Favorite Dog Writings

A home without a dog is
like a garden without flowers

Favorite Dog Writings Favorite Dog Writers dog sayings canine quotes

Grow Old With Dogs

When I am old... I will wear soft gray sweatshirts... and a bandana over my silver hair..... and I will spend my social security checks on wine and my dogs. I will sit in my house on my well-worn chair

and listen to my dogs' breathing. I will sneak out in the middle of a warm summer night

and take my dogs for a run, if my old bones will allow...

When people come to call, I will smile and nod as I show them my dogs... and talk of them and about them... ...the ones so beloved of the past and the ones so beloved of today....

I will still work hard cleaning after them,

mopping and feeding them and

whispering their names in a soft loving way.

I will wear the gleaming sweat on my throat, like a jewel and I will be an embarrassment to all... especially my family... who have not yet found the peace in being free to have dogs as your best friends.... These friends who always wait, at any hour, for your footfall... and eagerly jump to their feet out of a sound sleep, to greet you as if you are a God. With warm eyes full of adoring love and hope that you will always stay, I'll hug their big strong necks... I'll kiss their dear sweet heads... and whisper in their very special company.... I look in the Mirror...and see I am getting old.... this is the kind of person I am...and have always been. Loving dogs is easy, they are part of me. Please accept me for who I am. My dogs appreciate my presence in their lives... they love my presence in their lives...... When I am old this will be important to me... you will understand when you are old.... if you have dogs to love too. ~Author Unknown The Journey "When you bring a dog into your life, you begin a journey. A journey that will bring you more love and devotion than you have ever known, yet will also test your strength and courage. If you allow, the journey will teach you many things, about life, about yourself, and most of all, about love. You will come away changed forever, for one soul cannot touch another without forever leaving its mark. Along the way, you will learn much about savoring life's simple pleasures -- jumping in leaves, snoozing in the sun, the joys of puddles, and even the satisfaction of a good scratch behind the ears. If you spend much time outside, you will be taught how to truly experience every element, for no rock, leaf, or log will go unexamined, no rustling bush will be overlooked, and even the very air will be inhaled, pondered, and noted as being full of valuable information. Your pace may be slower, except when heading home to the food dish, but you will become a better naturalist, having been taught by an expert in the field. Too many times we hike on automatic pilot, our goal being to complete the trail rather than enjoy the journey. We miss the details: the colorful mushrooms on the rotting log, the honeycomb in the old maple snag, the hawk feather caught on a twig. Once we walk as a dog does, we discover a whole new world. We stop; we browse the landscape, we kick over leaves, peek in tree holes, look up, down, all around. And we learn what any dog knows: that nature has created a marvelously complex world that is full of surprises, that each cycle of the seasons bring ever changing wonders, that each day has an essence all its own. Even from indoors, you will find yourself more attuned to the world around you. You will find yourself watching: summer insects collecting on a screen; how bizarre they are; how many kinds there are; or noting the flick and flash of fireflies through the dark. You will stop to observe the swirling dance of windblown leaves, or sniff the air after a rain. It does not matter that there is no objective in this; the point is in the doing, in not letting life's most important details slip by. You will find yourself doing silly things that your dog-less friends might not understand: spending thirty minutes in the grocery aisle looking for the exact brand of food your companion must have, buying dog birthday treats, or just driving around the block an extra time because your dog enjoys the ride. You will roll in the snow, wrestle with chewie toys, bounce tennis balls till your eyes cross, and even run around the house trailing your bathrobe tie with a puppy in hot pursuit, all in the name of love. Your house will become muddier and hairier. You will wear less dark clothing and buy more lint rollers. You may find dog biscuits in your pocket or purse, and feel the need to explain that old socks adorn your living room floor because your dog loves an impromptu game of tug. You will learn the true measure of love--the steadfast, undying kind that says, "It doesn't matter where we are or what we do, or how life treats us as long as we are together." Respect this always. It is the most precious gift any living soul can give another. You will not find it often among the human race. And you will learn humility. The look in my dog's eyes often made me feel ashamed--such joy and love at my presence! She saw not some flawed human who could be cross and stubborn, moody or rude, but only her wonderful companion. Or maybe she saw those things and dismissed them as mere human foibles, not worth considering, and so chose to love me anyway. If you pay attention and learn well, when the journey is done, you will be not just a better person, but the person your dog always knew you to be--the one they were proud to call beloved friend. I must caution you that this journey is not without pain. Like all paths of true love, the pain is part of loving. For as surely as the sun sets, one day your dear companion will follow a trail you cannot yet go down. And you will have to find the strength and love to let them go. A dog's time on earth is far too short, especially for those of us that love them. We borrow them, really, just for a while; and during these brief years they are generous enough to give us all their love, every inch of their spirit and heart, until one day there is nothing left. The dog that only yesterday was a puppy is all too soon old and frail and sleeping in the sun. The young pup of boundless energy now wakes up stiff and lame, the muzzle gone to gray. Deep down we somehow always knew that this journey would end. We knew that if we gave our hearts they would be broken. But give them we must, for it is all they ask in return. When the time comes, and the road curves ahead to a place we cannot see, we give one final gift and let them run on ahead, young and whole once more. "God speed, good friend," we say, "until our journey comes full circle and our paths will cross again." 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 thought 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. (author unknown) If a dog lives with... If a dog lives with hostility he learns to fight. If a dog lives with brutality he learns to be shy. If a dog lives with anger he learns aggression. If a dog lives with good leadership he learns security. If a dog lives with encouragement he learns to try. If a dog lives with boundaries he learns respect. If a dog lives with praise he learns confidence. If a dog lives with fairness he learns to trust. If a dog lives with love he finds brotherhood. My Dog Lives here My dog and I live in this house. You are welcome to come and visit me anytime, but we have a few things that you must understand before you visit...... You must expect a few dog hairs to stick to your clothes. I vacuum and clean on a regular basis, but a Dog lives in this house too. You may be licked and given a paw a few times, but he does this because he loves people and wants to say "Hello". If you do not enjoy being lavished with "puppy love", then you may not feel comfortable here, because this is his home too. My dog is well mannered and very clean. I bathe him, brush his teeth, and comb him regularly, but if you are one of those people who think ALL animals are dirty and smelly, then you and I will probably have difficulty feeling comfortable during your visit. If you don't like the sound of barking, then my home is not likely to be a pleasant place for you. My dog protects me by letting me know I have a visitor. Whether it be a friend, or uninvited stranger. If you are a friend, my dog will consider you his friend too.....but if you are an unwelcome guest, my dog will protect me with his life, as I would his. Do NOT expect me to lock my dog in another room during your visit. I have trained my dog well so he will not do anything to you, except maybe want a pat on the head. I will NOT subject him to feel as if he is BEING PUNISHED by locking him away for NO reason. That would just be CRUEL! When you walk in my home, be careful not to trip on a squeaky toy or a bone. These are my dog's little treasures, and I will not take them away from him, just to show you that I keep a clean house. He knows where all his toys are. They may not look like much to you, but to him, they are worth more than gold. You see, this is OUR home. We have been together for a long time. I raised him into a well mannered, beautifully behaved dog. I am proud of him. I consider him my personal gift from God. He has done nothing but give me his endless love and devotion for many years. I love him dearly and want to make his years happy ones, as happy as he makes mine. There are many that find it difficult to understand the love between a pet and his master, but let me assure you, such a bond exists, and it is a real and beautiful bond. When you go home to your family, he stays here with me. A fine and loving companion. He is part of MY family and I wouldn't change that for the world. When I was sick, he stayed right by my side as I did his when he was not having a good day. He greets me with unbridled joy when I return from an outing. He never notices my bad moods....he's there for me even when I'm cross and cranky. A better friend I could not ask for. When no one else cared, my Dog did. He has given me nothing but pure joy, and unconditional love, and I love him endlessly. So please understand, I am not being rude, I'm just looking out for my very best friend. Author Unknown And another version............... My Dog Lives In This House Unknown Author My dog lives in this house. You are welcome to come and visit me anytime but we have a few things that you must understand before you visit. You must expect a few dog hairs to stick to your clothes. I vacuum and clean, but my dog lives here too. You may be leaned on and find him in your lap a few times but he does this because he loves people and wants to say Hello. So if you feel that you are too good for his love then you are not welcomed here because this is his home too. My dog is well mannered and very clean but if you are one of those people who think all animals are dirty and smell, then go away. You are not the type of person that I care to associate with. If you don't like the sound of barking, then my home is not going to be a comfortable place for you to visit. Do not expect me to lock my dog in another room during your visit. I have trained my dog well so he will not do anything to you except maybe want a pat on the head. I will not subject him to feel as if he is being punished by locking him away for no reason. That would be cruel. When you walk into my home, be careful not trip on a stuffed toy or ball. These are my dog's treasures and I will not take them away from him just to show you that I keep a clean house. He knows where all his toys are. They may not look like much to you, but to him, they are worth more than gold. You see, this is OUR home. We have been together since he was a small puppy scampering around the house. I raised him into a well mannered, beautifully behaved dog. I am proud of him. I consider him my personal gift from GOD. He has done nothing but give me his endless love and devotion for many years. I love him dearly and want to make his years happy ones. As happy as he made mine. When I was sick, he stayed right by my side, as I did his when he is not having a good day. A better friend I could not ask for. When no one else cared, my dog did. He has given me nothing but pure joy and I love him endlessly. So please understand that I am not being rude. I'm just looking out for my best friend.

Your Dog The years go so very fast and before you know it, that romping pup is old and gray muzzled and they have sat by our sides while we read, watched TV, and worked on our computers. Every so often they come to lay their heads in our laps, toss our elbow with their muzzle, or gaze into our eyes and wait for us to notice them. Take a moment now to remember what they mean to you. I am your dog, and I have a little something I'd like to whisper in your ear. I know that you humans lead busy lives. Some have to work, some have children to raise. It always seems like you are running here and running there, often much too fast, often never noticing the truly grand things in life. Look down at me now, while you sit there at your computer. See the way my dark brown eyes look at yours? They are slightly cloudy now. That comes with age. The gray hairs are beginning to ring my soft muzzle. You smile at me; I see love in your eyes. What do you see in mine? Do you see a spirit? A soul inside, who loves you as no other could in the world? A spirit that would forgive all trespasses of prior wrong doing for just a simple moment of your time? That is all I ask. To slow down, if even for a few minutes, to be with me. So many times you have been saddened by the words you read on that screen, of others of my kind passing. Sometimes we die young and oh so quickly, sometimes so suddenly it wrenches your heart out of your throat. Sometimes, we age so slowly before your eyes that you may not even seem to know until the very end, when we look at you with grizzled muzzles and cataract clouded eyes. Still the love is always there, even when we must take that long sleep, to run free in a distant land. I may not be here tomorrow; I may not be here next week. Someday you will shed the water from your eyes that humans have when deep grief fills their souls and you will be angry at yourself that you did not have just "one more day" with me. Because I love you so, your sorrow touches my spirit and grieves me. We have NOW, together. So come, sit down here next to me on the floor and look deep into my eyes. What do you see? If you look hard and deep enough we will talk, you and I, heart to heart. Come to me not as "alpha" or as "trainer" or even "Mom and Dad"; come to me as a living soul and stroke my fur and let us look deep into one another's eyes and talk. I may tell you something about the fun of chasing a tennis ball, or I may tell you something profound about myself, or even life in general. You decided to have me in your life because you wanted a soul to share such things with; someone very different from you, and here I am. I am a dog, but I am alive. I feel emotion, I feel physical senses and I can revel in the differences of our spirits and souls. I do not think of you as a "Dog on Two Feet"-- I know what you are and who you are. You are human, in all your quirkiness and I love you still. No, come sit with me, on the floor. Enter my world, and let time slow down if only for 15 minutes. Look deep into my eyes and whisper into my ears. Speak with your heart, with your joy, and I will know your true self. We may not have tomorrow, but we do have today and life is oh so very short. So please--come sit with me now and let us share these precious moments we have together.

A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.

He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.

When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.

When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, where are we?"

"This is Heaven, sir," the man answered.

"Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked.

"Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up."

The man gestured, and the gate began to open.

"Can my friend," gesturing toward his dog, "come in, too?" the traveler asked.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets."

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.

After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence.

As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.

"Excuse me!" he called to the man. "Do you have any water?"

"Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in."

"How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog.

"There should be a bowl by the pump."

They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.

The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.

When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.

"What do you call this place?" the traveler asked.

"This is Heaven," he answered.

"Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "The man down the road said that was Heaven, too."

"Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell."

"Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?"

"No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind."

"Just A Dog" From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a dog," or,"that's a lot of money for just a dog." They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for "just a dog." Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a dog." Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a dog," but I did not once feel slighted. Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a dog," and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a dog" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day. If you, too, think it's "just a dog," then you will probably understand phases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise." "Just a dog" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy. "Just a dog" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person. Because of "just a dog" I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future. So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a dog" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment. "Just a dog" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day. I hope that someday they will understand that it's not "just a dog" but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a man." So the next time you hear the phrase "just a dog." just smile, because they "just don't understand."

The 10 Commandments of Pet Ownership author unknown 1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you will be painful for me. Remember that before you get me. 2. Give me time to understand what you want from me. 3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial to my well-being. 4. Don't be angry with me for long, and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, entertainment and friends. I have only you. 5. Talk to me sometimes. Even if I don't understand your words, I understand your voice. 6. Be aware that however you treat me, I'll never forget it. 7. Please don't hit me. I can't hit back, but I can bite and scratch and I really don't want to do that. 8. Before you scold me for being uncooperative, obstinate or lazy, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right foods or I've been out in the sun too long or my heart is getting old and weak. 9. Take care of me when I get old. You too will grow old. 10. Go with me on difficult journeys. Never say, "I can't bear to watch," or "Let it happen in my absence." Everything is easier for me if you are there. Remember, I love you.

"Our dog's lives are much shorter than ours- let's help them enjoy their
time with us as much as we can." -- Dog Scout Owner's Motto
http://www.dogscouts.com