As I mentioned in the last post, Rosie had a birthday this past Monday the 10th.
She’s thirteen. That’s uh, ninety-one in human years.
I hope I’m still able to bark as loud as she does when I’m ninety-one.
I also hope I’m still able to chase squirrels,
or at least be annoyed enough to bark at them like she does.
And I hope I’m still able to do the scratchy-rolly maneuver.
What exactly IS the scratchy-rolly maneuver?
She begins by pushing the side of her head into the carpet while walking forward (corgis are quite short legged), then flops the trailing end of her long body over on her back and begins to roll slightly back and forth. Coinciding with this rolly movement is a repeating left-right-left bending of her torso. All of this rolling and bending is done while still on her back and is set to the lyrical groans and noises unique to Welsh Corgis.
This typically goes on for thirty seconds to a minute with a one or two second pause here and there for a light sneeze (also while still on her back). Then she pops up on all fours, sort of freezes in position with a blank stare, and suddenly gives a good hard head shaking sneeze. Lastly, a good shaking from head to rump.
Maneuver completed. Time to do something else. Woofing, barking, racing ’round the couch, or simply going to the bedroom and curling up on the bed…again.
Birthday Modification…
On her birthday, around mid-morning, she performed the standard scratchy-rolly maneuver with one small modification. Instead of popping up and producing the final sneeze and full body shake, she remained on her back…and fell asleep.
What we see here is the modified scratchy-rolly maneuver.
I find this to be an ideal modification for one to make on their birthday scratchy-rolly maneuvers and I intend to incorporate it into my own birthday fun in April.
I learn something from Rosie almost daily.
9 Comments
Happy birthday, Rosie!
What a peaceful pose that is. I love how dogs’ front paws flop over like that when they’re relaxing.
Hi Brian,
She sleeps very deeply these days. Dogs know how to chill. 
Totally floppy. Every paw.
Thanks for commenting
By the way, Louis, our 12-year-old border collie mix, performs exactly the same back-scratching maneuver, down to the the sneezes in the places Rosie does them. It’s identical. They must have gone to school together or something.
How well - and fondly - I remember the scratchy-roly maneuver. It’s one of the most delightful things about certain exceptional animals.
p.s. but what i wanna know is what’s with the sneeze? why do they do that?
Well, Border Collies and Corgis are both herding dogs…maybe that’s the way herding dogs do it. Sort of like how cowboys all seem to walk the same way.
Karen,
I think it has to do with rolling around on the floor. The dust and all.
I know I sneeze when I roll around on the floor.
Thanks for the comment! You too Brian
Heh. I love that image! Our dogs (also herding dogs, to confirm the theory) also perform this maneuver, complete with sneezing, but only the oldest does the modified version. We all get wiser with age, I guess.
Hi Gwynne!
Thanks for the comment. I know I’ve tended more toward scratching, rolling and sneezing as I’ve gotten closer to 50.
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