Here in this house......

"Here in this house... I will never know the loneliness I hear in the barks of the other dogs 'out there'.

I can sleep soundly, assured that when I wake, my world will not have changed. I will never know hunger, or the fear of not knowing if I'll eat. I will not shiver in the cold, or grow weary from the heat. I will feel the sun's heat, and the rain's coolness, and be allowed to smell all that can reach my nose. My fur will shine, and never be dirty or matted.

Here in this house... There will be an effort to communicate with me on my level. I will be talked to and, even if I don't understand, I can enjoy the warmth of the words. I will be given a name so that I may know who I am among many. My name will be used in joy, and I will love the sound of it!

Here in this house... I will never be a substitute for anything I am not. I will never be used to improve peoples' images of themselves. I will be loved because I am who I am, not someone's idea of who I should be. I will never suffer for someone's anger, impatience, or stupidity. I will be taught all the things I need to know to be loved by all. If I do not learn my lessons well, they will look to my teacher for blame.

Here in this house... I can trust arms that hold, hands that touch... knowing that, no matter what they do, they do it for the good of me. If I am ill, I will be doctored. If scared, I will be calmed. If sad, I will be cheered. No matter what I look like, I will be considered beautiful and known to be of value.

I will never be cast out because I am too old, too ill, too unruly, or not cute enough. My life is a responsibility, and not an afterthought. I will learn that humans can almost, sometimes, be as kind and as fair as dogs.

Here in this house... I will belong. I will be home."

  Consider adoption if you want to experience the joy of giving a dog a second chance at life! I may not have come from a kennel, but I don't wish that on any dog and we all deserve a good home no matter what our background is. Give us a chance.......

Buddy Jadon

Something to chew on

So apparently it's National Dog Bite prevention week, according to mom. Hmph. Seems funny to me how all this attention goes toward us dogs when people are the ones always snapping at each other! We canines generally have a reason behind our bite as well as a lesson......I haven't seen how people help teach each other anything through all their growling and snapping! But, I admit I don't understand humans much at all, so I'll stick to what I do know.

What I can honestly say is that children, followed by the elderly, are the most frequently bitten by dogs.....I'm not sure about humans. Mom says this is statistically true, though I can understand why. Take kids for example. Have you ever noticed how high their little voices are? I sure do, and I don't know why, but makes me tingle all the way to my tail and I can't help but get anxious! And then they move so fast and run away basically begging me to chase them down! These are things my instincts simply can't ignore despite all of mom's efforts to calm me down. I give her credit, she tries! And I'm glad she does because I don't really want to hurt anyone, but some feelings are simply beyond my control. The worst is when I'm already barking for people to go away and they still try to pet me.....arrrrg! Humans are so hard to train! That's where I find the older people are worse. But one other thing that upsets me with children is when they stare into my eyes and come at me, which is easy to do because they're often the same height as me. I don't know many dogs who like that because it's very intimidating and makes us feel like we have to defend ourselves! And then they throw their little arms around my neck and I'll do anything to get out of that kind of situation!

Don't get me wrong, I personally have never bitten any kids, but I have snapped at one once and I did give a little nip to the neighbor.....I hate that guy! But maybe it's best if I explain a little about how we dogs communicate compared to you people. For one thing, enough of the "blah blah blah" already.....we don't understand much less care about most of what you're saying! We talk with our actions and our feelings. We watch how you move and act as well as sense your emotions, which says so much more than words ever could. You want to be my friend? Don't come at me, staring down and desperately trying to pet me like we've known each other for years! And don't be all nervous and scared and quickly pull your hand away when I move. If you come on too strong I'll feel attacked and if you're insecure I'll get nervous and scared. Feeling thretened or frightened are the two biggest reasons we bite!

We're really just looking for a little respect and understanding. For one thing, let me come to you on my terms......sniff, sense your intent and decide if I like you. You don't have to pet me right away, stare at me or try to grab me; let me come on my own time! Don't act all excited to see me or scared of me because it makes me suspicious and then I get defensive. Try to learn how we talk so you can understand what we're saying. An example would be growling, which I thought was a pretty obvious way of saying back off! But there are other things that can be warning signs to you that we're not happy. A stiff body and head level with the shoulders is a way of saying I'm unsure, anxious or prepared to defend. My tail is almost always tightly curled so it's not as good of a sign as with a lot of other dogs, but if a tail comes up straight and fast when you approach then that means the excitement level is going up and it may be too much to handle and turn into an anxious snap. I do loose my curl when I'm scared and my tail tucks under me, so please understand that if you keep pushing me I might feel trapped and bite out of fear. A wagging tail also doesn't always mean a happy dog! A big, high wag is good but a low, fast wag could mean trouble. We can't tell you how we feel so watch our body, out tails, and even our ears and eyes. I put my ears back when I'm not happy and a very intense glare means I will get my message through to you! Don't stare back or I'll want to bite! That's just the way we communicate.

I'm of course speaking for all dogs here. I personally just feel the urge to nip when I'm out in the yard and strangers are getting me riled at the fence, or when people leave my house. I realize that I'm very anxious and I don't like getting so stressed so I become angry to block out that feeling. (It also makes me feel tough!) Buddy, Negrita and KaChing don't seem to care as much about respect from humans so I've never really seen them try to bite, but I'm very sensitive about it and I know many dogs are. We listen to our moms and dads as best we can and I'm glad they work so hard to teach us not to bite because that's important: we honestly don't like doing it! But it helps when people give us space and teach children how to respect us so we can respect them in return.

I know this is a pretty brief guideline to understanding how we tick and how to get along (especially since humans don't learn very quickly), but I hope it's a start! At least it may give you something to chew on.......speaking of which, I could use a treat......

Kiara Faith

*Sigh*  Another long day. Seems every day is the same.....droning on forever with the same monotony as the day before. It's been a long winter of feeling cooped up. I miss the sunshine, long walks outdoors and the feeling of grass beneath my feet. Oh, and the water! Nothing is more invigorating than splashing in a cool pool on a hot summer's day! I remember the beach.....so many enticing new sights and smells tantilizing the senses! The wind tickling the leaves on the trees and playfully winding through the branches creating a sound like a distant applause, so unlike the busy streets at home. I can still smell the wet sand and seaweed as well as hear the many birds singing their own individual songs and the children squealing with delight at the small waves lapping at their toes! I'm not that big on swimming, but wading through the water and exploring the sandy bottom of the lake was like being in a whole different world.......the water swirling around me with each movement, the feeling of weeds gently grabbing my ankles, trying to see past my reflection down into the rippling waters and wondering what lies beneath......it was an entirely new level of joy!

*Sigh*  As the sunlight filters through the window and falls gently across me I close my eyes and dream that I am free in the vastness of the outdoors,  running as fast as my legs will carry me through tall, soft grass with the wind kissing my face! I dart through shrubbery disturbing wildlife and not even stopping to smell the flowers, for the exhileration is too great to slow down! I finally collapse under the cool shade of a tree and as I lay there in complete contentment, I watch the busy insects and notice the fresh buds blooming around me. I look around in awe at the many wonders surrounding me and wonder how I ever survived the many months indoors.

I am suddenly roused from my visions by the sound of the door. I catch the subtle scent of spring before the door closes. Mom is home and I run to greet her, hoping that today will be the day! She doesn't say a word and simply goes about putting away her things, changing and settling in. She looks tired. She finally slumps into a chair and I wait hesitantly for an invitation.......she looks up and smiles! I run into her arms and she laughs at me and my brother and sisters all scrambling for attention! My anticipation grows and she seems to read the eagerness in my eyes.....I can't help but give a pleading stare! How else do I tell her of my longing to go out and feel young and free? Her smile fades and as she reaches out to caress my face she says, "I know honey, but not today."

I understand and decide that it's okay......as long as we're together I am happy! Mom mentions taking a nap and I willingly follow, wanting to show her that I'm there for her. As we all curl up together and settle in she puts her arm around me. I start to drift off to the sound of my brother's gentle snoring and think to myself that although I didn't get to fulfill my dreams today I know there's always tomorrow. Being surrounded by love and holding onto my hopes and dreams makes enduring another long day seem bearable.

It's funny how mom sometimes talks about how cute I am when I'm sleeping......my legs twitching and my tail wagging......I wonder if she knows what adventures I'm dreaming of? I wonder if she dreams of them too?


Kiara Faith