Louie was a real dog’s dog. He had little use for humans. He even went out of his way to avoid any form of human affection or praise. Perhaps being such a huge dog (my guess is that he was part Saint Bernard, part Collie, part Grizzly) had something to do with his confident and independent demeanor. Anyway, I didn’t know Louie that well — I only saw him maybe four times in my life — but I’ll never forget the day that we connected in a most unusual way.
I walked out of Louie’s owner’s house and toward my car, which was parked down the street. “Hey Louie,” I said to the mutt, who was standing in the driveway. Louie looked at me indifferently, then looked away. Because of a high hedge, we lost sight of each other as I turned and walked up the sidewalk. Coming back from my car, I gave a succinct bark. I have a fairly convincing bark, so I wasn’t surprised when Louie responded with a similar bark. I barked again. Again, Louie responded. I then stepped into Louie’s view. He looked at me, then, realizing that I was not what he expected, he quickly looked back toward the direction of the last bark. I paused for a moment, then gave another bark. Louie’s head quickly turned back toward me. His mind was working. After about a second, the expression of this dog’s face changed completely. The corners of his mouth rose. Louie was obviously smiling. I know it seems odd, perhaps even unbelievable, but not only did that dog know he had been fooled, he “got” the joke.
I didn’t pat Louie as I walked by — I knew he wouldn’t care for any physical display of affection. I just smiled back and walked into the house.
Back in March, we featured a video sent in by one of our visitors. It was an adorable clip of Suni “The Bear” playing in the snow. We love it when people send in pictures and videos of their dogs, and when they do, we try to feature them on the blog as much as possible.
Send in your photos by clicking the “Share Your Story” link on the top left of this page. From there, you can add pictures, captions, and more! Don’t forget to tell us your dog’s name.
Make sure and keep your dog dry and warm this winter, and if you see your dog beginning to shiver from being outside for too long, bring him inside immediately. Even though dogs have incredible immune systems, a cold and wet dog can turn into an unhappy sick dog very quickly. If you ever see a dog out in the cold for too long, do your best to address the issue with the owner privately. If they are unwilling to cooperate, make sure to contact the local animal control to file a proper report.
Have a safe, fun, and happy holiday season!
Here is a question asked by a user in the popular Yahoo Answers Community followed by the best answer selected by the community and confirmed by a friend and local trainer.
Question:
Why does my dog give me his rawhide bones?
My dog is a Boxer. He is very mild tempered. When I am sitting, he will bring me over his bone and either drop it in my lap or at my feet. At first I thought he wanted to play fetch. I would toss the ball a few feet away from me and he would bring it back after about two or three times, and then he stopped bringing it back and lay down.
Answer:
My dog does the same thing. According to my trainer, this is very good. He is “sharing” his bone with you; it is a sign that he trusts and loves you. In the wild, dogs bring “gifts” to their pack leader. It also demonstrates that your dog knows his place, he is not dominate, and sees you as the pack leader. Congratulations on raising a really good dog! When he gives you his bone, take it. He will probably come back later, but it is important for him to know that his gift has been accepted.
So there was plenty of food on the table and though I was unable
I saw my bowl full of the same and then I hung my head in a sorrowed shame
As I barked at the humans up above, a small kid pet me and showed me some love
Couldn’t believe my very eyes as the turkey fell to my surprise
I ate it and looked up for more, but nothing fell and then the door
Taken outside to do my thing but then the dinner bell did ring
All had plates full of stuffing, turkey, cranberry galore
Now outside in the shivering cold, I find my tree but becoming bored
Finally, let back inside I see the mess they left behind
Thanksgiving is here and I’m right on time!
-By Michael Rosenblatt
