Detente

I have studied, I meditated, I have matured. I am an educated dog, a sensitive dog, and I have attained Understanding. I have done what many thought was impossible: I have learned to Behave Myself around Cows.

I am one with the Cow. No, that's silly, of course I'm not one with the Cow. But I'm not a slobbering idiot with the Cow either. I am Calm. I am Thoughtful. I am in control of my Emotions. I no longer have to be restrained and distracted. I walk by the Cows off leash, under my own power, guided by my own conscience.

I do not chase the Cows. I do not bark. I merely watch them, and drink in their scent. I have acquired a rudimentray knowledge of the Bovine language, and sometimes I converse with the Cows.

I say, "Hello, Bos taurus, I see by your red body and white face that you are a Hereford."

The cows reply, "Moooooo. Yoooooo are a Dog. Dogs chase. Dogs bark."

"It is true that I am a dog. But I do not chase Cows, nor do I bark at them. Be at peace, my friends, I mean you no harm."

"Moooooo. Doooooo not chase us. We are big, we are heavy, we have pointy parts."

"I will not chase you, good Cattle. You have my word on that. However, some day you will be slaughtered, and your parts will be placed on little styrofoam trays and wrapped in plastic and labeled and put on display at the Supermarket. Them my mom will go to the Supermarket and buy your neck bones, and she will bring them home for me and I will eat all the meat and chew on your bones and it will be good."

The Cows are not offended by this. They are simple creatures, who understand their place in the universe.

"Moooooo," They say, "You are not chasing us. We will ignore you and chew our cuds now."

I'm not sure why I was once so in awe of them

Walking

This afternoon I went walking with my mom. We climbed up the hill to a pretty street where all the houses had gardens and all the gardens were overflowing with bright bloomy flowers. We passed a house with a sign that said Very Spoiled Dachshunds Live Here, which made my mom smile. I peed on a bush, and that made me smile.

Then we went down the hill, and some of the houses weren't so pretty. There was a Malamute on a chain in a yard who kept jumping and asking if I would play with him. I thought of my friend Mingus, and I was sad.

There were lots of other dogs in yards who all talked about me as I went by. Some of them got very excited, and some of them screamed and practically fainted! I guess they were jealous of my red fuzziness, or maybe some of them are in love with me. All I know is, everytime I got for a walk, it's a pretty big event for the neighborhood dogs.

Some people think that keeping their dogs in the yard is okay, but really it's a pretty sad life for those dogs. No wonder they're jealous of me.

I got it!

I figured out the weave poles! It's easy, you just go in and out and in and out and out- wait, no, it's in and out and in and in- D'oh!

Okay, deep breath. In and out and in and out and in and out. That's it! Whew, heavy stuff!

I talked to some very smart dogs at the agility trial, and they said that I got it wrong. Thinking too much doesn't turn your brain to oatmeal, it's not thinking that turns your brain to oatmeal. Boy, that's a relief. I was worried that learning the weave poles was going to use up all my brains, and that I wouldn't have anything left for kongs and dog doors.

I can't wait until I'm ready to compete. Going to trials with Bella and staying in my crate all day is boring. I want my turn!

Agility is Fun!

I've started agility training for real! My mom took me to the trainer, and we practiced targets and jumping and the table. The trainer said that I was very athletic, and I didn't act like a dork at all! (I hope Bella is reading this)

I'm still not sure about the weave poles. I just don't know what I'm supposed to do. Bella says I need to think about it. I guess I could try that. I can think about things if I want to, and mom says I've got a good brain. But I've heard that if you use your brain too much, it turns to oatmeal. I try to save my brain for the really important stuff, like getting the last bit of food out of a kong.

I'm going to go with Bella to all her agility trials this summer. I've gotten very good at staying in my crate, so I don't have to stay in the car, and I can go even when it's hot.

Mom says that if we do our homework and practice a lot, I might be ready to go to a fun match by Fall. I can't wait!

Happy Day!

Today's my Gotcha Day, and my Birthday too! Actually, I don't know my real birthday, because when I was born no one was there to write down the date. But my mom thinks I should celebrate the day I found my new home, and that seems like a good idea to me. The day my mom found me was the start of my new life, and every day since then has gotten better and better!

Even though today's a happy day, I'd like to talk about something that's kind of serious and sad. You see, I'm a very lucky dog, but there are thousands of dogs who aren't so lucky. Every day, dogs get lost or abandoned, and wander the streets with no home and no comfort and no good food. Every day, dogs get taken to the shelter, and many of them never make it out again. Every day, unwanted puppies are born. Every day, dogs die because there are too many of us, and not enough humans to take care of us.

You humans made us dogs what we are. You domesticated us and bred us and taught us to be herders and hunters and guarders and fighters and tricksters and companions. We are not wild animals any more. We are what you made us, and we need you!

We have thrived under your care, but now there are too many of us. Only the lucky dogs get good homes. The rest live unhappy lives tied up in back yards, or roaming the streets scavenging for food, or sitting in a shelter, waiting. And the sad truth is, most of these dogs will die before their time. Some will be hit by cars, some will succumb to cold or starvation or disease, and many will be killed in the shelters. You can call it "PTS" or "euthanized", but the truth is that you humans are killing us because you don't want us, and have no room for us.

I don't blame the shelter workers who are driven by love or passion or economic need to take on a job that sadly, has become neccessary. They have to plunge the needle in, but they are not the problem.

The problem is all the people who breed their dogs casually, who don't fix their dogs because they don't believe in it, who allow their dogs to run free and procreate, and then don't take responsibility for the puppies. I know that puppies are a wonderful thing, and I wish I lived in a world where every puppy was wanted, but the reality is that adorable puppies are a dime a dozen. Puppies who are sold through newspaper ads or at the flea market, or given away in front of Walmart, face some pretty steep odds. Some will be lucky enough to find their way into good homes, but too many of them with be neglected or abandoned once their puppy cuteness wears off. Too many of them will be banished to the back yard, or dropped off at the shelter, or bred and their puppies carelessly sold, so that the cycle of sadness and pain continues.

I had puppies before my mom found me. I don't remember how many, but it seems like it was a lot. I took care of them as best I could, even though I was barely out of puppyhood myself. Then they were taken from me, and I hope and pray that some of them found good homes. But odds are that some of my puppies are lonely and neglected, and odds are that some of them are already dead.

Please, spay and neuter your dogs, and encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same. If you are interested in breeding, contact your local breed club and learn how to do it responsibly.

If you are looking for a dog, consider your local shelters and rescues. Most shelter dogs make wonderful pets, and their only "flaw" is that no one has taken the time to love them and train them. If you want a purebred, there are purebred rescue groups. If you choose to buy from a breeder, please do your research and find a responsible breeder. If you're going to spend hundreds of dollars on a purebred dog, don't you want a dog who has been raised with knowledge and love, and whose parents are of sound health and temperment?

We have been your devoted friends and loyal companions for ten thousand years. Please don't turn your back on us now.


Okay, that's it. Thanks for reading. I'll get down off my soapbox now, and go back to posting about cows and agility and digging holes in the yard.

Happy Birthday to me, and to all the other Dogster doggies who celebrate today!

The cows are okay

Everything's better now. I saw the cows on Sunday. They were eating the green grass and happy in the spring.

I saw a horse too, with a person sitting on it. Very strange, but I'm not going to worry about it. I'm still trying to figure out the cows.

Where have all the cows gone?

I haven't seen a cow in over a month and I'm beginning to get concerned.

Today we went for a hike to the cow place, but there were no cows. It was raining, and I think maybe the cows melted in the rain. There were lots of cow pies, but Bella assured me that the cow pies are not the remnants of melted cows. I guess she's right... after all, I've seen cow pies and cows at the same time, so they must be two different things. Still, I can't help but wonder.

I asked one of the cow pies, "Are you a cow? Did you melt? Do you need my help?" It didn't answer.

If the cows haven't melted, maybe they've all gone up into the sky. I wish I knew, and I wish I could help them come back.

Dear cows, wherever you are, be it in puddles on the ground, or in clouds in the sky, or underneath the trees, or drifting in the ocean, please come home!
-Your humble servant, Sunny

Lost and Found

I hate Tuesdays. Every Tuesday evening mom takes Bella to agility class, and leaves me home alone. I hate being alone! Well, tonight I decided to do something about it.

I started by sitting at the front window looking out, like I usually do. I chewed on my kong a bit, but I really wasn't hungry. I kept going back the the window. Then I put my nose against it and started to push. I pushed and I pushed and suddenly one side of the window popped out the frame! I pushed some more, and pretty soon I was able to squeeze through the window, and I was in the front yard. There's a fence around the front yard, but it's only four feet high, so I jumped it. Then I went to find mom and Bella.

I didn't know where to look. I've gone to agility class with Bella before, but I didn't remember which way it was. I searched all around trying to find them, but they weren't anywhere! After a while I thought maybe I should go home and wait for them. But when I looked around I realized I didn't remember where home was. I walked and I walked and I walked. I started to get scared and lonely. After a while I came to a parking lot. I didn't see mom and Bella, but there was a nice lady who said hello to me. She opened her car door, and I jumped in. The lady petted me and looked at my tags. Then she made a phone call. I sat in the car with her for a while. Then suddenly the lady got out, and I heard mom's voice calling me! I jumped out of the car, and there was my mom and Bella! I was so happy! We walked home, and at home I got lots of hugs and a chicken dinner.

It's good to be home!

I want to tell all the dogs on dogster to please stay home when your moms and dads are out. I know that sometimes you want to go look for them, but it's really not a good idea! It was very scary out there on the streets.

My mom wants me to remind all the humans to please keep tags on their pets, and make sure the tags have current phone numbers. Every pet should also have a microchip, in case the tags get lost.

And last but not least, a very big thank you to the nice lady in the Walgreens parking lot! I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't found you. Thank you for calling my mom!

Agility Training

My mom's started my agility training. Yay! So far we're just practicing at home. She might take me to a class in the spring.

I don't mean to brag, but I'm a genius on contact obstacles. You just go up the ramp and down the ramp and at the end the you stop and put your nose down and get a treat. Easy-peasy. The teeter is fun! I don't know why some dogs are scared of it. I'd rather do the teeter that a jump or a tunnel.

The only thing I don't understand is the weave poles. There are some poles in the ground, and my mom leads me in between them and then gives me a treat. Bella says that there are a lot of wrong ways to do the weave poles, but only one right way. I asked her what the right way is, but she got confused. She can do it, but not explain it. For now I just follow my mom's hand, but I'll have to figure out how to do it by myself.

It's going to be a while before I can compete, unless NADAC introduces a teeters class. I could get a Q in teeters right now!

Dem Bones

I've decided to get in touch with my inner canine. After all, I am a dog (at least that's what they tell me). So I buried a bone in the yard. Although it's a simple task, I found it quite exhilarating. I buried several bones, and now I can go back and dig then up when I want a nice a chewy. Bella doesn't know about the bones - sometimes I think she lives in her own little world.

There is a problem, though. When I dig up the bones, my mom takes them away from me. She says they're nasty, and that I can't bring them into the house. I'm sorry. I try not to be a dirty dog, and I work very hard to keep my butt clean, but I guess sometimes it's not enough.

I don't know if I'll continue to bury bones. If my mom takes them away as soon as I dig them up, it's not very practical. However, I do find the process of digging a hole, depositing a bone, and then covering it up to be quite soothing. Perhaps it doesn't matter if I ever get to eat the bone. Perhaps the act of burying has inherent value.

Hmmm. I shall have to meditate on this.