It happens

After the Feast of the Snake I let the 2 poidogz in bed with me. The "big" guys take a little longer to settle down than the spotties, but we finally settled in-Cody on my hip and Greta on my pillow with my nose on her hip.

We were all snoozing peacefully when something went horribly wrong.

I awoke to find my forehead on Greta's hip and her tail across my nose. She must have scooted around in her sleep. The fact that her tail was across my nose meant my nose was sharing space with that part of her that resides UNDER her tail.

Precisely 2 nano- seconds after I got my bearings, she farted. Her fart woke her up-she looked at ME in disgust and went down to sleep at the end of the bed. Cody lifted his head to see what all the commotion was about, looked at ME in disgust and went to the end of the bed.

Let me share with you that EVO farts are the worst ever.

Feast of the Snake

The snakes eat only every 1o days or so, and somehow it has become tradition that on snake feeding night we all feast. I had ribs on the way home (I'm not really in to sharing the rodent fest) and the remaining poidogz got Evo and Tripe. Now there is nothing left to do but make a last trip to the loo for all of us, then go sleep it off.

Monday Funnies

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Holding a Puppy

Greta and I were outside tending to some chores and the 3 next door neighbor schnauzers were shrieking at us as usual. We wandered over (their yard edges our driveway) to have a little communal sniff and practice not barking (at least on Greta's part). The neighbors came out and I asked about the littlest one.

Yes, they admitted they have a new addition-born in October. She is a glorious chocolate colored schnauzer. Now, I don't know if AKC approves of that color, and I don't care. They let me hold that baby and the puppy magic happened. I think I almost lactated.

Unfortunately, it's this same puppy magic that fades and ends up in dogs being rehomed-so it's a dangerous sort of magic at best.

Now I'm watching Cody snooze in the afternoon sun (Greta is on the dog couch behind me, and the spotties are in Oklahoma, probably taking their afternoon nap). Cody was a purchase, not a rescue, but he's at the age (2) where the new wears off....and I just don't get it. Who could resist watching such a gorgeous little dog snooze in the sun, flicking his ears. His brindle coat is a work of art in the sunlight. His crooked blaze, from this angle, makes his nose look like it's on the side of his face. What perfection.

There is the rush of warmth you get from holding a puppy and rush of warmth you get holding a dear old friend. When I set out to sort out things for Uncle John last summer, I took Dottie with me. She calmly went in, set up her command post in the best chair amid the chaos, and made a dreadful situation much much better with her presence. At the age of 7 she found a new calling as a great Diva of the Nursing homes. A puppy would have been too much for the situation, it required the wisdom of an elderly genius.

My wish for today is that all dogs, old and young, be appreciated for the wonders that they truly are.

Deep Freeze Idiots and Kind Souls

Some idiot burglar stuck a chihuahua in a freezer. The chi is Ok, but these folks are seriously disturbed.

http://www.nbc11.com/news/10913023/detail.html?

I'd like to put them on ice for awhile so they could think about what they did.


On a brighter note:

http://www.nbc11.com/family/10905965/detail.html

Things are looking up for these little guys.

What is a Hoarder

They fascinate me, primarily because I can see how I could easily become one myself. Iwant to know more about it and I'm going to post a few inquiries and see if I can get some to talk to me.

It's the desire to do good that gets all mixed up and suddenly turns into a bad thing. Maybe I'll start a Hoarder Outreach-SAVE TWO, NOT IMPRISON TEN. I'll definitely need a new e-mail address for that one....

WHAT is a Backyard Breeder?

Ok, I get the puppy mill thing entirely-too many dogs, unsavory conditions, CRUEL conditions, without any regard for the animals well being.

But the backyard breeder? Ok, anyone with a few dogs who has no regard for the animals well being-but that is a PUPPY MILL.

What about the enthusiast who is just toying with dogs, and may or may not have any interest in showing? On some of the lists I belong to, anyone who is not cruel to their animals but breeds a line with a look you disagree with is labeled a BYB-back yard breeder.

Ironically, it is the same elitist attitude demonstrated by the "true afficiandos" of the breed that attracts the John Q Public person who wants a dog like "Tinkerbelle". Snobs of the world, and wannabes, get over yourself.

Also, what is a purebred dog, beyond a dog that can trace its lineage back aways by a recognized registry-regardless of the quality of the animal. Even the much exaulted and beloved chihuahua didn't appear on the earth a complete and new species-for shit's sake, it's just a dog. AND, it's a dog whose function is to be a cute companion. So, while I can understand somewhat the debate of the strange topline of the American bred German Shepherds (form vs function) it doesn't really require all that much to be a fully "functioning chi".

Here is a strange idea for you-rather than focus on name calling why don't we think about educating the dog buying public so that they take care of the animals they DO purchase? When an educated public makes ethical purchasing decisions, the Puppy Mill will be gone.

An educated, ethical decision isn't necessarily buying from a long line of champions, but from someone who takes good care of their dogs and is thoughtful about how they place their dogs. Whether those dogs were bred in the backyard or on a sprawling estate is of no concern to me.