Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

You Make Me Smile – June 5, 2016

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You make me smile (or laugh), the sweet, funny, loving things my dogs do on a daily basis that brings a smile to my face, or a laugh to my lips.

Sampson the way you aren’t afraid to do what you need for you, (even if it means putting yourself to bed…)

Golden Labrador

You make me smile.

Ever since he’s been a puppy, he knows when he’s had enough and wants to go to bed. One time when we were visiting my sister’s house, he went to bed, but I apparently wasn’t quick enough to join him, so he came out to check on me.

God I love this dog.

Do your dog ‘put themselves to bed’?

The DADO Report for May 2016

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So here’s the latest DADO report for last month. (For those that might be new to the blog, DADO stands for Dumb Ass Dog Owners and believe you me, there are a number of them in my neighborhood.)

Last Thursday I was taking Sampson for his morning walk. We did our six minutes and then I turned around and crossed the street like I usually do. I noticed one of the houses with an e-fence had their garage door open and I had a brief thought that I should cross the street, but I didn’t.

I should know better because the woman who lives in this house always takes her dog in the car with her when she takes her son to the bus stop. And she passes us almost every day.

I looked carefully and didn’t see a dog and really, what should it matter, the dog’s on an e-fence, right?

Sampson and I are taking our time as is his our custom. Just as we pull level with the driveway, I hear the distinctive sound of a dog on a mission. I look up to see the dog (Roxy) flying out of the garage and across the lawn.  (You may remember Roxy, she’s the little puppy that didn’t want to poop while on leash, so the woman left her off and in doing so, her brand new puppy ran across the  street to greet Delilah.)

Sampson (of course) starts jumping around, which is horrible for his leg, so I start walking to the other side of the road. Just as we reach the safety of the other side, Roxy gets to the end of her yard, pops out into the street, realizes she’s popped out of her yard, spins around to head back in, then realizes she didn’t get zapped and barrels across the street at us.

I hear the mom call Roxy and then I hear the son say, “Told ya.”

I don't always leave my yard, but when I do, it's to sniff a handsome lad.

I don’t always leave my yard, but when I do, it’s to sniff a handsome lad.

And there I am standing on the side of the road with my dog, who is now being sniffed over by Roxy.

The mom comes over and tries to grab the dog, but Roxy thinks it’s a game, so she darts away as the woman tells me that her husband ‘edged’ through their electric fence.

And yet, you took your dog outside without a leash?

Roxy dances close beside me and I say, “I’m afraid to grab her collar, I don’t want to startle her and I don’t know how she does with strangers touching her.”

The woman ponders that, “She’s never bitten anyone before…”

Yeah, I’ll keep my hands to myself.

I reach into my treat bag and hand the woman a few tiny pieces of kibble.

“Wow, you’re good” she responds as she takes the kibble and holds it out to her dog, who turns her nose up at it and darts away again.

Sampson’s grown bored with the whole process since he’s already met the dog by now and sits down on the side of the road.

What can say? The lassies all love me.

What can say? The lassies all love me.

Meanwhile, people in the neighborhood are leaving for work and cars start moving along the street, while Roxy continues to dance about and play the keep-me-away-from-my-mom game.

Finally, after what seems like 10 minutes, but was probably more like three, Roxy gets close enough for the woman to snag her and the son comes out into the street and carries the dog into the car.

I gather up my wits, my treats and my dog and stagger home clutching my heart.

Really, you can’t make this stuff up.

Does this stuff happen to anyone else? Or is it just me?

Ten Things I Love About Delilah

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I love both my dogs and I think I’m pretty good at sharing some of their traits that make them so endearing to me.

So what’s with the Delilah centered post you ask?

Well, last week Jan at Wag ‘N Woof Pets had a post, Pure Love – 10 Things I Love About Sheba. I so loved this post and thought it might be fun to showcase each of my dogs.

AND since last Thursday was Delilah’s nine year “Gotcha Day” and I totally spaced on it, I thought I’d start with her.

Siriusly, did she just compare me to Cujo?

Of course it’s about me, isn’t everything?

1. Lovingness – Delilah does not take to people right away, in fact, it took her a very long time to even warm up to me, hubby and the rest of the family. She’s been failed by humans before and this has made her cautious, she doesn’t want her heart broken again (who can’t relate to that?) But once she trusts you, you’re golden in this girl’s eye. Where once she would tolerate pets, today she actively seeks them out and enjoys them. It’s proof that love and patience really can work miracles. Nothing makes me smile more than to roll over in bed and have her roll onto her back so you can rub her tummy.

2. Protectiveness – She is not aggressive with people by nature, but she will protect her people to the death. There is no doubt in my mind that this dog would give her life to protect me without even thinking twice.

3. Intuitiveness – I’ve always heard of dogs being in tune with what’s going on with their person, but I’ve never experienced it to the degree I have with Delilah. Delilah is totally in tune with me, and if I’m feeling down, or sad, she is right there, inserting herself into my space and supporting and comforting me and licking my tears away. If Hubby and I are excited about something and talking animately or raising our voices slightly, she gets incredibly upset and will run up to you with her little tail tucked between her legs and shove herself into you looking for comfort.

4. Silky Fur – Delilah has the softest, silkiest fur I’ve ever felt. Stroking her fur is so calming and soothing. I dare you to stroke her fur and not feel a sense of peace and calm wash over you. And when she groans because you’ve rubbed her ear, just the right way, it definitely tugs at those heart strings.

5. Cleanliness – Yeah, she smells like a Frito Corn Chip, but don’t hold that against her, she is the cleanest dog I’ve ever had. Her little belly is so pink and anytime you move any fur around on her body, all you see is milky white skin.

6. Zest for life– or as the French say, “Joie de vivre” – this dog’s zest for life is contagious, you cannot be around her and not feel that she is grateful to be alive. Hubby always says, “She knows we saved her from a high-kill shelter and she is thrilled to be alive.”

7. Athleticism – She is such an amazing athlete, she makes everything she does seem so effortless. I’ve seen her run practically straight up an almost vertical boulder, clear piles of brush eight feet wide, by two feet tall and jump? She can go from a sitting position and jump onto a three foot high wall as smoothly as a cat.

8. Silliness – She is one silly dog, and makes me laugh just about every day. Why just yesterday she went into the den and pulled an empty ice cream container out of Hubby’s trash can in there. (Shame on Hubby for not putting it in the kitchen trash!)

9. Fearlessness – Delilah is not afraid of anything…except sewer grates, she has a healthy respect for sewer grates. Human or animal, obstacle or object, if it’s in her territory, she’s going to find out what it is. Remember the Llama farm and the stand-off she had with the donkeys? She also had a standoff with a deer on the other side of our fence. I missed it, but Hubby said that deer was pawing the ground and puffing itself up. (I was running for my camera.) ;-(

Not sure what you think you're doing, but this is MY yard.                                I’m not sure what you think you’re doing, but this is MY yard.

10. Learnability – Delilah has learned to get what she wants by watching how Sampson operates. For instance, if you go into the bedroom when you come out, she will be waiting in front of the door and roll over onto her back so you can rub her tummy or her ears.

I could probably find a few more things I love about her, but the list says ten, so I’m sticking with it. Have you ever wrote down the things you love about your pets? I’d love to read them!

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