When we’re at Lake Arrowhead, the sky is usually real clear, because we’re at five thousand feet elevation and there are no city lights. So I found the chapter on “Constellations” to be fascinating. I had noticed a constellation that looks just like a dog bone, but I never knew its name until now. It’s called “Bonius Minor.”

Another chapter that made me think of Lake Arrowhead is the chapter on “Squirrels.” I never knew there were so many different kinds of squirrels. To me, they’re just little guys who sit on the deck, eat the corn that Barbara puts out for them, and jump from tree to tree. We do get a visit once in a while from a flying squirrel; his name is Furbie.

It’s too bad Jamie, Fred’s previous Golden Retriever, never read the chapter titled “What to Do During a Thunderstorm.” One of the stories in “My Doggie Says… Messages from Jamie” is about a thunderstorm. Jamie really freaked out, and Fred had to sleep with her in the den with the blinds closed and the TV turned on loud, so Jamie couldn’t hear the thunder. If Jamie had read “The Dangerous Book for Dogs,” she would have identified a few “safe zones,” like under the bed (if she could fit) or in a closet.

The chapter on “Dog Jobs” left me a little cold. Rex and Sparky cover the big jobs dogs can do, but they should have read my October 4, 2007, post about “The Top Ten Jobs that Dogs Could Do.” They left out digging swimming pools, re-cycling stuffed toys, ambassador, department store greeter, and psychologist.

The chapter titled “Five Things Every Dog Should Have” was OK, I guess. But I’ve got my own “laser pointer,” and I don’t need a straw to drink out of toilets. And according to Rex and Sparky, I do have a pretty good owner, in Fred, since he does pat me on the head sometimes “for no reason.”

It’s too bad I didn’t read “The Dangerous Book for Dogs” last March, when I first moved to Fred’s house. The chapter on “Training a New Human” would have come in real handy. I do think I did a pretty good job of “asserting myself” and making sure Fred “knew his place.” But it would have been good to read the section about “Bark, but don’t Bite.” My “biting” was always the gentle, friendly kind, but according to Rex and Sparky, it’s best to “scold, don’t scar.”

I really recommend this book to your dog, and to you, too, if you just want to have a fun time. It’s pretty easy to read, even for dogs, and it has lots of very cute ideas.

See you next time,

Callie

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 8th, 2008 at 3:26 am and is filed under Relationships. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.