SimplyLife

If you've had several dogs over the years, there's always one that's a little above the rest. It's like the Border Patrol agent I recently interviewed who told me that his first canine partner would always be his best one. The dog was just plain special. And so it is for us. The canine who merits top dog in our family was a yellow Lab named Buck. He came into our home as a four-year-old. That in itself was out of the ordinary. We'd always had puppies. But after the demise of a dog who looked for every chance to escape the yard, our vet suggested we get in touch with a local breeder.  Buck was a handsome boy who'd sired quite a few litters, but had been retired early from that job. Neutered, shots up-to-date, and AKC paperwork in hand, we took him home to see if he'd be a good fit. He'd been shown in the breed ring, his obedience skills were well established, and his laid back personality were all big pluses. In no time, we were sure Buck would be a g...

When the thermometer rises in July and August, the Dog Days are here. Ever wonder why the string of hot, humid days belongs to the dogs? It comes straight from ancient Rome. The Romans believed that the sultry days of summer were caused by Sirius--no, not your satellite radio, but the star in the sky. It was all connected with the dog star, Sirius rising at about the same time as the sun. These days ran from July 24-August 24. They actually sacrificed a brown dog at the beginning of time period to appease Sirius, which did absolutely no good, of course. While the simultaneous rising of the sun and Sirius is no longer true--it has to do with the equinoxes and other science stuff, the Dog Days have come down through the centuries, recognized by the Church and secular society alike. Dog Days were identified as evil days when "the Sea boiled, the Wine turned sour, Dogs grew mad, and all other creatures became languid; causing to man, among other diseases, burning fevers, hysterics...

Our Lab, Clancy is going to be 11 years old in a few weeks. We've had him since he was eight weeks old, just a squirming, yippy puppy. Once a way too energetic dog, he's just now beginning to slow down. Now that he's well into his senior years, a few quirks have come along that only add to his rather enthusiastic personality. He likes to imagine that intruders are outside on a whim. He begins barking for no particular reason and stares out of the front windows.  I vainly search for possible trespassers, but the yard is empty. If a commercial on TV includes a doorbell ringing, he's immediately at the front door barking like a Rottweiler. I'm chalking up these reactions to old age. He used to be able to differentiate between TV and reality. Or perhaps he's watched too much TV over the years. Clancy, who leads a rather sedate life these days, comes to life every evening around 7:00pm. He happily supplies entertainment just when we'd like to sit down and re...

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 interest...

Labradors have to be about the goofiest dogs out there. The AKC breed description says a Lab should be "a strongly built, shortly coupled, very active dog. The hallmark of the breed is the "otter tail." The ideal disposition is one of a kindly, outgoing, tractable nature; eager to please and non-aggressive towards man or animal." No wonder they're America's favorite dog and have been for many years. They're personable, eat just about anything, and have low maintenance coats. However, their tails are dangerous.  They also have a tendency to steal food and hearts. Labs have been in our home for over 20 years. We've had mostly black Labs and one yellow. Our first was a rescue dog we named Sophie. She was an all around family dog. Our girls could do just about anything with her and Sophie was also an outstanding hunter. From woodchucks to muskrats, the  remains of sundry unfortunate critters showed up on our lawn on a regular basis. She faithfully waite...