Marking

As you know, male dogs tend to mark their territory by urinating on the grass, fire hydrants and whatnot.

Until yesterday, I was not sure what qualities human boys and male dogs shared in common.

I found out the hard way.

As usual, I alerted my mother when my baby brother had a stinky diaper and needed a change.

I usually supervise the diaper change just to make sure that everything is taken care of and that the little princes’ bottom stays clean and dry.

It has been fascinating to watch my brother grow longer and longer each time we put him up on the changing table.

As he has grown older, he has begun to more readily recognize my face and voice (well, bark).

With this new sense of knowing, I guess my brother wanted to make sure that another baby did not try to steal his dog.

So my brother did the unthinkable.

He peed on me, just like the male dogs do to mark their property.

Needless to say my mom scooped me up and plopped me into the bathtub for a good scrub down.

Although I didn’t like being peed on, I was touched (literally!) that my brother loved me so much that he wanted all his other baby friends to know!

The Road

When Robert Frost wrote about “The Road Not Taken,” he forgot to tell you that the road may be long, bumpy and convoluted.

Even though we may try to steer away from Frost’s road, sometime we are forced to take the hard road to reach our final destination.

As Frost tells us, the road can change you.

But change is a good thing.

My road to sisterhood has been a long journey and I believe my time waiting for the gift of a sibling has made me a better dog.

Now that I have reached my final destination, somehow the pain of waiting has melted away and what has appeared is beyond my wildest imagination.

Each time my brother smiles at me my heart grows bigger, and I thank the heavens above that I am able to feel such a deep and steadfast love.

When my brother giggles, my limbs flutter in delight and I am amazed that I can feel so at peace.

And when I think of the future and the roads that my brother may travel, I hit the deck and roll all over his baby street carpet to make sure that it smells like me so when he is traveling, my scent will assure him that I will always be there for him.

For no matter what road you travel on, the love and support of your family and friends will help you find your final destination.

Sleep

The most peaceful moment I have ever experienced was watching my baby brother sleep.

I know, I know as the saying goes, you are supposed to sleep when the baby sleeps.

But how can I be expected to do that?

Looking at his delicate sweet face gets my heart racing and I wind up staring at him for hours (so that is where my day goes!).

Now I understand how Monet could look at the same subject and paint it so many times so many different ways.

But Monet’s water lilies have nothing on my little brother.

So far my favorite time to watch him sleep is in the middle of the night when the soft moonlight illuminates his face.

Sometimes I think I even see little angel wings and a halo form around my brother.

Truly, our baby is a gift from heaven above.

So sleep tight my friends for I will be up all night awestruck by my baby.

The News

You are probably wondering what happened to me. I am sorry I have been away for so long.

But I am pretty sure you will forgive me. I have some wonderful news to share.

I am a big sister.

Yes, you heard me correctly. I am the proud sister of a little baby brother.

At first I wasn’t sure what my parents brought home. They introduced me to this little squirmy thing wrapped up in soft cozy blankets.

This wasn’t an ordinary dog toy I thought to myself. I wasn’t really sure what it was, but it made a little coo sound at me and all of a sudden it felt like I was hit with a ton of bricks.

I was in love like I have never been before. Just when I thought my heart couldn’t grow any bigger, it instantly doubled in size to make room for our baby.

My lips quivered with joy and something greater than all the love in the world overcame my body.

As I began to wag my tail and my parents were smiling from ear to ear, I knew something miraculous happened that would change our lives forever.

So forgive me for not being on my blog in while. The love I feel for my brother has mesmerized me and I have been floating around in some alternate universe.

In this alternate baby universe, I have also been helping out a lot around the house. I have a new role as big sister and my duties are many from checking the safety of the baby equipment to tasting the bath water to make sure the temperature is just right.

Just when you think your heart can’t grow any bigger, someone enters into your life and changes you forever. Thanks to my baby brother, my heart will always be full of joy and amazement.

Size Matters

Saturday I attended a picnic that thanked all of the dogs who volunteer their time participating in pet therapy programs.

I even had the chance to meet some new friends, both big and small.

It was entertaining to watch the big dog tails wag and almost knock the food off the picnic tables.

My little dog friends and I were all holding our breath and hoping that the Great Dane would knock the cold cut platter down to our level. Boy, that would be heaven.

Every once in a while I wish I could swap places and be the biggest dog on the block.

I wonder what that would feel like.

As it turns out I am going to have my chance!

Next month my family anticipates a new little arrival. Although it won’t be covered in soft furry hair like me, I hear that these small bundles of joy called babies are quite cuddly.

Once this baby arrives I will no longer be the smallest member of my pack. Yipe!

But I do hear that I will have to learn some big sister skills so that I can welcome the newest addition to our family. Stay tuned for my progress.

A Free Trip

Have you ever wanted to travel to somewhere far, far away or somewhere exotic and exciting?

What if I told you that you could go there for free?

Sounds too good to be true? Well it isn’t!

Pick up a book!

Some of my pet therapy buddies and I participated in a reading program at a local elementary school last month.

The kids circled around and cuddled up with their new furry friends and read us their favorite stories.

One little boy took me on a camping trip.

Another little girl took me on a garden expedition.

It was so relaxing to sit back and listen to the stories and partake in the magical adventures.

So remember if you want to escape to a fascinating place, just pick up and book and you can go wherever you want to! And you can even bring your friend!

I'm Back

Just a quick note to let you know that I’ll be back on my blog!

Sorry for the holdup, but my staff writer has been busily working on her schoolwork.

She assures me she will get back to working as my assistant.

I would do it myself, but I just can’t quite master the necessary fine key-strokes as my paws are too big.

Hopefully you are still eagerly awaiting my blog entries.

That is, if the rain has not washed you away!

In meantime, enjoy all the green the rain has brought us and I’ll be with you soon! ! I have some new exciting adventures and stories to share!

I Ate the Mail

I guess I have to admit it. Believe it or not, I have a bad habit.

Some people have bad habits like eating too many cookies or forgetting to brush their teeth before bedtime.

Well my bad habit is not so common; it is mail.

Every time the mailman comes to put the mail through the door slot, I grab it and run around the house.

I am just so excited to see who might have written me a letter!

And some people have even mailed me dog biscuits!

So needless to say, whenever the mailman comes to the door I get very excited and practically salivate hoping that there is a treat buried in the middle of the mail.

My bad habit has become so notorious that I have earned the title of “the little dog who eats the mail” among the postal carriers.

But I guess the post office isn’t too mad at me because they still give me treats every time I see them!

Thanks for stilling loving me, even with all my faults!

Rain Drops

There are so many songs about rain.

Start humming and see what you come up with.

Maybe you started off with, “rain, rain go away come back another day.”

Or another tune you may be singing, “rain drops keep falling on my head.”

Motivated by the songs about rain, I decided to put on my slicker and take a walk outside.

I was looking for a little inspiration for my pet therapy visit tomorrow.

And then I saw it.

There were lots of little kids outside romping around in their goulashes and raincoats, just happily soaking in the fun of the rain.

What a great way to experience the world!

Tomorrow when I visit the children’s unit at the hospital, I think I’ll wear my raincoat and dance around with the kids.

We’ll have to come up with our own song. Maybe it will sound something like “it is raining fun in the hospital.”

Tug O' Ears

You just never know when you’ll be needed.

On Sunday I attended a bicycle race.

No, no I wasn’t one of the racers. Cycling is a sport I have yet to try. But my dad races bikes and he is super fast!

While I was waiting for the race to begin, a little girl named Shelby ran over to me to say hello.

Shelby was an adorable little girl who was mentally challenged.

At first Shelby was shy, but in no time she flung open her arms and hugged me.

Unexpectedly she grabbed my ears with her hands and pulled my ears straight out to the side – I looked like the flying nun!

Shelby looked deep into my eyes and told me she loved me.

I didn’t move so she could continue to hug me.

Shelby’s mom kept calling her, but she wouldn’t let go of me.

The more her mom called, the tighter she hugged me.

I wasn’t sure what Shelby was holding on to, but while we were together she seemed to be at peace.

I told Shelby not to worry, I’d be at the race again next week and would eagerly await another hug.

Satisfied, Shelby smiled and waved good-bye.

Irish Dog Wisdom

With age comes wisdom.

To buy me a few years, I decided to put this kerchief to make me look more mature.

Of course you all know some of the traditional Irish blessings.

“May the road rise to meet you.”

“May the wind be always at your back.”

… and so on.

But you won’t find much regarding Irish dog wisdom, so I thought I’d cook some up for you to enjoy on St. Patrick’s Day.

May your bowl always be full.

May you toys be extra squeaky.

May the treats be plenty.

May the grass be green to run on.

May your tail always wag because you are surrounded by friends.

And most of all, may you never loose your puppy enthusiasm for life!

Melt Down

When someone is experiencing a melt down, usually that is a bad thing.

But in this case is it a wonderful thing!

As spring is trying to make its way, all the snow is slowly melting away.

If you listen closely, you can hear the water trickle down the sidewalks.

As I listen to the steady rhythm of the water, I think of all the new life that is to come.

If I close my eyes, I can already smell the daffodils and tulips.

Ah, the sweet smell of spring on the way!

Heaven

Do you believe in Heaven?

I believed in Heaven before, but I sure do now!

Yesterday at the hospital a nun stopped me in the hallway.

She said I have something very important to tell you.

My Mom and I were a little taken aback as we never met her before, but nonetheless we stopped for the important message.

She came over smiling from ear to ear and gently told us that dogs go to heaven.

I was so excited to hear that.

I wonder what heaven will be like and I sure hope I get in. I guess I’ll have to make sure I log plenty of pet therapy hours to make sure my name is on the guest list at the pearly gates.

The Day After

It is a sad day when the holiday is over.

But if you can keep a small memento to remind you of all the fond memories, the holiday can live on for a long, long time.

I was lucky enough to receive flowers from my Valentine.

The flowers still smell so sweet and the aroma can be intoxicating at times.

Every time I catch the scent (which is often since my doggie nose is so sensitive), I think how lucky I am to be surrounded by so much love and splendor.

Thank you dear Valentine for the flowers and the thought of you that is with me each and every day.

I Love You

The three sweetest words one can hope to hear are “I love you.”

In my case, this day was extra sweet as almost everyone I passed in the hospital giggled and uttered those words to me.

“I love you.”

It still makes me feel cuddly inside as I remember the smiles and warm words shared today.

Maybe it was all the snow that melted away or the foreshadowing of a tender Valentine’s Day, but nonetheless there was something special in the air today that brought people together.

I have to confess, my Valentine’s Day get-up might have something to do with it too.

Somehow the smiles today seemed to be extra warm and there was magic in the air as people extended their hearts and hands to stop and share in some affection.

I hope that your Valentine’s Day is as warm as a freshly baked loaf of homemade bread and as sweet as the finest chocolates.

And most of all, remember to tell those who you care about that you love them on Valentine’s Day!

Sending you my best smooch! Woof! Woof!

The Safety Professor

Last month I enrolled in college again.

Not as a student, as a professor!

Well maybe not exactly a professor, more like a guest speaker.

You might think from my safety vest that I spoke about being a patrol or security dog.

While I try and try to look big and ferocious in my safety suit, at the end of the day I am still a fluffy, cuddly dog and as you might expect I spoke to the college students about what it takes to be a therapy dog.

The students inspired me as they listened intently and took copious notes during my talk.

Their eyes sparkled with an enthusiasm about creatures large and small.

So often I spend my time trying to take care of others by making them happy, and it feels comforting to be the recipient this time and see so many young people studying to learn how to take care of animals.

Thanks to all the animal lovers who are training to make the world a safe and healthy place for me and my fellow dogs!

The Crumbs

What might be a crumb to others is a banquet to me!

Some of you might take birthday cake for granted, but I sure don’t. It isn’t often that I get to steal away a crumb.

Luckily this time I did not have to resort to robbery! I would hate to have to be put in birthday cake jail.

Naturally, for my birthday, my Mom baked up some moist fluffy cake to share with my pet therapy friends.

As you might imagine, I am not allowed to eat cake with heaps of butter cream frosting on top.

But, this year, now that I am three (in dog years that is grown up), I am allowed to lick the plates since I am the birthday girl.

As soon as the little crumb of birthday cake hits my tongue, it is a like having an explosion of a sweet tang in your mouth.

So if you didn’t get to share some of my cake, be sure to go to the nearest bakery and have a slice and as that sweet sensation hits your tongue, think of me!

One, Two, THREE

Happy Birthday to me!

Today I turned three!

Happy New Year!

Sorry it has been a while since my last entry. The holidays kept me very busy this year!

But I’d still like to wish you a belated Happy New Year!

After being on vacation for so long, I was eager to return to work.

The patients and residents who I regularly visit still had their holiday smiles on and we shared some of our New Year’s resolutions.

As per my mother’s suggestion, my first New Year’s resolution is to work on my manners.

My manners seemed to go awry this past Christmas.

One might say that my naughty behavior was inspired by the new movie, Marley & Me (a must see!).

When I visited my great-grandmother on Christmas morning, I had the strong urge to jump up on dining room table and run all around it like it was a racetrack full of treats.

I know, you wouldn’t expect that from me, but something just got into me this holiday.

Luckily my aunt gave me a pack of treats that were labeled “naughty” on one side and “nice” on the other.

I ate all the “naughty” treats.

Now I am left with the “nice” treats which is a good thing since I am returning to work this week.

No worries though, I am back on track brushing up on my manners and in the pet therapy saddle spreading cheer.