White Christmas

Yes, my Aunt Dana showed up ysterday complete with reindeer ears. I just love her. She's fun. I was hoping she'd be able to bring Dutch and Bella this year, but she's gotta get back home this evening. I woke up this morning to a bunch of snow on the ground. Wow. Christmas with snow- gotta love it. I get to roll around, stuff my nose in it, lay on my back in it...what a fun day it's going to be. And Micah's coming this afternoon too! I'm so excited. Christmas means lots of treats...today AND tomorrow! Me, I love Christmas. Lots of people, lots of food, lots of craziness. Not sure the humans think that's all fun and games, but I do. I feel like snow is a sign of peace- the Bible says it comes from God's treasury of snow for a time of war and trouble.The whole earth has a lot of trouble right now, from what I gather from my human friends. The snow is a reminder that peace from Jesus is available in the midst of that battle. So I love a nice white Christmas- a great reminder of God's love for everyone. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

A Holiday Miracle

The last few days I've felt awful. I mean, like hardly moving and losing my dinner awful. I just got a grooming, and looked gorgeous when suddenly I felt like death warmed over. I was really afraid I was going to kick the doghouse before Christmas. Then yesterday something switched. My mom's friend swears he didn't pray for me, but I abruptly got perky again. Like a light switch Somebody flicked. I even felt like eating again...although I prefer that my food be warmed now. Poor Mom puts the canned dog food in a bowl in the microwave for me. And I feel like eating again. I even charged up the back porch instead of hobbled. No more old weak dog for me! But I do think Mom and Dad should be prepared, and all of you as well. I am almost 13 as of this month, and as a Great Pyrenees/Golden mix I've lived long past my time. Mom takes great care of me. She loves me, and so does Dad (of course he teases me a lot. Wish I could start speaking English so he'd stop). At any rate, I'm doing much better now. Woof woof!

My Book

People seem to think dogs can't read. I'm here to tell you we may not understand the words, but we pick up on the energy. I've decided "Bobby Convict" is my book now. There's a place in the book where two guys duke it out while the drug kingpin, mother,her kids and her malnourished dog watch. One guy is a sort of good-bad guy, the other is a creepy bad guy. (The lines get blurred). But after the fight, the man who was the kingpin gave the dog a package of turkey out of the frig. Now THAT's my hero. He said the creepy bad guy never took good care of his dog and left it half starved. Grrrrrr. Mom says that shows compassion. 'Course it could just mean the guy hated turkey. But at least he shared. At least he tried to help that dog. Makes me feel good. I like him anyway- we met a few months ago.I decided to keep the book for myself. So Mom took a picture of me lying down with my new book. And did you notice my new haircut? Snazzy, huh? My fur's almost reddish today. Huh. Do you suppose that's why my first owners named me "Red?" Hmmm...

Home alone with a thanksgiving blessing

You know, when you're a dog, sometimes you get left out of things. Especially if your owners go away for the holiday. I felt so sad when Mom and Dad left me on Thanksgiving to go to their son Jerry's house. A holiday without the usual free treats and little kids is hard. Yes, I admit it, I pouted some. Nothing was going on in the neighborhood and even the resident escape artist Keisha didn't show up. I had nothing to bark about.Boring.yawn. But I got a big blessing when they returned home and had my friend Micah with them! I was very excited. It's been so lonely without my former roommate that seeing Micah perked me right up. We tried to squeeze through the door at the same time (oh how I miss that). I tried to chase him (not so good) and he tried to goad me into playing. I loved every minute of it. We both wolfed down our food in the morning and evening because cramming food in our mouths is a race you know. I wish Micah could have stayed longer. He feels like part of my pack. Thanksgiving is normally a great holiday. Lots of extra meat and fat, plenty of children around to scratch whatever itches. Have to watch my figure, though so don't feed me any sugary stuff. And in my case, a figure is a big white fuzzy square with legs. And though I missed all the food (did I need it? Don't ask), I did have fun with my friend Micah for the weekend. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for letting him play with me.Woof! We had fun!

Dad's Road Trip

Well, Dad is off to Thompson Falls, Montana today with our neighbor. They want a new dog, since their last one had to be put to sleep. My dad found one on the internet at a shelter in Thompson Falls. The neighbors are all excited about Dad and Eldora bringing it home. I'm kind of excited too, although I probably will not get to meet the dog for a while. Dad did tell the neighbors that if they ever needed a home for it, we would take it. Gosh I hope it's a nice dog. I was a shelter dog too, so I know that this new doggy will love having a forever home. I love my mom and dad. I can't imagine life without them. The new doggy will be in good hands with the neighbors. She actually cooks people food for her dogs every day...like rice and chicken...ummmm...maybe...I wonder...hmmmmmm think they'd trade?

Relatives

Have you ever noticed that when relatives come to visit things go a little crazy? No different at our house. Dr. Dana came to visit Mom 1, Mom 2 and Dad last week. She brought with her two really cool friends: "Bella" the Golden Retriever mix, and "Dutch" the Beagle. Now they're significantly younger than me, but it was fun to have them around. I did notice, however, that Dutch is an eating machine. For such a little guy, he pigs out on any food he can stick his sensitive nose in. Beagles are scent hounds...and boy, does Dutch know where to find that smell of food. He followed everyone around in the kitchen nearly every waking minute, begging with those handsome dark eyes. And frequently he'd eat MY food! He's lucky I'm not a German Shepherd or he'd have been lunch. Bella, on the other hand, was mellow and gentle. She just didn't react to much of anything. Which I loved. I sniffed her, followed her around, and in general got along famously. I liked her a lot. Do ya think Dana would let me keep her? Probably not. Woof. It's lonely around here without Riley Sue. I enjoyed my relatives. I feel bad for most humans; when relatives come to visit they tend to get cranky. I'm glad my Mom and Dad enjoy people enough to tolerate their little issues. And they tolerate mine, so I know they love both people and us animals. That Mom would work out a way to feed all three of us at once while they were here was amazing. I also noticed that she could get Dutch the beggar to sit and back up a little with one "chush" and a finger snap. That made me smile.

Mortality

I lost my sister yesterday. All the times she bit me or snobbishly ignored me didn't matter anymore because she got really sick and passed on. Allison her mom brought her by the last three days of her life so I could be with her, which was really nice. Now that she's gone, I miss her. I could smell that she didn't feel good. (Dogs can detect illness, did you know that?) My nose may not be the greatest anymore, but I could tell she was sick. Sometimes Riley Sue was nice to me, which was probably an accident or something. We'd sleep side by side on the floor, and she sometimes even let me sniff her rear end without getting chomped. I think she was mellowing these last couple of years. Wouldn't you know she'd nice and then have to go Home. It's a sad fact of life that all of us at one time or another have to leave this earth. My Mom believes that dogs go to Heaven.I stuffed my head on her lap once to hear why- it's because humans love them so much, and even pray for them. If God loves the humans, then He obviously loves their animals too. I knew that, by the way, I just wanted to hear her say it. I know that I will see Riley Sue again. And I'm sure she'll be even nicer since she'll be one of the beloved animals of Heaven. One day it will be my turn to so see her. I hope I'll stick around long enough that my Mom can handle it better. She's been kind of teary-eyed all day. Goodbye, Riley Sue. I miss you. Love, Red Dog

Pecorino

Images copyrighted by Toni Anzenberger at www.anzenbergergallery.com Used by permission. Hi. Mom told me yesterday that a special friend of mine passed away: Pecorino the dog. If you're wondering who that was, I'm sad that you never knew him. He was one of the most photographed dogs in the world. And he was absolutely adorable! Toni Anzenberger adopted him and named him "Pecorino" because he thought the name meant "Little Sheep." Well, not exactly, it turned out to be a kind of sheep cheese. Nobody's perfect. What a great dog. He was white with black spots all over his coat. No idea what breed he was, but he was definitely the luckiest dog alive. He went with his owner all over the world,and got his picture taken in amazing places. Now I may not speak German like his owner does, but I could tell even through the language barrier that his dad was very sad about Pecorino's passing. I'm sad too. He let me be on his facebook page- how cool is that? So in tribute to my friend Pecorino, give your dog a high five paw and say thanks to that beautiful canine for all the marvelous pictures through the years. He's got sons and daughters, so there will be someone to carry on the legacy! Woof! I'll miss you, Pecorino!

Weapons Race

So mom finally finished up a preliminary copy one of the manuscripts for the book she and her friend have been working on for almost a year and a half. At least she THINKS she finished it up. It's almost been a crazy race for her and her partner to finish. One gets something fixed and the other changes it. It's the same thing with dog ownership sometimes, if you think about it. One of our neighbors bought themselves a brindle pit bull. Another newer neighbor bought a brown and white pit bull.Then the neighbors on the corner decided they needed guard dogs too and bought a pit bull mix of some sort. The only loose dog in the neighborhood is Keisha, and she's actually getting better. But the other day one of the pits cornered Keisha in her yard and that scared even me, the big fuzzy white hassock! I think the neighbors are all in flip-flop dog buying mode, and that's dangerous. It's almost like the humans and their weapons programs. Only these folks are doing it with dogs! This morning when mom and I walked by that Cadre of Cacophony, I was a little unhinged by the viciousness of their barks. Fortunately Mom just keeps going and doesn't let me look close at any of them. Otherwise I think I'd run. I'll defend myself, but at my age, it's just better if Mom defends me. Most of the usual dogs in the neighborhood are just excited or noisy. No big snort. These new ones have a whole different tone. It makes me nervous. In fact maybe I'll call mom's new friend up and have him take care of the pits. You think he could do it? Read his book and find out!

My Mom and Dogs, Wolves, and Wild Horses

It's been a while since Mom let me talk to you all, (mostly because she's been feverishly working on her and her partner's latest book BobbyConvict.). From what she told me it's gonna be a wild ride for readers. I wanted to talk to you today about some situations that are making me snarly and want to bite people (that's going some, too because I'm pretty laid back. No, I mean I lay on my back most of the time under the flower bush...). Idaho lets people kill wolves. I hate that. Mom used to own a wolf-mix dog that was a sweetheart (aside from his eating-the-couch habit). I saw her face today when she got a letter from a group that showed a dead wolf on the envelope. She had to put it in the garbage or she would have burst into tears. My mom loves wolves. She loves dogs. She loves horses. She just flat loves animals. And she can't bear the news of their death and destruction by humans. I've even heard her beg the Lord to come back just to stop the killing! Later after the mail came, she got an email from a group that showed the inhumane treatment of wild horses. Honestly, I thought she was going to fall on her knees. You know, Mom believes that cruelty to animals is a spiritual thing. She says that if people hurt animals, the gifts God gave us all, it's because they are wicked. (She said that's in Proverbs 12:10). The spirit of murder is a scary critter- it often uses animals as its victims, and paints a nice logical face on the acts. ("management" and other words come out of its evil mouth). But we animals know better- we can smell that thing a long way off. Mom says that hunting is not murder if the meat is used for food- any other motive is a spirit of murder. Willie-nillie destruction of animals is a spirit of murder. If your life is threatened by one, sometimes it has to be killed. But just doing it "because" is not a good excuse. And Mom hates those bumper stickers about killing wolves and wild horses. THAT's definitely a spirit of murder. What we need to do is ask God to keep Mom from ripping those stickers off people's bumpers while they're grocery shopping. Or hitting someone over the head with her purse if she gets mad at them. I think one of these days she might lose it and start yelling at one of them. Please help me keep her from doing that. She's my Mom and I love her. Would hate to see her get shot by some rancher who hates wolves and wild horses. Are you with me?

Firecracker and Dog Slobber

A while back our household received a visitor: Micah. He's a black and white border collie mix (a little hyper if you ask me) that's a lot of fun. He stayed overnight for a couple of days while his family went white-water rafting. I always enjoy a good visit with Micah. He's just never stayed overnight before. THAT was a challenge- RileySue tried numerous times to take him out. What's up with that? I love having company that doesn't bite me and just wants to play. She, on the other hand, is kind of anti-social. Most of the time at least she tolerates me. Whew! There are times, though when a dog comes to visit and no human is involved. Take today, for example. Maggie, the local Terrier mix, came by and wanted to see my mom. Now granted, the last time Maggie stopped by she was "directionally challenged" and had lost her way home. This time, she just stopped by for a visit. Somehow she got out of the fence at her house and decided to come by. Could have been the amount of firecrackers that people were setting off near her house. Me, I liked her. RileySue, not so much. Riley put her head down and got that "look" in her eye...it was scary. Fortunately, Mom noticed it and snapped her back before a fight occurred. Maggie has come along way since last year when we first met. She allows sniffing now and is obviously more socialized. Riley simply doesn't like anybody. My sister the 4-legged sociopath. Great. The 4th of July is a tough one for dogs anyway- all that noise is hard on them. Riley can't see so good, so she cowers and acts weird. Me, I can't see or hear very well so it doesn't bother me much. Most dogs freak out at the sound of fireworks. You can tell when a dog is stressed by their slobber and panting. If they are slobbering like crazy and panting like a freight train, they are excited and concerned. Teaching them to be calm is a good idea to keep from any unfortunate biting issues. Mom has found several dogs since she's been here that need calming down on the 4th of July. She seems to attract them, for some weird reason. One ran into our garage one year and right into the back yard! Then the door got shut the poor thing sat shivering in the rose bushes until Mom came to the rescue. It's just important that you all take note: firecrackers and dogs don't generally mix very well. Find a place that's relatively quiet, and don't leave the dog alone in its pen or fence. They do better with people around.

Cesar Millan

Mom told me this morning that my friend Cesar Millan (The Dog Whisperer) is only doing one more season of his TV show starting in July this year. I wanted to weep, howl in sadness, and growl, all at once. He's the best, you know. He understands what we dogs need...balanced people. In this neighborhood, for example, we have a lot of imbalanced folks. There's a new bunch up the street who let their two pitbulls run loose. Now, yes the dogs are just puppies, but they could get run over by a car or even worse, snatched by the dog catcher(hate those guys). The other day, one of the little buggers ran at me while Mom and I were out walking. I'd have bit him for her, but she stepped in between us and "chushed" him a couple of times. I tell ya, Cesar's way is wonderful. The dog was so taken aback by her authority that it backed off, turned and went home. Way to go, Mom! One neighbor's dog is a cute Malamute and they really do try to take her for walks on occasion. (Mom? Are ya hearing me? Hint?)But they also let her run off leash beside their truck to give her some exercise. Me, I think that's dangerous. And they tie her up on top of their truck sometimes and if she got riled up she would hang herself. Not pretty. It worries me. All of this stuff bugs me. As a dog I know that my owners care for me and try to give me a good life. And they've done it- since in dog years I'm 108, I know I've had a great home. But most of these people really need Cesar and people like him. He's tops in my doggy book. He makes a difference in the lives of so many of my cousins. Dogs that would have been destroyed, dogs that were suffering under owners with issues, all have benefited from his expertise. You are the best, Cesar!

Corgy herds a can of paint

So Mom was watching a cnn video this morning on the computer that was about a Corgy (short legged snack sized herding dog). The dog is one of those obsessed things that likes to bite cleaning products. First, Cesar Millan would say someone was messing up in that relationship and I'd bet it was the owner. My Mom won't let me obsess over anything except sleeping and a few dog treats now and then. And I'm sure I'd have a heart attack if I tried it anyway. Back to the story. The Corgy pushed his mom out of the way, shoved his head under the sink, and bit into a can of black spray paint. The can exploded, throwing black paint all over the kitchen. While his mom tried to wipe it off, the kitchen exploded! The paint got sprayed onto the pilot light of the gas stove. Good thinkin' corgy. Could have blown up you and your owner by you being an idiot. But wait, there's good news. A pet filming crew happened to be on scene when it happened. They were launching a new show about pets. Well, they have had over a million "hits" on the show already. Here's the address, if you want to look at it. I have to express that Cesar is right- our owners need to train and handle us properly. We can cause a lot of damage if we aren't properly balanced. Oh, wait...that goes for humans too! Imbalance is downright dangerous!

Who's a Hero?

I just stopped my Mom's desk this morning to say a couple of quick things to all of you. First, dogs can be awesome heroes. When a dog loves its owner, we love them passionately and completely, no holds barred. And that sets us up as defenders. And a defender is always a hero in my book. The same applies to humans. If a military person is a "defender," then they are heroes when they die in battle, or save someone's life in a war or a paramilitary group like police or fire. Mom heard some jerk on MSNBC the other night tell everyone on the TV that he wasn't "comfortable" saying that our troops were "heroes." That made me growl when she told me. That guy was way off base. Let's use my cousin dogs as an example: Brutis was a 7 yr old golden retriever when he snatched a coral snake before it had time to bite a toddler in 2004. Zoey, a little long-haired chihuahua snatched a 3 foot rattlesnake before it hurt her owner's one year old baby daughter. Then there was Katrina, a black labrador retriever, who rescued a guy from the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina. She got rescued later herself. Size never mattered to any of those hero dogs. Only the task at hand focused them. The troops of America save the nation every day. Because of their focus and vigilance, my mom and dad can live a life that is safe. I can protect them when i take a nap in front of the door in case anyone decides to try and enter the house. But the troops and the cops, they work hard at what they do. They makes them heroes too. So shame on that MSNBC guy, whoever the heck he was. Let's here a big howl for the people and dogs who defend us! http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/05/28/host-draws-vfw-rebuke-for-saying-uncomfortable-calling-fallen-soldiers-heroes/?test=latestnews

Sunny Day in North Idaho

It's really hot out today, and darn it, I'm wearing a fur coat! I keep trying to hide under the rose bush, but it just doesn't help. If only I could sweat. Mom says she has hot flashes sometimes that make her overheated. I suppose people have their heat issues just like us dogs. Today is Mother's Day, and I'm very happy that I have a human Mom who loves me. I hope all of you out there remember your Mom. I heard about one lady who has rotten children- they haven't done anything nice for her since they grew up and moved away. They just ignore her. That makes me want to bite them. My Mom talked to her this morning and she almost fell over when she heard the my Mom bought her a plant. She couldn't believe it. She's been without a caring family for a very long time. That's really sad. Please remember that everyone needs a little TLC. Sometimes there are people who don't have anyone to care about them, just like the animals in shelters. Please care enough to do something nice for them! People AND animals!

Docs and Dogs

So I had my annual doggy checkup the other day, and wonder of wonders, the doctor was totally surprised at my health. I have cataracts and diabetes, but am doing really great! In fact he was shocked that I was something like 108 years old in people years. Cool, huh? Let's just say it all comes down to attitude. I try to stay in a good attitude. I don't get mad easily, I don't whimper and cry and whine about everything. I know that stuff will cause me stress, and I don't need stress. Even when Riley snaps at me, I stay calm. It helps a lot that she can't get her teeth past my nice thick fur, but even then I just keep it even. You know, people need to do that. They need to be calmer and not get all worked up about human things. Let's take being stressed, for an example. Mom has friends that get really stressed while working. They all get so stressed that they start getting cranky and abrupt with everyone. Then they accidentally hurt each other. Why bite someone when you can just relax? Stress is a sign that people don't trust God, you know. They get all worried about what's going to happen and they haven't laid it at the feet of the Lord. I love being a dog. I just lay down at His feet and snore away, with very few problems. Except when Dad or Mom step on me, of course. That's a definite owie!

Scrub a dub dub

Well, Mom tells me that pretty much the only candidate left for the Republicans is that Romney guy. So here's my dog advice for all of you out there who want to see what's going on: 1. Send him to the groomer right now. Just because he looks neat and tidy doesn't mean anything. He could have leaves, bark, poop, and all sorts of issues in his coat. He needs a good comb through and a nice bath. 2. Make sure his nose is clean. I know my mom sometimes gets upset with me when I root around in the black dirt behind the house. Ok, I lie down in it and it gets stuck to my face and I end up looking like I have a black beard. So make sure he doesn't look like that. Someone might think he's evil because his nose is covered with dirt. So make sure that nose is clean! 3. Since he's not covered with my kind of Great Pyrenees fur, you might want to check to see if he's well protected from the elements. I get a little hot in my suit, so make sure he's well ventilated. Then if he gets hot he'll be able to worm his way out of the situation by claiming it's the heat in the room. Panting is a good method. If I pant a lot, my mom lets me outside. Maybe Mr. Romney can do the same. Especially when the press makes him mad. 4. Religion doesn't mean anything, by the way. I've met lots of humans who say one thing and do another, so a nice flea collar might be good. That way anything that has attached itself to him can be snuffed right away. Kill the flea eggs, and you've got a better candidate. Don't you think?

Happy Resurrection Day!

Ok, tomorrow is Resurrection Sunday, affectionately (or not so affectionately) known as "Easter."
I've noted that humans seem to be divided rigidly about whether it's ok to have bunnies, candy, and eggs on the holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Christ.
I am a dog with an opinion, so fasten your leash and here we go:

Chocolate bunnies, marshmallow chicks, and other assorted jelly bean thingies: they give people an overdose of sugar (kind of like Halloween).And kids always seem to be the targets of the cavity-makers. Of course I'm coming from the viewpoint that says I can't have sugar due to the diabetes, so I may be prejudiced on that point. So you can take that opinion with a grain of salt.

Colored eggs: honestly, "Easter eggs" are a tradition in the Eastern Orthodox and Western Catholic churches because they are considered ok to eat during the Lenten fast period. And frankly, I like them. Many countries have traditions of colored eggs that range from plain to ornate. Mostly they taste good and Mom and Dad are usually kind enough to give me one. (Minus the shell, of course), so I'm all about the eggs. Quit harping about those, they're ok in my book.

Yes, I know Jesus, by the way. He loves all of us creatures, and I think especially He likes dogs. (Dog is God spelled backwards, so hello...). Tomorrow is entirely about reconciliation- the cross is a place where humankind becomes united with God and even His Creation. All of a sudden all the barriers are taken down. Sure, "Easter" was probably a pagan word at first, but let's be blunt, most of the holidays celebrated by Christians once had a pagan bent. It's not about the history of the holiday, it's about Who you love and Who you serve when that holiday shows up.

And it's all about love- He sacrificed for you, you get the privilege of loving Him. Pretty cool, that Jesus. He's my favorite dog Lover.

Cool People

Wow, Mom sometimes forgets me in her run for the computer. Finally she is letting me talk!
Sure wish I had fingers so I could do this myself...

Mom is working on a book about a former drug trafficker. He writes the chapters and she tweaks them, as well as adds parts here and there. I was reading over her shoulder the other day and came across this statement:

"The flower of recidivism blooms with the inability to better oneself with education that can be found in a library." (c)2012 Robert L. Wilhelm, "BobbyConvict"

Pretty profound, coming from a former drug guy. I wonder what would happen if all the people in prison would choose to actually set foot in a library and start reading. Some of them can't read, which is really sad, but they tend to not ask a human to help them. I can sort of read when the light is good, and I'm just a dog. 9When I have treats, of course). Point is, they could have help if they really wanted it.

Recidivism is the "revolving door" to crime and punishment. So often when criminals are let out they end up back in the joint. But that is not what could happen with education and the ability to read. Libraries are awesome things. Sometimes Mom reads to me. And I love that. Just the sound of her voice makes me happy. Most criminals never got that, by the way, even from their moms and dads. I can hardly wait to see how much influence this big deal drug guy will have to help other inmates and ex-cons who have no idea that the path to freedom is found in books.

Spoon-fed politics

You know, humans have perception problems. They don't think clearly like dogs. They get all wrapped up in "rationalizing" so end up in a big pile of mud. And I think the media is feeding that false perception to you humans on a daily basis.

Take the current bunch of political primaries and caucuses, for example. There are those whose brain tells them that Romney is the only one to beat Obama. Grrrr. Makes me want to snarl. The humans in America need to take a close hard look at the candidates before coming to that sort of conclusion. Just because he looks like he just got out of the dog groomers does not mean he's got the same values as the rest of America. And values, my human friends, are the bottom line issue for any of the candidates.

Newt is rough around the edges, but who isn't? At least he understands what you humans are going through and occasionally leaks some tears. That's good. And Santorum has similar values to many Americans and has been through difficult personal trials- another good thing. If they can't relate to you as humans, they shouldn't be President.

In the dog world, there are pack leaders. They are leaders who make the rules and enforce those rules with their "energy." If they are cruel, the Bible says they are "wicked." A pack leader must have the inner strength born from personal experience, the common values, the pack mentality that makes everyone else balanced and free of influences by outside dogs. I don't think Mitt can do that. The whole thing makes me want to hide behind the couch.

Dog Hibernation

Allison snagged RileySue this morning and took her to see her grandparents. It's cold and lonely in the back yard today. Mom keeps calling me to come in the house with her and Dad, but I just want to sleep. She says she's worried about me ignoring her like that. (What? Me ignore Mom? I never ignore her at dinner time!).

Last night when she got home I had disappeared into the basement. She couldn't find me.
No, I wasn't playing hide-n-seek, I was snoring behind the bathroom door. The older I get the less I can take heat and noise. My Dad snores, (so do I- together we sound like an orchestra of water buffalo), and it just gets too hot so I hibernate downstairs.

One time she panicked when she couldn't find me and thought I had sneaked out under the garage door and went for a walk by myself. Actually, I got stuck behind the bedroom door that had slammed and I didn't have fingers to open it. And I couldn't quite reach it with my teeth.She finally found me, but I had a couple of panicked moments myself.

And so I hibernate wherever I can find a quiet, cool place. But don't worry, when it's time for dinner, my doggy senses are like alarm clocks for humans. I'll be right there, Mom!

Presidents and Pets

For a couple of centuries now, the United States has had dogs in the White House. Most Presidents have had them, a few had cats (no accounting for taste). But pet lovers they have been. One President even had a Newfoundland- now THAT was a "ginormous slathering dog" as the commercial goes. We're better than most ordinary ambassadors.A pet here, a treat there, people for the most part like us a lot. (If we're trained of course).

I heard a disconcerting story this morning on the TV. Mitt Romney supposedly took a 5 hour car trip and made his dog ride in a carrier ON THE ROOF OF HIS CAR back in 1983. What was he thinking? Then when the dog had an accident (I'd have had one too being separated from my owners), he just took it out hosed it off and put it back on the roof of the car.

Now it IS election year, and people are prone to spread stories all over the place. And until the guy confesses or explains himself, we might take it with a grain of salt. But if it's true, he is a problem. It would mean that he does not have a compassionate bone in his body. IF he can treat an animal like that, what does it mean for people?

Ex-offenders, Ex-bad dogs

(Hi, Tamara, thanks for the long distance hug)

Mom has some awesome friends. Sometimes they call her up and tell her to give me a hug and say hello. Sort of makes me feel "famous." I like it!

There haven't been any incidents lately, and things have been pretty quiet around the neighborhood. I appreciate that. All that barky barky stuff wears me out and I need to take a nap.

The other night we were watching Cesar Millan (The Dog Whisperer) and he had a special episode about ex-gang members, some of which got out of prison. They all had dogs that needed some help. And of course, they needed help too...Cesar is good that way. Training people, rehabbing dogs.

While we were watching that show, it occurred to me that a lot of people have really cold hearts toward ex-offenders, AND dogs who don't know what to do. They just want them all gone or destroyed or back in prison. They simply don't realize that their thoughts are just plain evil.

You know, "recidivism" is the statistical thing about all the bad guys who end up back in the joint because they can't make it on the outside. Ok, there are some really bad people who just can't get it together. But there are a lot of folks who don't want to be bad, they just want to have a real life and have no clue how to get it. There are a lot of dogs who have no pack leader, and just act out of stupidity. They are the ones who need people like you to have patience, understanding, and can show them some discipline to keep moving forward in spite of their mistakes.

I'm so thankful I have my Mom and Dad who never give up on a dog, and are patient with people too. And I'm glad Cesar knows what he's doing- yay Cesar, way to go!!

Earth's groaning

You know, dogs can hear stuff that people can't. Well unless we're deaf and then that's another story. But today I heard about some weird noises in the earth- like groaning sounds or creaking in places like France, Poland, Sweden,Canada, Brazil and others. Now, I have to bark at that news.

The Scientists say it's because the iron core of the earth and its magnetic field are shifting. Woof. That doesn't sound very good, but I do know that Mom's not worried at all.So I'll try to remain calm and not act like a half-crazed hysterical dog (see Jan 18th blog).

Here's the deal. I'm pretty sure I've heard all this before in the Bible. Something I heard while Mom was talking at church one time: Romans 8 talks about all of creation groans while it waits for the revealing of the sons of God. Now I'm part of creation too, and I feel like groaning a lot. And RileySue groans too almost hourly. It could be because we're old, but maybe it's something else.Maybe we're picking up the vibes, huh?

Ok, I know, that's reaching. That magnetic shift thing could be devastating. But me, I'm thinking we've all got Jesus to take good care of us. So I'll lie down now and take a nap. If anything happens, wake me up please.

Hysteria is contagious

Mom started laughing today when she read an article by a researcher that mentioned that "hysteria" or the problems of having a bunch of people all come down with the same disease or problem at the same time is a neurological issue. She can laugh, but I can prove it. And it isn't just people that do it!

If you have two dogs,and one starts barking at something, pretty soon both the two dogs and the other one will be barking like crazy. And if they are let to continue, pretty soon all the neighborhood dogs will be freaking out over nothing. It's like a contagion that spreads like wildfire. And it's all in our heads.

There's something humans know about (but rarely remember) called "synergy." You get a bunch of folks together and when they are all psyched up about doing something they can all do it together. Or like when all the news media starts talking about 2012 being the "end of the world" or telling everyone that "gas prices are going up." (For some reason, doom and gloom seems to work the best with that problem). They are things that take on a life of their own, right or wrong, good or bad.

I'm just a dog, but I think we should be more careful about who we listen to, don't you?

A Canine View of the Presidential Race

You know, Mom has written that I have "sage wisdom." Well I don't know about that, but I'm going to give my personal opinion of the presidential race.

Anyone ever seen a dog fight? Say you have a couple of Pitbulls, a Labrador Retriever, a Border Collie, a Poodle, a Mountain Dog and a Shi Tzu. Get all those in a dog fight, and someone is gonna get hurt. Pitbulls are a warrior breed, and grab the bit and never let go, even when the path ahead is a little uncertain. They don't care. Hell or high water they'll hang on for dear life.

The retrievers aim to please and are always ready to fetch the bone or the bird. They're smart and adaptable to any situation, but sometimes they can get off track.

The Border collies are so obsessed with their toys and balls that they come off crazy.

The poodle is strong but looks so foo-foo that no one takes them seriously.

The mountain dog is strong and can pull their weight, but basically don't sound very intelligent when they bark.
The Shi Tzu...well, it's just loud and short.

I'll leave it to you to pick the candidate for each breed.