Trooper's Near Death Experience

Like millions of other people, I am a Game of Thrones nut. I read the first book in 2003. I loved it and hated it at the same time. I may or may not have called my mother and told her she was an evil, horrible woman for sending me the book. Then I read the second book. And the third. (Do you see where I'm going with this?) The only reason we pay for HBO is because of the series.

After waiting nearly two years, I squealed with glee when the final season started last week. And I swore like a sailor when the episode was over. (54 minutes my ass!) So what does this have to do with Trooper?

Actual crime scene photos

I was at work and Hubby texted me pictures of the cable remote. Trooper had decided to use it as a chew toy. It was inoperable. (Hubby tried!) We had less than 12 hours before Game of Thrones. And it was Easter Sunday. Comcast was closed. Trooper was hiding in his crate because he knew I was coming home and going Cersei Lannister on his ass.

Yes, she's evil. But she gets shit done!

I posted pictures on the internet. Most of my friends laughed at my pain. Others suggested "the app" or running HBO Go through the PlayStation. Meanwhile, Hubby called customer service. The woman at Comcast helped him load an app onto his phone so it could be used as a remote for the TV. We were able to watch Game of Thrones, and Trooper lives another day.

At 14 months, I thought Trooper was past the destruction phase. Grrr. His teenage hormones have short-circuited his brain. He seems to have forgotten how to sit and down on command, and he thinks that wait is optional. I'm at my wits end. Manners class can't start soon enough! I'll keep you posted (on Trooper; you'll have to watch Game of Thrones for yourself). -- K


P.S. I went to Comcast after work on Monday, mangled remote in hand. They enjoyed the story and handed me a new one -- no questions asked.

Waking Up is Hard to Do

I am not a morning person. I hit the snooze button at least 2-3 times before rolling out of bed. I enjoy the stillness of a quiet morning. I don't like to make decisions before coffee. I don't like conversation before coffee. TBH, I don't like people before coffee. (Not that I like people much better after coffee.) I need time to warm up to the world.

Trooper is a morning dog. Until we got him, I didn't know there was such a thing. Trooper can't wait to start the day. My alarm goes off at 5 AM. Several days a week he's in my face at 4:45 -- just because. It's a cruel, cosmic joke. I made this meme to illustrate, though in reality Trooper's switch would be spring loaded.

I try not to get too annoyed with Trooper. He's a sensitive dog and his feelings get hurt easily, so I try to contain my displeasure to a couple aggressive grunts.

Today is an especially rough day. Between Trooper's exuberance, Hubby's snoring and the million thoughts in my head about this week's dog show, I've been up since 2 AM -- and it's a work day. I feel like crap. I'm counting the minutes until I can go home and crawl back into bed. Ugh. -- K

P.S. Funny Fact: Jedi knows I'm not a morning person. If he has to go out in the middle of the night he wakes Hubby. Good boy, Jedi!

Bed Hog

The alarm goes off waaay too early. Hubby will hit snooze once or twice before I hoist myself out of bed and into the bathroom. I came out of the shower this morning to see this:

Jedi had taken my spot, pillow and all. When I questioned him about it, he showed no remorse whatsoever. Jerk. -- K

Have You Seen Me?

Yep, I've been gone awhile.

Nope, not dead.

I've been busy the last three months focusing on my health. *gasp* I know, I'm surprised too. I finally got tired of being sick and tired. I got a health coach to help. I'm walking, eating better and taking my meds regularly. That's the good news.

Unfortunately, all this is very time consuming. My nutritionist challenged me to write things down. I am. All of it is in another blog (that I'm not ready to share yet). However, I've been doing doggie things too and will try to share some of those over the next couple weeks. Long time friends know that I stink at multi-tasking, so please bear with me. And I look forward to sharing upcoming events like the Westminster Dog Show trip in February and the German Shepherd Dog Club of North Florida's Specialty Shows in April.

I hope everybody had a Happy Christmas. I'm really looking forward to 2018. I'm expecting great things. Seriously, how could a Year of the Dog NOT be good for me? Talk to you soon, -- K

Awww...What Is That?!

Here's the strangest Animal Control call of last week:

Peacocks in the Park -- absolutely scandalous!

These girls have been seen around the beaches for a few weeks. However, they just recently came to my tiny beach town -- and the residents are losing their ever-loving minds. I'm getting calls about the hens ten times a day. I can only imagine the pandemonium if there was a beautiful -- and noisy -- male running around as well.

Wildlife is outside of my expertise. I contacted the Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC) and was told that peacocks are considered native to the state and we are to just leave them alone. Apparently, this answer isn't good enough for some people and they're pissed that I'm not doing anything.

Fun Fact: Peacocks read signs better than many of our residents

This picture was sent to me by Code Enforcement and I'm still laughing. It seems that the peacocks are tired of being harassed. They were seen heading toward the police department, no doubt to make a complaint to Animal Control. This job is never boring

So, did the peacock story make you giggle? I hope so! It's Awww...Monday, where a group of bloggers come together to brighten the start of your work week. Click around below and see what others are sharing. Thank you Sandee for putting this together each week. Happy Monday! -- K

Awww...Ribbons

At the dog shows in April, there were several handlers who didn't want their ribbons, especially if the dog placed less than first. I picked up a bunch of red and yellow ribbons while cleaning up. It was sad. I hope I never become that jaded.

I keep all the awards Jedi and I have earned in a plastic shoebox. I would guess that the monetary value of the ribbons and rosettes is under $30 -- but the emotional value is incalculable. Each scrap of fabric is a reminder of a skill we had to learn, a puzzle we had to solve or challenge we had to meet. That box represents hundreds of hours spent bonding, time where an awkward handler and a clueless dog learned to work together. Sometimes -- especially after a difficult day -- I will sit on my bed and go through the box. It always brightens my mood.

In case you're counting, there are 60 ribbons and 3 rosettes. That's a lot of me & Jedi time!

How about you? Do you have a box of memories that always make you smile? A photo album that brings back good memories? Please share! Lord knows we can all use some extra happiness these days!

Want some more happy thoughts? Well you're in luck! It's Awww...Monday, where a group of bloggers come together to brighten the start of your work week. Click around below and see what others are sharing. Thank you Sandee for putting this together each week. Happy Monday! -- K

Nurse Jedi

Hubby brought home cooties on Wednesday. He was coughing, sneezing, running a fever and feeling achy. I had a lot going on over the weekend so Hubby tried really hard to keep me from getting sick. This included sleeping in another room.

Well, Jedi didn't like that at all. He wants all his people in the same location. (He is a shepherd after all.) We had to sleep with doors open so Jedi could check up on both of us throughout the night. Otherwise, he would sit outside the closed door scratching, whining and barking relentlessly until it was opened.

Despite Hubby's best efforts I got sick anyway. I missed the big event over the weekend and took a day off of work to recuperate. I should have taken more, but I'm saving my personal time for barn hunt and nosework trials. (Yeah, I'm a junkie.) I've been living on Frosted Mini Wheats and ginger ale because nothing is appetizing, but I have to have something in my stomach to take my meds. (And I learned the hard way what happens when I stop taking my meds.) Mostly I just sleep. Jedi has been by my side the whole time. Everytime I wake up I see his face. I love this dog. -- K

Happy Birthday Roxy!

Truth is, we don't know Roxy's real birthdate. We arbitrarily picked today. She joined our family in February of 2007 and she was about two at the time. February 25th is Son #2's birthday, and we thought it would be great if she could share the date with her favorite person in the world.

Do you celebrate your pets' birthdays? What special things do you do? Yesterday the dogs had a spa day (more for me than them) and a car ride. Today they got burgers for lunch. Yum!

I've spent the morning looking at pictures, wondering when Roxy become an old lady. She's so gray! She's losing muscle tone in her right, rear leg. The vet said it could be from the snake bite when she was a puppy and/or because she's "a dog of a certain age." Roxy can't go for long walks anymore, and it just breaks my heart when I have to leave her at home. We take her on regular car rides and trips to Sonic. She still has her moments, but playtime has lessened and naptime has increased. She seems happy. I think her mortality bothers me more than it does her. Still . . .

Enough with the melancholy. I'm going to log off and find a furry belly to rub. TTFN, -- K

Another Lesson from the Dog

Hubby saw this on Facebook and tagged me. Sometimes I need a reminder.

There's a lot going on in my brain these days: taxes (we owe), car repairs, work, the logistics of a cross country trip for a family wedding, Dog Club President stuff, dog training, upcoming nosework trials, bills, and all the crap involved with being a grown-up. And this daylight savings time thing always throws me off. Grrr. But remembering the not-so-subtle hint from Hubby, I took a page from Jedi's play book yesterday.

I work on Sundays. Getting up an hour early is harder and harder every year. My body said it was 4 AM when I rolled out of bed yesterday morning. However, being at work early gave me the chance to see the sun rise over the ocean. I asked myself "What would Jedi do?" Then I just enjoyed the moment. Unlike Jedi, however, I refrained from peeing on something. (Jedi would have peed on everything.)

I was exhausted when I got home. I took another cue from Jedi and enjoyed a short nap.

And finally, according to Jedi (my trash hound) food doesn't have to be a chore to be enjoyable. I really didn't feel like cooking. Dinner was a five-minute dig through the fridge. We had cheese and crackers, hummus with peppers and carrots, pimento stuffed olives and big, juicy grapes. All this was washed down with a cold sparkling moscato. Hubby and I grazed while singing along  with a Mel Brooks movie. (Tight tights.) Not only was dinner tasty and enjoyable, clean-up was a cinch.

  

It's Awww...Monday, where a group of bloggers try to bring a little happiness to the beginning of your week, although this may be more of an "Ahhh" than an "Awww." Either way, take a lesson from the dog and relax a little. While you're at it, hop around below and see what others are sharing today. Thanks to Sandee for hosting this every week. TTFN, -- K

P.S. I just remembered that there's more moscato in the fridge. Oh happy day!

Awww...Jedi's Thinking Face

True story: Jedi can't think with his mouth open! It's funny. He'll be calm and relaxed, looking something like this:

Resting face

Then we'll ask him "Where's your ball?" or say a word he recognizes like "squirrel." He'll immediately close his mouth and give us his thinking face.

Thinking face

Once Jedi has processed what was said he'll usually return to his happy self. If certain high value words like "Outside" and "Cookie" are said, his ears will stand straight up and he'll jump to his feet -- sometimes knocking me over in the process. Those words are usually s-p-e-l-l-e-d.

Resting face -- again

However, If we say something that Jedi finds unpleasant like "Bad trash" or "Clean your ears" we're more likely to get a response like this:

Classic avoidance "I don't want to" face

Try this at home! See if your dog has a thinking face too. I don't normally advocate animal experimentation, but this is harmless fun. It may even help you better understand your dog. Think of it as inter-species communication development. Make sure you have handful of yummy treats when doing this -- you want your dog to has fun too.

It's Awww...Monday. Sandee from Comedy Plus hosts this weekly hop so that we can help you start your week with a smile. Did Jedi make you smile? I hope so. Click around below and see who else can elicit a grin today. -- K

P.S. I want to give a big Thank You to Tracy from Furrie Fotographie for the pictures. These are just a couple she snapped while we were chatting. Check out her website to see the gorgeous pictures she takes when she's actually trying.

It's Not What You Think

I posted about the Chariots of Fur 5K last week. I also complained that I couldn't find any pictures of me and Jedi despite the fact that there were photographers all over the place. Yesterday I was cleaning out my junk email and found something from Speedy Banana. Being that it was nestled between a penis enlarger supplement email and an ad for eHarmony, I nearly deleted it. (Maybe it's me, but the first thing I thought was "What a funny name for a sex toy.")

Curiosity got the better of me and I clicked. I'm glad I did! Speedy Banana is NOT a sex toy. Instead, it's the oddly named company that took all the pictures at Chariots of Fur -- and they would gladly sell me race pictures for an outrageous price. In fact, they had 32 pics for me to choose from. (This was my first race; apparently I've got a lot to learn.) Since it was my first race, I bought an overpriced picture. (Just wondering, why did I have to pay S&H for a digital download?) Anyway, here it is:

It was cold and windy on the beach that day. Jedi had a blast. We did the mile in less than 15 minutes -- on sand no less! And we supported a worthwhile charity. Who wants to join us next year?

Believe it or not, it's Wordless Wednesday, though you probably couldn't tell by my post. But hey, I had to share the not-a-sex-toy Speedy Banana story. (Two weeks ago it was Russians and pet store pooping. Obviously this isn't the most cultured blog on the internet!) Anyway, click around below and see what others are sharing today. -- K

Merry Christmas

Drogo is wishing you a Merry Christmas reptile style!

Honestly, that's not far from the truth. It's been in the 80's all week. Nice and warm, just like he likes it. The rest of us, however, not so much.

I hope you enjoy Drogo's photos. You can see more on his very own Fashion Dragon page. BTW, I don't want to say that my family is encouraging Drogo's humiliation, but I DID get a DIY calendar kit for Christmas. Just sayin . . . Anyway, Merry Christmas to you and yours. -- K

That's My Spot

I took some personal time last week. It roughly translated to 10.5 days off. I didn't go anywhere special (other than the AKC Eukanuba dog show). Nor did I accomplish most of the things that I wanted to do, but it was still nice to relax. What wasn't nice though, was having a get up at 5 AM Monday morning to go back to work. It didn't make me feel any better when *someone* jumped in my spot while I was in the shower.

Jedi snuggled up next to Hubby and made himself comfortable -- on my favorite pillow!! He didn't even stir when I took pictures.

I channeled my inner Sheldon and told Jedi that he was in my spot. He didn't care. I don't blame him. I'd rather be in a warm comfy bed too. Anywho, it's Wordless Wednesday! Click around below and see what others are sharing today. Later, -- K

Awww...What?!

I have German shepherds. Contrary to what you may think, they're not all that hard to groom. I brush them about once a week (more during the spring and fall when they're blowing coat). I trim the long hairs between their pads so they don't slip on the linoleum. I trim nails, brush teeth and clean ears as needed. When they get stinky (every 4 to 6 weeks or so) I shampoo them in the backyard. Jedi has a lush undercoat so I will blow him out with a forced air dryer. Roxy hates the dryer, so she just gets rubbed down with a couple of towels and then air dries. Granted, it gets more involved when preparing for a show, but when you look at some of these other breeds German shepherds are really pretty simple. There is none of the stripping, clipping, shaving, plucking, picking or scissoring involved with other breeds. Needless to say, my grooming skills are pretty basic. So, imagine my surprise when I saw the extreme grooming competition at the AKC Eukanuba National Championship this weekend. (Please excuse the picture quality, we were in too much disbelief to check the camera settings.)

I think it's a dragon. Or maybe a swordfish. I know that the head is

hidden in the yellow somewhere.

I'm a Wolverine fan. I named my dog Logan, after the character.

This, however, is EXTREME Fangirl.

This burro-dog is the one that threw Hubby over the edge.

This Super Mario Bros. dog is the one that amazed my son.

As far as I could tell, that was all hair and dog-safe spray paint. So what are you think? Did they take it too far? Would you do that to your dog? Could you do that to your dog even if you wanted to? Seriously, anything more than brushing is too much for me. Lucky, lucky Jedi!

It's Awww...Monday! Want to start you week with a smile? Click around below and see what others are sharing today. A big thanks to Sandee over at Comedy Plus for hosting this hop. -- K

More Work Stories

It's been a while since I've shared some of the odd things that happen at work. Don't worry, my job hasn't suddenly become normal and/or boring, I just haven't gotten around to writing things down. As usual, names and other identifying facts have been changed or omitted to protect the innocent my butt. Enjoy the madness!

Not Snowball

Ms. Russo reported that her cat, Snowball, had been
stolen. The cat had been missing for 3 months, but she just saw it in a yard next to park. (The park is a half mile away.) When Ms. Russo told the family that the cat was hers they told her to leave and threatened to call the police. Then it got weird. My conversation with Ms. Russo went something like this:

Me: Is Snowball male or female?
Her: I don't know.
Me: How long have you had Snowball?
Her: About two years.
Me: Your vet will know Snowball's sex. Why don't you call the vet's office and ask them to look it up?
Her: I've never taken Snowball to the vet.
Me: Why not? You know cats need rabies vaccinations too, right?
Her: Oh, Snowball had that when we adopted him. Or her.
Me: Great. That information should be on your adoption paperwork. Go ahead look that up. I'll wait.
Her: I don't know where that paperwork is. [Followed by some lame excuse because she doesn't know that I know she's a hoarder.]
Me: How old is Snowball?
Her: About 2 years. We got Snowball as a tiny kitten.
Me: Where did you adopt Snowball?
Her: From the Humane Society.
Me: Great. They sterilize all animals before adoption. When you got Snowball was the belly shaved or was the back end shaved?
Her: I don't remember.
Me: [exasperated]: Let's move on. Was Snowball wearing a collar?
Her: No, but there's a microchip.
Me: Great. What's the microchip number? [BTW, that info would also be in the adoption paperwork or vet records.]
Her: I don't know. You'll have to call the chip company and find out.
Me: No, you need to call the microchip company. It's your cat!

Not Snowball either

At that point I told her to look for the adoption paperwork and call me in the morning. I went and talked to the other family, who were a bit more sane. They had found the white cat a few months previously. They honestly didn't know whether or not it was the Russo's cat. I examined the cat and scanned for a microchip; there wasn't one. The following day Ms. Russo called me. She had found the adoption paperwork after all. She had the microchip number and discovered that Snowball was a boy. Surprise! I told her that the cat in question was not hers. She didn't believe me, and accused the family of cutting out the microchip. I told her if they had done that, they also performed a sex change because the cat they had was a girl.

Definitely not Snowball

I've shared this one before. Still funny though! Dispatch relayed that a citizen had called 911 to report a pig running down Main street. The pig was wearing a harness and dragging a leash behind it. I went to the reported location and sure enough, there was a pig wearing a harness. I wasn't surprised either. Why? Because it was a Monday. Mondays are always weird.


My phone rang at 6:30 one morning. The Lieutenant asked me to come in right away. There was an "incident" and they wanted my opinion before the news showed up -- and Channel 4 was on the way. Ms. Jackson, a local CCL (Crazy Cat Lady), found a dead kitten on her porch. It had been partially skinned and there was blood everywhere. She said that "obviously this was a satanic ritual," so she called the local news -- before calling the police, of course. I arrived on scene and met with the detective who was diligently taking photographs and measurements. Even crazy people get the best of service in our town! Sure enough, there was a kitten on the porch just as described. The Lieutenant asked my professional opinion. I flipped the corpse over and in my best Colombo impersonation said "foxes, not freaks." Why?

• Ms. Jackson's property butted up against the nature preserve and I'd had several complaints about foxes recently.
• The jagged edges of the skin were torn, not cut by a knife.
• The soft, internal organs were missing. Predators often eat these first.
• The body was not laid out on display. Instead, it was crumpled up in a heap in the darkest corner of the property.

Ergo, no animal sacrifices at the beach! Ms. Jackson and the police department were relieved by my determination. The News, not so much. Bloodsuckers.

Made me think of poor old Poopmeister

I received a strange complaint via email. A resident on Coastal Drive was "putting shit piles on the sidewalk and covering them with chemicals harmful to pets and children." (My first thought was "don't let your kids lick the sidewalk" but . . . ) I called the complainant. He lives around the corner from Poopmeister. Complainer said that the "chemical" was mothballs and he was upset because the poop placement meant he either had to walk in the busy street or through the stinky poop/mothball combo on his way to Starbucks. I thanked him for the information. (Psst: I didn't really mean it.) Then I went to visit Poopmeister. His house was on the main road, situated between town center and an apartment complex. His well-manicured yard was about the size of my office. (Please note: I have a teeny tiny office.) When I got there I didn't see any feces, but it did smell strongly of mothballs. Apparently Poopmeister was tired of the neighborhood dogs using his lawn as a public toilet and he blew a gasket. The most recent pile -- which "was so huge it must have been from a great Dane!" -- was the final straw, causing him to grab the shovel and start flinging poo like an angry chimpanzee. (I didn't get a clear answer about the mothballs.) Once Poopmeister calmed down he cleaned up his mess. I empathized with Poopmeister and we came up with some more constructive ways to deal with his problem. I also told him that he needed to focus on the grand scheme of things; I'd hate for him to have an aneurysm over a pile of poop. (P.S. I also spoke with several neighbors. Apparently Poopmeister is a bit of an ass and people may be letting their dogs crap in his yard intentionally just to piss him off.)

And the award goes to Chloe's dumbass owner . . .

A woman brought in a stray dog she found near the freeway. Both the woman and the dog were from outside our jurisdiction and technically we shouldn't have accepted the dog. However, the county shelter was closed and we had space, so we said we'd transfer it to the proper shelter later if we couldn't locate an owner. My partner copied the woman's driver's license and took in the pittie mix. Partner scanned the dog and discovered that she had a chip! Partner called the microchip company and the chip wasn't registered. However, it did trace back to the county shelter. The county's records showed that the chip had been implanted in a tan pit bull mix that had been adopted several months back. By whom? The woman who "found" it. But wait: that's not the surprising part.

Unfortunately, people turn in their own pets and claimed they're strays all the time. No, the kicker was when my partner contacted the woman and told her to come get her dog or be charged with abandonment the woman had the audacity to say, "That's my dog? Oh my God! I thought 'Wow it looks like Chloe,' but Chloe ran away months ago. I wondered why the dog got into my car so easily. I can't believe it!" We didn't believe it either. Talk about a Poopmeister!

This job may not be glamorous or lucrative, but it is entertaining. Seriously, I can't make this stuff up. Until next time, -- K

It's Official . . .

. . . I AM a crazy dog person.

Trust me, I am just as shocked as you are. I've just been told that it's "weird" to buy a car for your dog.

WHAT!?

You see, my 2001 Kia is a sweet little no-frills car. Jedi fits nicely in the back seat for trips to the park or Sonic. But it's not big enough to carry his crate and all the paraphernalia needed for a dog show. Hubby has a Ford Expedition. All the dog show stuff fits nicely in there, but the Ford has nearly 200,000 miles on it and is becoming more and more temperamental. Hubby and I felt it was no longer reliable for long road trips, so we've been renting vehicles to do dog shows. That gets expensive.

The all new (to us) Jedi mobile!

About a month ago we found a used Chrysler Pacifica for an incredible price. It had low mileage and all the bells and whistles. Best of all, it was big enough to hold Jedi's crate and all his stuff. (We measured it before making an offer.) So I bought it. For the dog. Come to think of it, many of my major decisions have been made with the dogs in mind.

• I've gone to work sick so I could save my personal time for dog shows.
  
  
• I turned down a job and stayed in an unhappy one because it would take me away from my dog.
  
  
• I've bought furniture with my dogs in mind. You know, will it show hair? Is it easy to clean? Is the fabric dog nail resistant? (Is that weird? Or just being practical?)
  
  
• And while I'm being honest, I should confess that we're stuck in Florida because of a dog. When the Navy transferred us here from Maryland, the waiting list for base housing was 18 months. We couldn't find anyone who would rent to us with a 100+ pound Rottie mix. There was no way I was going to get rid of my dog (yes, someone suggested that!) so we bought a house. For the dog. The sad part is that shorty after we bought the house the market fell and the house was no longer worth what we paid. I'd love to move but we can't afford it. Pepper has been gone for six years and we're just now getting equity in the house.

I've been called a crazy dog lady. OK, I'll admit that I'm a dog person. I won't admit to "crazy." (BTW, I'm not saying I'm not crazy I'm just saying I won't admit to it. -- How's that for a double negative!) I don't regret the decisions I've made. I know people who buy vehicles that suit their hobbies, furniture that's kid-friendly and houses based on a job location. For me, dogs are family, included in my hobbies and a big part of my job. Maybe it's not so weird after all, right? Maybe it's the critics who are "weird" or "crazy." Or maybe they're cynophobic . . . And why am I even entertaining their opinions anyway?!

So how about you? Have you made any major purchases around your dogs? Please share (and prove those jerks wrong).

OK, enough thinking about what constitutes a crazy dog person and a conscientious dog owner. Why? Because it's Thoughtless Thursday! We're joining Ruckus the Eskie, M.K. Clinton and the pups over at Love is Being Owned by a Husky and all the folks below to share what thoughts are (or aren't) in our heads today. Take a look! -- K

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful for these dogs! Who are you thankful for?

Today is Thanksgiving. All my kids work retail, so we're trying to fit dinner in between schedules. I'm thankful that the kids are employed, but sad that they can't enjoy time with family because someone must get cheap electronics today. Sigh.

Actually I have many things to be thankful for including a loving family, good friends, a strong faith, decent health, full-time employment, and the many freedoms guaranteed under our Constitution. I am also thankful for the wonderful pets that have shared my life. On this day of reflection I ask myself, was I as good to them as they were to me? Probably not. I've tried -- and I truly believe that they've all had good doggie lives -- but if I can do better, I will.

The following is from The Dog Tricks and Training Workbook by Kyra Sundance. (Regular readers know that I love Kyra Sundance!) I found it thought-provoking and had to share. I copied this verbatim. Enjoy!

You Owe This to Your Dog

Our dogs play a significant role in our lives, whether as working dogs or companions. We've taken them into our household and are responsible for fulfilling their basic and higher needs. For all the joy and companionship they give us, we owe our dogs the following:

• Adequate food and medical care
• A life that is beyond mere survival
• Grooming, ear and teeth cleaning, nail trimming, skin and coat conditioning
• Exercise -- not only the option for exercise, but also the encouragement
• Twenty minutes each day of your undivided attention
• Three enrichment activities per day (a walk, a game of fetch, a training session, a car ride)
• Exposure to the world beyond your backyard
• Socialization with people and dogs outside of your family
• The right to give and receive unconditional love
• Training, so your dog does not become a prisoner of his own misbehavior
• Fresh air and green grass
• Respect for your dog's needs and wants
• Responsible breeding, or none at all
• Time and space all his own
• The freedom to be foolish and silly, and to make you laugh
• The right to earn your trust and to be trusted in return
• Forgiveness
• The right to die with dignity
• The honor of being remembered well

So who wants to be a better dog owner now? Yeah, me too. In addition to Thanksgiving, it's Thoughtless Thursday! We're linking up with Ruckus the Eskie, M.K. Clinton, the pups over at Love is Being Owned by a Husky and all the folks below to share what thoughts are -- or aren't -- in our heads today. Happy Thanksgiving everybody! -- K

Awww...Gopher Tortoise!

The last time Jedi and I went to the Jacksonville Arboretum we came across a large gopher tortoise. The tortoise walked across the path, oblivious to human and dog alike. Jedi went up to investigate . . . and the tortoise moved. Jedi puffed up twice his size and jumped back three feet. He spent a good five minutes trying to check out the tortoise, flinching every time it moved. Big. Bad. German Shepherd! HA! I have no idea where that tortoise wanted to go, but he sure was determined. Eventually the tortoise got tired and hid inside his shell -- probably hoping that we would leave so he could continue on his way. Of course, that's when Jedi became brave and I was able to snap this picture.

It's Awww...Monday! Want to start your week off with a smile? Click around below and see what others are sharing today. -- K

Roxy's Wordless Want

Son #2 is Roxy's boy. She absolutely adores him and will do all she can to get his attention. He posted this picture on his FB page last week.

Is there any doubt about what she wanted?

 

It's Wordless Wednesday! Click around below and see what others are sharing today! -- K

Dragon Ass

The other day Jedi and I were hanging out in the bedroom. I was watching TV and he was napping. Hubby came in with Drogo.

When Hubby put Drogo on the bed he immediately started climbing Mt. Shepherd and made himself at home.



Jedi was not impressed. He gave me "the look" and a pitiful whine. I removed the lizard, but not before snapping a couple pictures. Sorry for the quality. I was laughing too hard to get a good shot.

It's Wordless Wednesday! Hop around and see what others are sharing today. -- K