... is the way he will come over to see me, for no reason,
just to let me know I'm important to him...
... is the way he is always ready to lick the jelly off my nose...
... is the way he looks into my eyes and finds contentment in
simply being near me...
... is the way he will run all over the yard, fetch a soggy tennis
ball and bring it back to me as if to say "look mom, it's all
I have, but it's yours...
... is the way he wakes me up in the morning by pushing his
cold wet nose in my ear and snuffing loudly...
... is the way he shreds toilet paper all over the house, because
it's fun even though he knows he shouldn't...
... is the way he's sure he can catch the ducks in the lake today...
... is the way he comes over to me when he is sad...
... is the way he wedges himself near me when I am sad and push
all others away, to console me with his love...
... is the way he pounces on crickets in the backyard...
... is the way he looks perplexed when they escape...
... is the way he is terrified of the evil pink hula hoop...
... is the way he doesn't mind how much of that horrid
perfume I'm wearing just because it was a gift from my
relative who's visiting...
... is the way he doesn't care about bad hair day or overdue bills...
... is the way he loves you, even when you are impatient with him
and have no time this morning for a game of tug-a-war...
... is the way his coat feels like liquid silk under my fingers...
... is the way he finds wisdom beyond words
Unknown
Do not break my spirit with a stick,
Speak to me often,
Please take me inside when it is cold and wet,
Keep my pan filled with water,
And, my friend,
I am not having fun.
Please see that my trusting life is taken gently.
--- author unknown ---
If you can start the day without caffeine,
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
You can't buy loyalty, they say
--- author unknown ---
"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog.
Unknown
Louis Sabin - All About Dogs As Pets
Charles Schulz
Sigmund Freud
Gene Hill - The Dog Man
VISITORS: Quickly determine which guest is afraid of dogs. Charge across the room, barking loudly and leap playfully on this person. If the human falls down on the floor and starts crying, lick its face and growl gently to show your concern.
BARKING: Because you are a dog, you are expected to bark. So bark--- a lot. Your owners will be very happy to hear you protecting their house. Especially late at night while they are sleeping safely in their beds. There is no more secure feeling for a human than to keep waking up in the middle of the night and hearing your protective bark, bark, bark...
LICKING: Always take a BIG drink from your water dish immediately before licking your human. Humans prefer clean tongues. Be ready to fetch your human a towel.
HOLES: Rather than digging a BIG hole in the middle of the yard and upsetting your human, dig a lot of smaller holes all over the yard so they won't notice. If you arrange a little pile of dirt on one side of each hole, maybe they'll think it's gophers. There are never enough holes in the ground. Strive daily to do your part to help correct this problem.
DOORS: The area directly in front of a door is always reserved for the family dog to sleep.
THE ART OF SNIFFING: Humans like to be sniffed. Everywhere. It is your duty, as the family dog, to accommodate them.
DINING ETIQUETTE: Always sit under the table at dinner, especially when there are guests, so you can clean up any food that falls on the floor. It's also a good time to practice your sniffing.
HOUSEBREAKING: Housebreaking is very important to humans, so break as much of the house as possible.
GOING FOR WALKS: Rules of the road: When out for a walk with your master or mistress, never go to the bathroom on your own lawn.
COUCHES: It is perfectly permissible to lie on the new couch after all your humans have gone to bed.
PLAYING: If you lose your footing while chasing a ball or stick, use the flower bed to absorb your fall so you don't injure yourself.
CHASING CATS: When chasing cats, make sure you never--- quite--- catch them. It spoils all the fun.
CHEWING: Make a contribution to the fashion industry. ...Eat a shoe.
LEASH: A strap which attaches to your collar, enabling you to lead your person where you want him/her to go.
DOG BED: any soft, clean surface, such as the white bedspread in the guest room or the newly upholstered couch in the living room.
DROOL: Is what you do when your persons have food and you don't. To do this properly you must sit as close as you can and look sad and let the drool fall to the floor, or better yet, on their laps.
SNIFF: A social custom to use when you greet other dogs. Place your nose as close as you can to the other dog's rear end and inhale deeply, repeat several times, or until your person makes you stop.
GARBAGE CAN: A container which your neighbors put out once a week to test your ingenuity. You must stand on your hind legs and try to push the lid off with your nose. If you do it right you are rewarded with margarine wrappers to shred, beef bones to consume and moldy crusts of bread.
BICYCLES: Two-wheeled exercise machines, invented for dogs to control body fat. To get maximum aerobic benefit, you must hide behind a bush and dash out, bark loudly and run alongside for a few yards; the person then swerves and falls into the bushes, and you prance away.
DEAFNESS: This is a malady which affects dogs when their person want them in and they want to stay out. Symptoms include staring blankly at the person, then running in the opposite direction, or lying down.
THUNDER: This is a signal that the world is coming to an end. Humans remain amazingly calm during thunderstorms, so it is necessary to warn them of the danger by trembling uncontrollably, panting, rolling your eyes wildly, and following at their heels.
WASTEBASKET: This is a dog toy filled with paper, envelopes, and old candy wrapper. When you get bored, turn over the basket and strew the papers all over the house until your person comes home.
SOFAS: Are to dogs like napkins are to people. After eating it is polite to run up and down the front of the sofa and wipe your whiskers clean.
BATH: This is a process by which the humans drench the floor, walls and themselves. You can help by shaking vigorously and frequently.
LEAN: Every good dogs's response to the command "sit !", especially if your person is dressed for an evening out. Incredibly effective before black-tie events.
BUMP: The best way to get your human's attention when they are drinking a fresh cup of coffee or tea.
GOOSE BUMP: A maneuver to use as a last resort when the Regular Bump doesn't get the attention you require.....especially effective when combined with The Sniff. See above.
LOVE: Is a feeling of intense affection, given freely and without restriction. The best way you can show your love is to wag your tail. If you're lucky, a human will love you in return.
For no heart in all the world is more grateful
for kindness than the loving heart of me.
For though I should lick your hand between blows,
your patience and understanding will more quickly
teach me the things you would have me learn.
For your voice is the world's sweetest music,
as you must know by the fierce wagging of my tail
when your footsteps fall upon my ears.
For I am a domesticated animal,
no longer accustomed to the bitter elements.
I ask no greater glory than the privilege of sitting
at your feet beside the hearth.
for I cannot tell you when I suffer thirst.
Feed me clean food that I may stay well,
to romp and play and do your bidding,
to walk by your side, and stand ready,
willing and able to protect you with my life,
should your life be in danger.
when I am very old, and I no longer enjoy good health,
hearing and good sight, do not make heroic efforts
to keep me going.
I shall leave this earth knowing with the last breath
I draw, that my fate was always safest in your hand.
If you can get going without pep pills,
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,
If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,
If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,
If you can overlook it when something goes wrong through no fault of yours and
those you love take it out on you,
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,
If you can ignore a friend's limited education and never correct him,
If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,
If you can face the world without lies and deceit,
If you can conquer tension without medical help,
If you can relax without liquor,
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,
If you can honestly say that deep in your heart you have no
prejudice against creed, color, religion, or politics,
Then, my friends, you are almost as good as your dog.
I bought it though, the other day;
You can't buy friendship, tried and true,
Well just the same, I bought that too.
I made my bid, and on the spot
Bought love and faith and a whole job lot
Of happiness, so all in all
The purchase price was pretty small.
I bought a single trusting heart,
That gave devotion from the start.
If you think these things are not for sale,
Buy a brown-eyed puppy with a stump for a tail.
You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours,"
faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe
it to him to be worthy of such devotion."
having a dog makes you rich."
quite unlike people, who are incapable of pure love
and always have to mix love and hate."
unless he's owned a dog. A dog can show you more
honest affection with a flick of his tail than a
man can gather through a lifetime of handshakes."
AnGa's Star Kennels
