Red and Rover by Brian Basset for November 04, 2009

Come on Red, Rover’s your chick magnet. mine attracts ticks.

LOL, grapfhics!! I’ve read that dogs can also sense disease, like cancer. Amazing…

Actually, they can, Lightenup. I’ve known a few dogs who would do their level best to ‘take care’ of their people when they were ill. My mother used to have a beagle who would know when she was about to get another migraine headache.

Rover doesn’t descriminate.

One night at Cheers, Cliff Clavin explained the “Buffalo Theory” to his buddy, Norm. “Well ya see, Norm, it’s like this. A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine ! That’s why you always feel smarter after a few beers.”

The first time I heard my puppy growl was when she was about a year old. A visiting physical therapist (one who goes to the home of house-bound patients- Mom’s in a wheelchair and can’t drive) was working with Mom. I had her on a leash, because she’s of a shy-natured herding breed. Mom was on the bed, the PT helping her with stretches, and Chloe was torn between growling at the PT and running away!

She will not be an “official” service dog. While I inherited Mom’s condition I don’t think I’ll need one “full time”. But since I’m the one who cares for her she is very bonded to me and doesn’t like being apart. I don’t leave the house much and she really gets upset when I do. She basically spends the time muttering (really, they say that’s the only way to describe the sounds she makes) complaints and chewing on a toy.

She has learned to pick things up and give them to us (I use a cane and can’t always bend well, and Mom obviously has trouble) and is learning little tricks that can be expanded into other service tasks. She knows how to touch an object I indicate, so eventually will be able to turn on or off a touch-lamp from across the room.

If she wasn’t very smart (we could tell by the ways she finds to get into trouble) we’d be happy just having a pet. But since she is one of the smartest dogs my aunt has known (she has had lots of dogs and done all sorts of things with them) and responds well when I teach her little things, she’ll be a helper too.

BTW, only person my other aunt’s dog ever growled at was Grandma’s son-in-law. He delivered her and her husband’s wills from the lawyer. Grandma read before signing. It suddenly said that if he died first, Grandma would pay rent to live in their house! So they also know who will abuse the elderly. Grandma hosts so many Christmases (her kids are too far away to come), birthdays for the little ones, etc and it’d been almost 10 years that she had!

You tell ‘em Rover.