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Dog Days

Dogs are proven to add to our quality of life. They entertain, lower blood pressure, and are great companions. Wet noses, wagging tails, and sloppy kisses are some of the endearing canine qualities. They're always glad to see you and they love to be in the middle of whatever activity is going on. Our daughter Emily's dog, Dude is no exception.  He's a rescue dog and is most likely a Feist, which is a blend of terriers and other small breeds. Peculiar to the South, the energetic Feist is an avid hunter. Dude is obsessed with stalking rabbits and birds. He's even terminated a hummingbird, which is gruesome, but you to have to give him grudging admiration for the feat.

The Dude was visiting this weekend and livened up the household and our senior Lab, Clancy.  They have a good round of tug of war with toys and there's usually a short-lived spat about food or a rawhide bone. As any dog owner knows they can be cagey when it comes to food and we've had some interesting food thefts over the years.  Our first Lab, Sophie who was mild mannered and obedient, hogged down a couple of pounds of hamburger out of the carton when I was unloading groceries many years ago.  The meat tray and piece of plastic were lying on the lawn when I went to retrieve the last two bags. Sophie was nowhere to be found. She would also counter-surf occasionally and a piece of cake or some other food item might disappear while your back was turned.

Clancy is a bread lover and has been known to quietly snatch a baguette from the table.  Dude is is chewer of remotes, so we're always mindful of where they are.  Emily's remotes are shabby and well-chewed.  Last year at Thanksgiving while we were distracted with football and cleaning up the kitchen, Dude was discovered on the table finishing up the gravy. This weekend the little dog was watching me place bacon on a plate covered with paper towels to microwave.  The plate was left on the counter for just a few minutes. When Emily and I realized that Dude was strangely absent from the family room, we found him devouring a slice of bacon in the dining room.  He'd neatly pulled the paper towels from the plate to the floor, and lifted a slice for his dining pleasure. As a hunter of bacon, his skills are exquisite. He was unphased by our displeasure, and seemed pretty pleased with himself.

Dogs may in general lower your stress and blood pressure, but from time to time may raise those levels when it comes their epicurean adventures.

Dude and Clancy Chillin'



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