You Can Be As Smart As Your Dog!

Because many people have a problem with their dogs being afraid of thunderstorms, I'm going to tell you how I worked with this.

The dog pictured above in a charcoal by Carol Mooney, done in 1979, is Bobo, a Lhasa Apso who was almost entirely black with some white markings. By today's standards, he would be considered refined but he was never shown because he was thought to be "too big".

Bobo - rather misnamed because he did not have the clownish actions or attitude of other Lhasas I have known, including Buddy - was adamant and very vocal about two things he disliked. A Russian gentleman with a defined accent used to deliver meat and as he was talking, Bobo would pace and bark at the same time. The other problem was electrical storms. During a thunderstorm, Bobo would bark incessently. We always had other dogs back then and I was just starting my Shih Tzu breeding program, so there were Lhasa and Shih Tzu.

Bobo lived a long life - over 14 years and there was a curtain of sadness - you probably have felt that when your dog has gone to the "Rainbow Bridge".

The evening of the day Bobo died, there was a major thunderstorm in the Toronto area. I came up with the concept that Bobo was telling us he had reached Heaven safely. I talked about this in a calm voice to the dogs present in the living room. They listened and were very quiet. Of course, I was sad but even I found it calming. It seemed as though Bobo was indeed talking to us.

After that night, whenever there was a thunderstorm, I always quietly told my dogs that they should not worry. "It is just Bobo talking to us."

Well, here I am - more than 20 years and 1,600 miles later - in Texas, still telling my dog that it is just Bobo talking when the thunder sounds.

Buddy never knew Bobo and there is no relationship but probably because I am calm, he is calm and that is what matters.

I just heard from a friend this morning that her dog was very upset for four hours during the storm we had early this morning.

Now, I am not sure this would work with an older dog, but it might. Some of my dogs were adults when Bobo died. But, you don't have anything to lose to try talking calmly to your dog about the storm. I am sure Bobo would not mind if you used his name!

While remembering Bobo - much more serious than his name implied - let me tell you how one of his quirks helped him home one time.

As I told you, Bobo always barked when the Russian meatman would speak.

Well, one night, Taury the Shih Tzu came up the steps and into the house, but Bobo was nowhere to be seen. The wind was blowing and it was dark and cool in Thornhill (North Toronto) that night. I called our two neighbors.

Our next door neighbor was Czechoslovakian - with throaty accent. His wife was French. I telephoned to them, told them Bobo was missing and could they cup their hands to their mouths and call for Bobo who might be in their backyard or the next. I can still hear that famous call:

"BOBO . . . DE BOBO . . . BOBO . . . DE BOBO . . . BOBO . . . DE BOBO . . . "

"Wruff . . . Wruff . . . Wruff." I could just barely hear it from the back porch because, remember, there was a loud wind. I certainly could not see him: remember Bobo was black and it was dark outside!

We got a couple of leads and walked across the adjacent lawn where the neighbor was still calling. Now, I could hear Bobo better . . . and the lady from that house was already at her door, telling us Bobo was there.

I think he was glad to see us and Bobo came to us right away.

Over the years, I have found that sometimes, you really do have to be at least as smart as your dog.

Today, we have found that Buddy - who has an ugly habit of bolting out the front door - likes to follow the little space from the curb to the roadway, and does not like to go out onto the asphalt. This means, if you want to find Buddy, you go down the path to the curb and follow the curb around. You glance up the driveways and paths to see if he has gone up to someone else's house. You will find him!

The lesson? Well, I'd just tell you to observe your dog's habits. Hopefully you are almost as smart as he is and you can figure out what it will take to remedy the problem!

Please Take Me Home . . . Summer Is A Good Time To Adopt A Dog!

Yesterday morning, there was a small dog - perhaps four months old - waiting at the main door to our church. Someone had dropped her off. A church is a good place to drop a dog you don't want, I suppose. She was really precious and was turning on her charm for all who walked up the path in hopes of someone taking a shine to her.

I suspect that one family with two young girls took her home as the girls were very taken with this lost little one. If she did not go home with them, then I imagine our Pastor and his wife took her to their place where they have a Schnauzer and lots of running room.

A lot of dogs are being dropped off these days and a lot are being taken to shelters. In these tough times, many people cannot afford to feed a dog and certainly cannot afford medical care and shots.

Since it is summertime and children are home, perhaps it is a good time to consider checking out the dogs waiting for homes.

They used to say that dogs teach children responsibility. Well, I am not sure about that. I think they often teach parents more responsibility. Children are busy doing something else and parents are the ones who let the dogs out in the garden and put out the food. If you can teach your children to do this . . . well, you have done a really good thing!

Dogs teach children and adults to love more, play more and realize that someone else can be dependent on them.

If is pretty common to see a young child talking quietly to his or her dog. Dogs are very good listeners.

Dogs tend to put smiles on faces and light up people's lives.

If you are older or living by yourself, a dog will be happy to be your friend. He does not ever judge you and is always waiting for you to come back home, wagging his tail and never complaining. Never have seen a dog complain! A dog loves you unconditionally!

So, if you have it in your heart to make room for a dog someone could not care for, please go down to your local shelter/humane society and take a look at who is hoping you'll stop by!

Happy Independence Day!

Hope you and both your human and canine friends all have a Happy 4th of July! ~ Buddy, the Lhasa.

The Hardest Part Of Having A Dog

This is a picture that indeed is worth a thousand words. We have an elderly Retriever with his not so young mistress and we can see how much love they have for each other. She remembers when he was a mischievous pup and he remembers how patient she was and all the treats she'd give him.

The really tough part about having a dog is knowing they will not live a very long time. We acquire them as puppies or young dogs and before we know it, they are grown. They bond with us and to them we can do no wrong. They love us without question. They are part of our family; part of our routine.

Then, we turn around and our dog is old. Where did the time go? We take him to the Vet who tells us to just take care of Fido and love him. And love him we do - maybe too much.

The dog who cannot see still loves you. He trusts you to still love him and so you do. But your heart is breaking as you watch him stumble through the house. His other senses are pretty good and he probably gets around better than you or I would.

Because I was so involved in the Dog Fancy, I have seen a lot of puppies. Puppies need their mother but their mother needs us. A pen with a nursing mother is a delight, but it is hard work too. Since I bred Shih Tzu, I didn't like to let them go too young as they were quite small. I usually had people waiting for them and it was interesting to place them in suitable homes. I still have videos and pictures of the puppies playing and I remember how much fun they were when they were so little.

Because I sometimes showed my dogs, I always looked for the one I wanted to keep - if I was keeping one - and I watched how they changed just about daily.

I studied Shih Tzu and so I was looking for things others wouldn't think about. I liked to place them in adult homes; just never really felt they were a child's dog. Their eyes were prominent and vulnerable and I guess I felt most children needed something a little bigger to play with.

Then, there are dogs in their prime who can outwit us and make us laugh. I had a Boxer who was that and more. He actually was the first dog I had ever had although I was in my twenties. He was a rather serious soul and took direction well. Looking back, he was overtrained. He went with cancer when he was six. Six! He went quickly after he was diagnosed and didn't seem to be in too much pain. It broke my heart. But I still think about that dog - and each dog is an individual - a lot. I think about how much he might have taught our current dog, Buddy, the Lhasa Apso.

Red had a friend named Lex. The two Boxers would run in the field and Lex would patiently teach Red some of the things he knew about being an apartment dog.

The greatest thing I can tell you about Red is that he was the one individual who cared - all day long, day in and day out - that my little daughter was sick. He learned right away not to lick her face and he knew to come and get me if she was in distress. Her name was Carrie Jane and I know that Red found her when he went Up There.

About eight years later, in my second marriage, we had two Lhasas - one named BoBo and one named Garbo.

A granddaughter and I groomed Garbo beautifully one day and put ribbons in her hair. She played in the garden and had a wonderful day. That night we took her downstairs and put her to bed for the night in her crate. In the morning, she was gone. No pain, no illness: she just simply died. I have not known too many others who went so calmly.

BoBo was not named well for he never was clownish like some of the Lhasa I have known. He was extremely serious and took his guarding duties very seriously. He hated thunderstorms and barked furiously when he heard the noise. He loved car rides and his romps in the garden. When he could no longer see and was stumbling, my husband did not want to have him put down. So, we set him up in an excercise pen and cared for him but he did not seem happy and it was one disease after another. He was about 15 years old. Finally, we did have him put down.

It was very sad that day and I was feeling very bad myself because it was John's dog and I had persuaded him to do this. I simply could not bear to see BoBo suffer any more. After it was dark, there was a thunderstorm that night with major noise. It fit perfectly! BoBo had got to that Rainbow Bridge.

No dog I have had after BoBo has been afraid of thunder because I have always consoled them by telling them that it was just BoBo saying "Hello". (It is your attitude that sets the tone for how your dog reacts.)

If you have not heard that tale, I will tell you. It is said that when dogs die, they go to Heaven and they wait for us at the Rainbow Bridge. When we die, they will come running to welcome us.

As John had dogs all his life and had been an all-breed dog show judge, I think the Irish Setters, Cocker Spaniels, Scottish Terriers, Lhasas and Shih Tzu gave him a wonderful greeting the night he died.

I don't often write my blogs about such serious or sad topics, but a lady I hardly know had an experience a few days ago. They had been visiting family here and were driving back home. Their old dog took sick and they turned back to get him help. He's home with them now. He is blind and his getting sick just made them feel worse. They know how much they have loved that dog over the years and how much he has loved them. It breaks the heart.

When I came to Texas, I brought my last two homebred Shih Tzu - Sadie and Harry. They made friends with my new Hubby's cats - Sugar and Smokey and we had great times with them all.

Sadie went out one morning, came back in to the kitchen and half an hour later, Hubby found her very still - dead - with Harry standing by her side. It was so peaceful and gentle. Pastor Chancellor came over and dug her grave at the back fence in the garden.

Harry continued for another two years and was the first dog I have seen take seizures. It was really horrid. We had to have him put down and by then the cats had both died.

Well, that was IT! No more pets! No more dogs! Too heart-breaking. Too sad. No more dogs. Yes, that is the way it would be.

We lasted five weeks.

That's when Buddy the Lhasa came into our lives. Now he is six. He hasn't slowed down much yet but we dog lovers live every day with the fact that they don't live long lives.

One more thing. We have a friend who will take Buddy if something should happen to us. If you have pets, that's something to think about: that your pet would have a fine home if he didn't have you.

They ask for so little and give us so much. Our dogs are such a blessing; we would not like to be without them.

Now, go give your dog an extra hug!