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.