Happy Birthday Mindy!

Mindy celebrates her 8th birthday today.  She’s been with us a little over a month and we couldn’t be happier.  She has settled in quite nicely with Woody and Ellie and to our family routines.  She’s a sweet, gentle girl and is often found snoozing at my feet. We’re so happy she came to stay.

Mindy loves…

• breakfast, lunch and dinner
• morning walks
• cuddling
• playing ball
• meeting new friends

Mindy’s Birthday Present

For her birthday I decided to make her a dog bed (version 2.0, I like to call it).  I made the base out of a sturdy cotton canvas material, inserted a Velcro opening (for easy laundering) and stitched on a snuggly, fleece top.  When it was all finished, I placed it on the floor for her to inspect and curl up on and she promptly jumped onto Mike’s chair to take a nap.  Not the reaction I was expecting!  She’s come round though and I’ve caught her enjoying 40 winks on her new bed.

Woody and Ellie will be getting replacement beds soon.  The set I made them 2 years ago really didn’t have any way to be cleaned and when one of the beds was peed on, it was time to come up with another solution.  The new beds will be able to be washed and dried in the event of accidents or just dirt from daily use.

National Dog Day

According to National Dog Day Founder, Colleen Paige,

“National Dog Day (Also known as: International Dog Day & National Dog Appreciation Day) is celebrated August 26th annually and serves to help galvanize the public to recognize the number of dogs that need to be rescued each year, and acknowledges family dogs and dogs that work selflessly each day to save lives, keep us safe and bring comfort. Dogs put their lives on the line every day – for their law enforcement partner, for their blind companion, for a child who is disabled, for our freedom and safety by detecting bombs and drugs and pulling victims of tragedy from wreckage.”

There really isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t learn from my dogs.  They are such an integral part of our lives, make us laugh, demand our devotion, love and energy and their presence soothes our souls.  I really can’t imagine my life without a dog.

I’ll leave you with this (lengthy, but worth it) excerpt from the summation remarks of from George Graham Vest, a senator from the late 1800’s:

“The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog. A man’s dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may be near his master’s side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer. He will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounters with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take wings, and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens.

If fortune drives the master forth, an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him, to guard him against danger, to fight against his enemies. And when the last scene of all comes, and death takes his master in its embrace and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by the graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad, but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even in death.”

How will you love and care for your dog today?

“Since we have a new sister (Mindy), she’ll be showing up here every now and then.  At the moment, we’re training her in the areas of cute pictures and cute remarks.  The pictures are turning out okay, but she’s got some work to do on the remarks.  We make this look easy, but it’s really quite difficult.”