It's A Charlie Day

How appropriate I placed this photo of my pal wearing his raincoat in today's post.(SORRY, I couldn't get the picture inserted. He is wearing a yellow raincoat). Folks, it's raining with due diligence. Know what this means? Charlie won't step outside. His bladder and bowel have been trained to hold it in forty days and forty nights if necessary.

Do you remember when your children were infants? When they were able to sit up or crawl on their knees? It seemed as though every day brought a new success for us and them. That's the way it is with our pooch since he came into our lives a year ago. There's more good than bad but we've learned to cope.

For instance, if Charlie isn't following me around he's with The Queen doing the same. Last night SHE called out, "Is Charlie with you?". I answered with a "No". When this happens red flags go up. The first thing we do is head for the kitchen and she did. Then I heard, "CHARLIE!" I knew right away he's committed a no-no. He'd gotten into the garbage. He has this trick of slithering away from us, four times to be exact,  then opening the door under the sink, tipping over the garbage can and preparing for a feast fit for a mutt. Her Majesty had spent part of yesterday cutting fat off chickens and beef; about 16 ounces worth. It was gone. All dogs know when they've bit off more than they can chew. After they've been caught they'll run to the other Master, lie down on their stomach with head on paws, eyes upward. It's their attempt to gain sympathy and it works. Dogs hate to be yelled at in a loud voice. It scares them and creates anxiety.( I read this in a dog bible).

Besides, what can I do: take away the car keys or ground him. So, I only say "Oh Charlie", pat his head and move on. We're still waiting for him to barf. Speaking of barf Charlie has done it three times. I'm trying to figure out why, with all the hardwood floors we have, he has to puke on our expensive carpet. Is he trying to say, "Screw you. I'm sick of the treats you buy me".

Charlie has learned quite a bit since we got him. If I point he goes in that direction. When I say, "Let's go home", he does. If I should say, "Let's get the mail', go for a ride, take a walk" he's at the front door.

When I use the magical word 'treat' he jumps around like a 6 year old child waiting to open Christmas presents. When we go for a walk in the field behind the house I'll yell, "Go, go, go" and he'll take
off running like Secretariat headed for the finish line.

Chaz loves to play Tug O War. I always let him win but I don't think he knows it.

Did you know dogs in general can smell 40,000 better than people which leads me to wonder why do they get a charge out of smelling another dog's feces? Actually, I know the answer. Pooches can tell quite a bit about another animal doing this.

Breeds of dogs act differently. Some of them walk upright looking around. Mine has his nose down constantly searching for, I believe, food.

Charlie is a Cairn Terrier. The breed came out of Scotland and were used to go down into holes and kill rats. Charlie, one time, ran after a mouse we had in the house. He did this until he had a heart attack and had to quit. He couldn't have caught that critter if it was on crutches.

The good news is we got through the night, with fat in his belly, sans barf in the house.