Great Days and Warm Weather

Mom is doing great today, so thanks everybody for your emails. Her situation all worked out (I knew it would). She always looks after me, even though I am diabetic, so I knew she would help that person overcome anything she might have done to annoy them. She likes to be a friend. If my Mom is your friend, you have good backup.

Today is nice and warm at our house. Although I think my fur coat is a little heavy for the weather, I do enjoy hanging around outside.

You can hear the bees in the trees and see the blossoms...I love sticking my nose in them. So far I haven't been stung. And haven't had any ticks or fleas either. Mom says probably I won't because my coat is too thick for the bee to penetrate, and she makes sure I have preventative for the other stuff. Hope so. My nose is kind of sensitive.

You know, humans sometimes stick their noses in the wrong place too and cause trouble. We dogs can get away with it because we're supposed to check things out with our noses. Humans, not so much.

At any rate,for all you dogs out there, watch out for bees, ticks, and fleas in this weird summer. And you humans, watch out where you put your noses!

What Would Cesar Do?

People run into trouble sometimes and I try to tell them, what would Cesar do? That's Cesar Millan, by the way, you know the "Dog Whisperer."

Now, I know people aren't dogs. But I'm pretty sure I can help them out of jams.

Take Mom, for example. She made a huge mistake this weekend and inadvertantly got something really wrong. And the thing is, part of it was because she tried to rush it. Part of it was because she didn't know the whole story. But it really bugged her. She wanted to go hide in my spot under the bush in the back yard (no way, Mom, I'm not moving). She thinks she hurt somebody.

Cesar is always telling people to have good "body language" and confidence with dogs. Being a leader is about moving forward with confidence- and I think Mom's confidence got shaken this last weekend. The challenge for her is to move forward and not give up.

Cesar is always telling people to forget about the past and live in the moment, because dogs do that- with a little help. Mom needs to do that. You do too. You can't unscramble eggs. If you have things go wrong, you just have to do your best to fix it and move on. Every day has it's dog fights, or bee stings, so just keep moving! Don't sweat the small stuff. (I don't sweat, by the way, but people do).

Take a page from us dogs: every day is a new day. Make it the best you can. Don't dwell on the past. Look forward to your next treat with confidence. That's what Cesar would do.

Do Dogs Go to Heaven?

The other day a friend of our family ran into someone who was giving every excuse in the book to not do something he was supposed to do- and his main excuse was that he had to spend time with his dog. grrrrrrrr. THAT dog will be in Heaven for being faithful. The human, not so much.

I love my family. They know I'm going to be there with them. There are some other people that talk about me (while I'm in the room, even) and say bad things like "dogs have no soul" and "they're just dogs...". Grrrr again. My Mom doesn't like that, she knows better. She bites, so that's not smart around her.

Do you think animals don't know God? If you read Job 12, it says that you can ask us about Him. But the Heaven question? Boy that's an easy one. Isaiah 11:6-9 says it all.

All the animals on the earth are just like the ones in Heaven. Jesus comes back on a white horse- no animals in Heaven, huh? There are LOTS of them! Even in Revelation there are living creatures at the Throne of God. What, people don't get to stand right by the Throne? Just living creatures? And how about the fact that donkeys, camels, sheep, and cows got to see the Birth of Jesus- a bunch of people were invited to see, but only a few of them came. Creatures are blessed.

I think since we show people all about faithfulness, loyalty, unconditional love,and all those things- there is room for us in Heaven. Romans 8 says all of creation groans waiting for its redemption. And we'll get it, too. So if you hear some human talking bad about us, just tell them to go lie down and be quiet. Or make them go outside with no treat. That'll teach 'em.

Sleeping Dogs and Cranky People

So here I am at rest behind my bush.

This is the most comfortable spot in the yard. Yeah, I know it's messy. But it's also true that I like to sleep and not be disturbed.
And if you can't see me, you're not as likely to disturb me. But when you do, I don't bite. I'm not snarly like some people. I just yawn and stretch and move forward to get my pets/treats. Emphasis on the treats request.

I've been noticing that some people when disturbed get cranky. Even Mom and Dad sometimes make faces when bothered while doing something else. I don't think they mean much by it, but it happens. They seem to always be willing to take care of whatever the interruption is without complaint, which I appreciate. I've interrupted them frequently and they've never been mad at me.

But I have some advice for those who get snarly- maybe you don't feel good or maybe you're busy and get interrupted, just be flexible and do what needs to be done without being nasty. No biting! Bad people! Sit! Be nice!

If I can do it from a deep sound sleep, so can you.

Dog Perspective

You know, people have a hard time remembering that we are animals. (You can tell by this blog, can't you?) But really, we are dogs, and we think like dogs.

Here's an example: I like to sleep in the back yard under a big bush. Even when it's raining. Why don't I sleep in the garage where it's dry? Because it's cooler outside. The garage gets stuffy and the cement floor is hard. Doesn't matter about the rain because I have an undercoat that rarely gets wet. So even if the top layer is wet, the undercoat is dry. Handy, huh? Mom, however, can't figure out why I like it outside in the snow or rain. Then she pets me and her hand gets all nasty from loose hair and wet junk. For people, cold days are an annoyance because they don't have a nice coat to keep them warm.

Dogs seem sort of like people because we have a personality. Yeah, we're not just a pretty face, we have feelings. We are also quite attached to our humans. So we seem like kids, but we mostly run by a different thought process. A kid would rummage through the cupboard for a snack. We'll take it right off the table if you turn your back. (The reason you should train both dogs and kids). I once stole a whioe plate of sliced turkey while Mom wasn't looking. Her fault for not putting it away, and training me to be more polite.
(Note: people think we're funny, so we can get away with things we shouldn't. Again, we're not people and we can get into trouble unless you help us out)

Her first Newfy stole french bread off the barbeque and meat too, when people weren't looking. Her fault for not training him properly and laughing at him. Not the dog's fault- we just operate by instinct. You have to help us out or we'll snag things that smell good.

Dogs also like to be around people and get pets. (Like the picture above. My friend Maddie (Mom's Grand daughter) is the best- she scratches and pets, and even combs my fur. I REALLY like her.

The thing is, we seem like you but we aren't. If you don't want an unruly kid, you have to teach them stuff. Same with us, but you hve to remember that we're descendents of wolves. We like packs, we need good strong leadership...oh, maybe even people need good strong leadership. But I hear people are more like sheep than dogs. D'ya think?

Who's the Alpha Dog?

Did you know that a dog that is quiet and sneaks up on you is far more dangerous than one that yaps its head off? It's because with a sneaky dog there's no warning. A yappy dog lets you know he's coming.

The same principle applies to people politics. There are all sorts of hidden stuff in the national legislation that has been passed over the last couple of years. Mom says some of it is going to cost a bundle: if employers cut off their healthcare to employees, or if homeowners have to pay an extra tax when they sell a home after 2013, or if the government bans all sales of drugs from Canada, stuff like that. Mom says those things will really cause a drain on our wallets. I understand that not very many people have been paying attention and it is going to sneak up on them. Well, I have a solution.

I say we use the canine method of curbing problem animals: bite them right on the collar. Whenever a dog gets too frisky in the pack, the Alpha dog hauls off and bites them right around the fur on their neck. Not hard, just enough to get their attention. It's a reminder of who's the boss. I think you people out there need to remind the government who's the real boss. They seem to think it's them. You should tell them the U.S. is "of the people, by the people, for the people." Somebody seems to have forgotten!

Dirty Paws

After my grooming the other day I was very handsome. But then I went back outside and laid down in the dirt. So of course, Mom saw that I had dirty black paws. I know it sort of bothers her that she spent $75 to get me all spiffed up and bam! in one minute I was dirty again.

Mom says that it happens to humans too. Like today she said that John Edwards the Senator is under indictment for using campaign money to fund a mistress. His paws are dirty. He looks all clean and nice on the surface, but really, there's a patch of dirt that he's been sleeping in.

Mom says that the people who spent all that money for his elections are probably upset today because of the dirt. Well I can recommend a great grooming place. They could scrub him down real good. And Mom says if he's found guilty they'd keep him inside all the time so he couldn't get dirty again. I think he needs that.

Dogs are different than people, though. When we're house trained we have to go outside sometimes. I think he's not very well house trained, because he goes outside too much. I hope they are able to keep him cleaner. People don't like all that dirt on their floors.

Haircuts

Today I got a haircut at Bark R Boutique in Spokane.Mom says I look really spiffy. I have to say, though, even though I had been there many times before, I was a little nervous at being left alone. They had to slide me across the floor into the cutting area. Yikes~

For anyone, even a dog, new things can be stressful. The people at the grooming place were very nice. John talked to me and petted me and tried to calm me down, but that being left without Mom was worrisome.

For people, new things can be really nerve-wracking. So I'd like to give you all a piece of advice: have a little faith. Don't make God drag you around like a wet mop. Really, He'll take good care of you.

See, once I got past the initial worry about being left, things leveled out and I had a great time. The worry was totally unnecessary. I just wasted my emotions for nothing.

After they got me all clean and handsome, I just waited patiently by the door until Mom came and picked me up. It was no sweat. And I had an adventure for the day- a fun one! And I feel soooo much better now. All that nasty matted hair is gone and I smell real good. Well, not as good as rotten meat, but good.

My friend Riley Sue is in the picture with me. Isn't she cute?
Now go out and do something FUN!