Taking a poll on Edith
September 7, 2010 | My Jottings
Please cast your vote and help us decide on something of profound importance! First, here are the details that may aid you in voting:
Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows that Michael and I have two Miniature German Schnauzers named Edith and Mildred. If you are interested in knowing how different they are from one another, click here for the details.
Our oldest Schnauzer, Edith, is pretty intelligent and a bit quirky. She can see herself in the mirror, and always thinks it’s another dog. She barks, whines and paws, and tries to get to the other dog so they can play together. She’s perplexed why the other dog doesn’t come into the room to join her, but instead just mimics everything Edith does. She gets frustrated with this.
Edith can also see herself in our oven door, and thinks another dog that looks just like her lives in the oven. No matter how hard she tries to make contact with the other Schnauzer, it never works. Poor Edith.
Edith thinks the other dog in the mirror/oven door/fireplace glass/French door is named Piggeth, and even if we barely whisper that name…”Piiiigetttthhhh?”…Edith springs up from her nap or whatever else she was doing and frantically looks in any mirror or the oven door to see if Piggeth is there. Piggeth (Edith’s evil twin) is always there, but Piggeth is not always accessible. Poor Edith.
Edith also loves to watch television. She has an attention span longer than a fifth-grader. If a show is interesting to her, Edith will sit alertly and quietly in front of the television in our den, watching intently for sometimes thirty minutes, slightly tilting her head as the scenes change, and waiting. Waiting for any sign of animal life.
If any animal appears on the TV, Edith immediately jumps to the screen and puts her nose against it so she can inspect the animal at close range. Consequently, we have to clean dog snot off our television screen more often than the average American family.
If Edith spots an animal of the four-legged variety on TV, she jumps as high as her two little hind Schnauzer legs will propel her, up and down, up and down, like a canine pogo stick, while snorting and trying to get at the four-legged animal she sees on the screen.
Did I mention Edith has a deviated septum? She makes loud noises when she breathes and she snores when she sleeps. When she thinks Piggeth has come to the oven door to say hello, or especially when she sees four-legged animals on TV, Edith jumps and snorts and gets so worked up we have to pull her away from the screen and 1) hold her on our laps to prevent her from engaging in this behavior for close to an hour, or 2) change the channel so no animals can be seen, and only then Edith will reluctantly go to the couch and lay back down. But she keeps her beady little brown eyes on the screen, and those silver schnauzery eyebrows twitch as she waits for the next beast to appear.
Edith also loves The Traveling Wilburys. Have you ever heard of them? They were a short-lived group composed of George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty and Roy Orbison. Long ago Edith heard their song “End of the Line” and started reacting to it, running around the house and acting very excited. We showed her the online music video on the computer, and she did the same thing at the computer desk that she does to the TV: jumped up and down and tried to connect with what she saw. Only this time it wasn’t with an animal – it was with the Traveling Wilburys. To this day if she hears that song she runs for the office and tries to see George and Bob and Tom up close. Not until the song is over does Edith return to her normal self and go lay down.
I took a few photos of Edith in action last night.
- Edith attempting to interact with a lion
- Edith trying to communicate with ostriches
- Edith endeavoring to meet a mule
- Edith jumping up and down to inspect a skunk under a porch
Here’s where the poll comes in. Edith is eight years old and has been doing this her whole canine life. We think it’s amusing and are used to it. Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we get annoyed and scold, “Edith! Go lay down! It’s just a hyena!”
But whenever we’ve had company and they happen to see Edith’s antics, everyone always says, “You should send a video of Edith doing this to America’s Funniest Home Videos!” We always smile and agree, knowing we never will. For one thing we don’t have a video camera, for another thing it’s just our little Edith watching television. Or watching Piggeth in the oven door. Or in the mirror. Or in the fireplace. This is just normal Edith behavior to us.
What do you think? Is it goofy enough to ask a friend to take a few minutes of video of Edith trying to make contact with Piggeth or a giraffe or The Traveling Wilburys, and then send it off to AFV? Or is it just something we should endure enjoy by ourselves and let it go at that?
Please help us decide! You can say yes or no by leaving a comment to this post. We will take the advice of my wise blog readers and let you know what the results are.
Thank you, my friends!
Are you kidding?! Go fer it, Jewel! Those dogs are from another planet! I love the fact that yous (my grandma’s plural for you) understand the need to NAME the oven dog and FIND the video for the dog to watch!!!!!
If it will make someone laugh who might be feeling low, I say go for it. Why not? It’s clean. It’s funny. It’s wholesome and quirky. She’s unique, Julie. Just be ready for the paparazzi to come around!
A hearty YES from me! Everyone looooves crazy dog antics and Edith’s behavior is right up there with the best!
Do you remember my first springer spaniel, Kelly? When I was too lazy to walk her in the evening, I’d simply put her in the backyard and have the girls shine a flashlight through the dining room window and across the lawn. Kelly would run frantically back and forth and back and forth in an effort to catch the spot of light. She’d go on and on, stopping only when the flashlight was turned off. Lizzy and Livvy (6 and 3 yrs old at the time)would squeal with laughter. It never failed to entertain them!
I’d always wished that we’d caught it on video. I definitely would have sent it in to AFV. So now here’s your chance…don’t hesitate…capture it on video and send it in!
I remember Kelly and wish I had seen this Carey!
Yes! Do it…I know I’ve seen much less-funny things on AFHV. We once submitted a video that was put into a music montage..Macho Mach Man by the Village People. Our boys, then 4&5, were hanging from each end of a broom stick while their much older cousin “bench pressed” them. It is a hoot everytime we catch it in reruns…also I once had a dachshund named Dooley who would ALWAYS sing along to the “Lake Superior Zoo” song (commercial) on the radio. Didn’t much care for any other commercial or song, just that one.
oh by the way…The pictures are great…I jump up and down in a similar fashion everytime Mike Rowe is on the tv too. 😀
That is hysterical, Kay! I would love to see the video and have heard Dooley singing!
Who is Mike Rowe?
Mike Rowe is the Dirty Jobs guy who is fetching the skunk from under the porch…also does the FORD commercials…really? you haven’t noticed this guy? 🙂
Hi Kay,
I’ve never watched that show – just happened upon the skunk last night looking for photo ops for Edith. And I guess I haven’t noticed the Ford commercials either. I’m so behind the times. :p
yes! In my opinion, animal videos are the best – and, since I have witnessed Edith “in action”, I think she is a stitch!
If you can profit from your dog’s neuroses — and I do mean neuroSES plural, you should. 😉
Why, whatever do you mean, Sharon? What else about Edith is odd?
Definitely YES. I have seen Edith watch TV. Kacie has a miniature doberman named Jack. Have tried to talk them into
sending in a video – Jack has a great personality and he lives with me now and love him dearly. Grandpa Doc loved him also and he would sit on his lap when they came over. I talk to Jack as if he were human.
I say yes and agree with Kay that there are more less funny videos than genuinely funny ones on AFHV. I think this might even be the beginning of a new career for Edith……..hired by Animal Planet for a short weekly segment, “A Dog’s Point of View, Really”!
Yes! You must do it! Do you remember about 15 years ago when you wrote an article that was published in the Duluth News Tribune about our “anti-appliance”Sheltie,Emily? Indeed she was quirky but Edith is ten times quirkier.If she makes the finals, we could all contribute to a “send Edith to AFV” fund.
I remember the article well, and also how Emily used to try to attack the windshield wipers in your car. And your iron. And your dishwasher. 🙂
Do it!
Absolutely.
And I especially love “Pigeth”.
Hilarious.
I would. If it’s chosen, it will bring a smile to many. If not you will have her antics carefully recorded to enjoy for years to come.
Great way to look at it Sue…thank you!
Having seen all of these behaviors firsthand when I visited your house…..it is an absolute and loudly expressed yes!!!
And ….I want to be one of the 20 people that go on your prize trip to Disney World and sleep in Cinderellas castle when the park is closed. Be sure and get it all…..the computer (watching Lily the bear), Piggeth in the oven door (my personal favorite) and animal kingdom on tv. If they don’t pick her as the winner, it’s because they have no real eye for “funny”.
Well, I believe the “masses” have spoken! Not a Nay in the bunch ~ and I agree. Go for it! I don’t watch the show myself, but know it would be one of the better ones on.
We had a good laugh over this blog – so well written! We are unanimous – go for it!
Thank you Pat and Shara!
I actually cannot imagine any video that could be funnier or more delightful than your account here. Piggeth, I treasure.
:0)