To Dream of Dogs

[knitwit45]

Joe, there are so many dogs who need to be rescued, and your sweet story just reinforces that. My beloved Doberman, Babe, is another case in point. She was first owned by a stupid, rednecked son of a gun who wanted a vicious guard dog. When he couldn't make her mean, he bred her for puppies, then decided to dump her at the local vet in Branson MO.

My friend, Elaine (who has search and rescue dogs, but that's a whole other story) was contacted by the vet, asking if she could find a home for this poor baby (hence the name). She was pregnant, had every worm available, including heartworms, and the vet said she'd never make term.

When I got her, she was in pretty shaky shape. We bonded immediately, she never left my side when I was home, and we got thru the heartworm treatment. I was blessed to have her for 12 wonderful years. She learned to play, to not be fearful of men in ball caps, and contributed greatly to my happiness. I still dream about her now and then, always happy dreams.

[klondike]

Recipe for a Best Friend

Take one puppy, roll and play until lightly pampered, then add the following ingredients:

1 expandable suitcase worth of patience
1 cup understanding, & a pinch of correction, for each teaspoon of mistake
1 wheelbarrow full of hard work
2 cups praise per day
All the fun you two can handle together

Next, blend well, while the seasons come & go.

Heat with warmth of your heart until raised or until puppy has tripled in size.

Mix thoroughly, until consistency is such that owner and companion are inseparable.

Enjoy . . for years to come!

[klondike]

If Dogs Were Teachers

If a dog were your teacher, you would learn important stuff, like . . .

- When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

- Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

- Find ecstasy in the simple sensation of the wind ruffling your hair.

- When it's in your best interest -- practice obedience.

- Let others know when they've invaded your territory.

- Take little naps, and stretch before rising.

- Run, romp, and play daily.

- Thrive on attention and let the people you trust touch you.

- Avoid biting, when a simple growl will do.

- On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

- On hot days, drink lots of water and lay under a shady tree.

- When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

- When scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing & pout!

- Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

- Eat with gusto & surrender . . . but stop when you’ve had enough.

- Be loyal, and try your hardest to love unconditionally.

- Never pretend to be something you're not.

- If what you want is buried beyond your reach, dig until you find it.

- If someone in your pack’s had a bad day, be quiet, sit close & lean into them gently.

[knitwit45]

A PET'S TEN COMMANDMENTS.........

1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you
is likely to be painful.

2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.

3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.

4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as
punishment. You have your work, your friends,
your entertainment, but I have only you.

5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do
understand your voice when speaking to me.

6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.

7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could
hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite you.

8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask
yourself if something might be bothering me.
Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long,
or my heart might be getting old or weak.

9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too, will grow old.

10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say
you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is
easier for me if you are there, because I love you so.

~Take a moment today to thank God for your pets. Enjoy and take
good care of them. Life would be a much duller, less joyful experience without God's critters.

Remember that they can't do a lot of things for themselves and
that they depend on you to make their life a quality life!


We do not have to wait for Heaven, to be surrounded by hope, love, and joyfulness.

It is here on earth and has four legs!

[moirafinnie]

Not that I'd ever dress my dog, cat or iguana in so undignified a fashion, but...it is Halloween week, no? This is living proof of animals' tolerance for our eccentricities. Hope this gives you a smile.

[knitwit45]

And we wonder why dogs bite their masters!

[jdb1]

Oh, I don't know, Nancy, they don't seem to be minding, except maybe the cats, but then - cats mind just about everything, don't they? In my experience, dogs are glad to do most things that will guarantee them more attention. Besides, taking one of those costumed canines with you when trick-or-treating will probably bring you lots more candy donations than if you went on your own.

[klondike]

MOIRA -

Couple o' technicalities I'd like cleared-up . . concerning Officer Boston's arrestee:

1) Is he the Officer's only "collar" to date?

2) Was he apprehended for being a cat burglar?

3) Prior to being booked, was he a convicted feline?

4) When he was arraigned, did the court address the litter of the Law?

[moirafinnie]

MOIRA -

Couple o' technicalities I'd like cleared-up . . concerning Officer Boston's arrestee:

1) Is he the Officer's only "collar" to date?

2) Was he apprehended for being a cat burglar?

3) Prior to being booked, was he a convicted feline?

4) When he was arraigned, did the court address the litter of the Law?

I dunno if any of the remarks of either the perp or the cop were recorded, but I believe that this depicts a major catastrophe. This photo keeps reminding me of the later work of WeeGee in all its stark realism.

[knitwit45]

Why Some Men Have Dogs And Not Wives:


1. The later you are, the more excited your dogs are to see you

2. Dogs don't notice if you call them by another dog's name.


3. Dogs like it if you leave a lot of things on the floor.


4. A dog's parents never visit.



5. Dogs agree that you have to raise your voice to get your point across.



6. You never have to wait for a dog; they're ready to go 24 hours a day.



7. Dogs find you amusing when you're drunk.


8. Dogs like to go hunting and fishing.


9. A dog will not wake you up at night to ask, If I died, would you get another dog??



10. If a dog has babies, you can put an ad in the paper and give them away.



11. A dog will let you put a studded collar on it without calling you a pervert.



12. If a dog smells another dog on you, they don't get mad. They just think it's interesting.



13. Dogs like to ride in the back of a pickup truck.


And last, but not least:

14. If a dog leaves, it won't take half of your stuff.

[moirafinnie]

After reading your very funny list of reasons men may prefer dogs to dames, I wonder why we don't see more personal ads from guys looking for someone with a cold, wet nose!

[movieman1957]

Because we are looking for some one who is soft and warm and not furry.

[knitwit45]

Moira, that list came with some great pictures of dogs, but I couldn't copy and paste them into the list. I love your photos of dogs in costume, but I'm at a loss as to how to do that. Is there somewhere on the board that explains the procedure? Thanks.

Chris, you are such a romantic!!!!!

[moirafinnie]

I wish you lived around the corner, so I could stop by to show you easy ways to do this, but perhaps these explanations might help explain how to copy photos, Nancy.

You may already have some info on your computer about uploading and downloading photos to your computer. You might want to look in your My Computer>My Pictures files on your home computer as well as searching for tutorials on using images on your computer that may be listed as part of your Help and Support often found on the Start Menu.

Let me know if you need some further help and I'll try to write it out as best I can. The following info is about copying photos to your computer (pc or mac) and then uploading them to a spot on the internet to post them*.

Posting Photos on the SSO

Microsoft copy and paste instrux

Apple Computer photo copying instrux

Some easy to use photo sharing sites on the internet:
PictureTrail: Online Photo Sharing

Photobucket

__________________________________
*For legal reasons, I should remind all of us that we need to please remember that we should not be hotlinking directly to any other site and that some photos are subject to copyright defined by size, usage, and the proprietor's discretion. We also ask that all photos be kept within 500 x 500 pixels max.

[jdb1]

I have a nice dog anecdote to relate:

Walking home from the polls this morning, I met up with my around-the-corner neighbor Nora and her golden retriever Oscar. Oscar is a very difficult dog, very aggressive and unfriendly and generally unapproachable, often needing to be muzzled when in the company of humans and other dogs. But he absolutely adored my dearly departed Maggie, and she was the only dog he ever consented not only to walk with, but to play with. He tolerated my presence because I was part of the package. Since Maggie has been gone almost a year now, I don't see much of Nora and Oscar, with whom we used to take our nightly walks.

So, I approached them this morning to say hello, and Oscar looked at me, and then looked behind me, to the sides of me, up the block, all around. I knew who he was looking for. Amazingly, he came right up to me, slipped his head under my hand, and allowed me to pet him.

Thank you, Oscar.