Today is Festus’s birthday. As my boy turns 8, I though I would share 8 things you didn’t know about him.
1. He is ambidextrous.
You might think how to tell if a dog is right or left handed. There are a few tests, like recording which paw the dog uses to go down the stairs. You have to record at least 30-40 times to make it clear. Festus uses both in almost equal measures.
There are a few studies about this. Basically, the dogs are mostly right-pawed or left-pawed and only a small percentage are ambidextrous. I think this makes him a bit more special, while he is incredibly special for us.
2. He hates parsley.
Because he loves mint so much, I though I should try to see if he likes parsley too. He spit it out immediately, it was quite funny.
3. He loves mint.
As a pup, he got mint tea instead of water from his breeder. When we got him at 3 months old, I continued to give him mint tea for another 6 months. Even now, at 8, he still loves mint. He is not eager to have mint tea as he did as a pup, but he will eat mint leaves. See picture below.
4. He tries to see the spoon when he is eating soft cheese or mint.
I think he is hilarious. I never though I will spoon feed my dog, but stranger things have happen.
5. He thinks carrot cake and cheesecake are for him.
This happened mainly because I made carrot cake and cheesecake for him. Unlike the ones for us, his were sugar free (he does eat healthier than us).
He, as all dogs, has a great sense of smell. If he detects carrot in a cake he gets excited, same applies for cheesecake. The cakes in the picture above are for his birthdays: from 3rd (top left) to 6th (bottom right). I have to admit I give him a treat when is our birthday or we are celebrating something, so he has a reason to be mistaken.
6. He is excited by his dry food even if he gets the same one for years.
When we moved here almost 6 years ago, I gave him a new brand of food. I was familiar with the brand, it’s super-premium and good value for money. I tried to switch it three times, mainly to diversify his diet. None the others were suitable, one of them he didn’t want to eat it.
In the end, he gets the same dry food and he is excited about his meals every day.
7. He loves having his fur blow-dried.
I taught him to accept the hairdryer. Soon, he learned that by waiting patiently to get a blow-dry, he will get treats. Now he will come and sit near me when I dry my hair, hopping that he will get treats. It’s something we always laugh about, as we tell him he should have a shower before getting a blow-dry.
8. We cuddle each morning.
I imagine this is hardly a surprise. We have our morning routine that involves kisses, cuddles and tail wagging while the coffee is brewing.
Because 8 was quite obvious. I will share another one.
9. He knows is a special occasion when we sing “Happy Birthday”
Mostly he thinks is his birthday and he will expect a treat, even if the Happy Birthday is for me or my husband, and regardless if we sing in Romanian or English.
Aww, what a sweet fella – happy birthday Festus!
How fascinating about his being ambidexterous! I had no idea they could be that or indeed have a left-hand or right-hand preference!!
He’s so cute
Aww happy birthday Festus! He’s a gorgeous dog and such a character x
Thank you Rebecca xx