Author:** ![Marion\_Wormer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Marion\_Wormer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Wormer)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-dogs-do-barking-at-seed-fluff/720728/15 "2015-05-26T03:27:44Z")
> [@Honey](#): > > ETA: Okay, I just creeped myself out because I noticed the number of this post is 3,666! I moved to a new town and got my dog a license. It’s number was 666. The woman behind the desk said, “Oh, it’s 666, I can give you another one.” I couldn’t help but laugh. I told her it didn’t bother me. However, it did get some laughs out of my friends when I told them she was the dog of the devil with the registration to prove it! And BTW, I’ve had numerous dogs who would just sit and stare at stuff: walls, chairs whatever. My last dog would jump in my chair (all 80 lbs), look over my shoulder and stare at the other end of the room and growl at it. It is a little creepy. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-dogs-do-barking-at-seed-fluff/720728/16 "2015-05-27T14:35:11Z")
> [@Marion\_Wormer](#): > > I moved to a new town and got my dog a license. It’s number was 666. What’s unusual about that? Your dog got the number of the beast. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-dogs-do-barking-at-seed-fluff/720728/17 "2015-05-27T14:36:13Z")
> [@Honey](#): > > My chubby little Ian, who is half black lab/half corgi I’m trying not to think about the mechanics of that one … :eek: ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-dogs-do-barking-at-seed-fluff/720728/18 "2015-05-27T16:47:32Z")
> [@stillownedbysetters](#): > > My elderly English Setter receives daily instructions from invisible aliens. At a certain point in the evening, usually between 7:30 and 8:00 pm, he runs out into the back yard, sits in the exact center of the yard and stares directly up at the sky. He sits stock still for about 15 mins., occasionally nodding his head for all the world as though he is responding to whatever it is he is hearing. After 15 mins. is up, he gets up, quietly walks back into the house and goes to sleep. > > We have never figured out what it is that he is reacting to - and we’ve looked repeatedly. If it is true that dogs are extraordinarily responsive to communication signals on a level that humans can’t detect, he may be reacting to something going on at the air force base about 5 miles down the road. They do top secret communications work there. > > The only deviation from his routine is on stormy or heavily-clouded nights when he doesn’t go outside for his nightly communique. > [@stillownedbysetters](#): > > If the aliens truly do invade one day and Rocky is still alive, if he comes in the door leading the alien force, we’ll know why. 😃 Well, I for one will welcome our canine overlords. ---
**Author:** ![Hopeful\_Crow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/da6949/32.png) [@Hopeful\_Crow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hopeful_Crow)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-things-dogs-do-barking-at-seed-fluff/720728/19 "2015-05-27T20:28:16Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I’m trying not to think about the mechanics of that one … :eek: I once groomed a dog that was half German Shepard and half Corgi. Had the head and markings of a German Shepard and the wide body and short legs of a Corgi. Yeah, you had to wonder how that happened. We used to have a dog that would bark every time you dragged a shovel on concrete. He’s try to bite it too. Dunno, maybe the sound was like fingernails on a chalkboard to him.