Ode to be famous

Well I certainly don't want to bite my snout off despite my face, though I have to say as I see it coming and I don't know it's me. I am speaking of the ode to be famous. Being a celebrity means being notable to many and while a cat might think this means thousands some dogs could be please with five or six humans signing their praises. The scale leaves room for the smallest of champions to the largest of renowned beings.

I have things happening. This industry takes push, shove and a go getter attitude usually reserved for the humans with all the gumption. I may be a little to passive to chase the status. But I think I am special anyways. I think I do something a small percentage of dogs do. I am not talking about my Harley, I speak of that human / animal bond you that just is so large whenever I am in the room with another human. I am famous. I am notable. I am a champion. Even though it would still be cool to be more recognized...

Satisfied or confused or both? That is called having a good balance by never thinking to little of self, or to grand.

When they say, "remember her when" I hope they refer to the days after I leave this earth and not while I am here with my snout in the air...

Praying for myself.

Emma Zen

Now it's here, now it's not.

Have you ever seen a crystal clear water bowl? Filled with cool water on a warm summers day. Ice cubes gentle floating freely in the dish. The bowl sitting on a riser just high enough to meet you muzzle. Have you ever seen such a bowl of H2O? And then your visiting canine company comes charging by and whoops! the bowl goes crashing over and you sigh and get on with your play.

But, if you knew that bowl of water wasn't going to be there in ten minutes. You drink from it's fill, savoring the delights of purity. Enjoying all that it is.

Look at your day, your life, your friends, you family, your surrounds, your reality and partake as if you knew when it wouldn't be there anymore. Slow down and do, instead of speeding up and doing over. For sometimes the answers of life are simply found, in your water bowl.

Emma Zen

Paw Blog

I introduced myself as a writer today, then feeling less than for a second or two I had to by clarified by adding that is was more of a paw blog then anything. But then I raised my head and wagged my tail for a realized, as a canine I have a lot to say which I think humans could relate too and be interested in. For I had knowledge. I had what most dogs have and what most people want, serenity, perspective and a sense of self. With a renewed sense of being I told myself, "Blog on big foot, blog on!"

Bird Dog

Today, i say TODAY, I became a bird dog! I spotted them, the flock of 8 to 10, just hanging out around the waters edge. I was with a group of children. (My favorite place to be.) and I couldn't even be in my own fur. All I saw were birds!

For some reason she'll never understand Mom reached over and unhooked me and gave the command to run, "Go Emma Go!" and GO I did...! Me, Emma Zen the big lazy dog I took off like a skinny mini bird chasing fool. I ran those feather things right off their wave and to the right the flew off and landed.

My first run, it was good. It was instinctive. It was successful! Scared a feather off one! I hunkered down and with the concentration of sharp shooter and off I took again, cheeta style, front paws touching rear paws with just the show stopper of strides!

Success Success and off they flew again!

It was a marvelous evening at the beach. I found myself. I found pride. I was bird dog!

--- --- ---

The night went on and the humans made dinner and talked and laughed around a time for awhile. They told stories of children, funnys at work and shared a laugh about some dance. I also heard them tell the story of my evening. I thought it would be a grand story. A story full of certainly and self assurances. I thought they'd tell the story of the grand ol' bird dog!

Their version was short.

Their version was different.

Their version wasn't very good..

--- --- ---

Funny how we all see things different. What we do verse what they saw. I guess I should keep this in mind so if I ever hear my humans say I did something "so so" I know I really did something really grand!!

BOL Emma Zen The Bird Dog!

This might raize some fur?

::::::::Disclaimer:::::::: If someone asks you to remove a picture from a web social network, you do it! No if's, no and's, no buts. Anything you take a picture of you must have the legal right to print. So the same is said for text and logos. Be aware of copyright and moral practises. It is never, on our own sites, our intent to validate any of your rights. And asking something to be changed, moved or explained doesn't hurt our feelings. It makes us proud that our friends are this responsible! This post was written out of a concern that someone could have been worried about how they looked. If that is not true, how relieving. If it is, read on. This blog is written to let you humans know how much differently we see things as dogs. And I understand that other humans may not have my point of view. But in this human act, I see nothing wrong. ::::::::

There are some topics that people don't want to talk about. I have heard it said that religion and politics are touchy subjects. There are some topics in which people don't want your option. I have heard many a Mother telling their Mother how not to advise them about Motherhood! (yikes, did that make sense?) Well we think we have discovered one more, doggie discipline.

Pictures, stories and real life encounters with humans disciplining their dogs and the owner is the one whose fur gets all ruffed up. Here what I think is happening. I think humans have a natural response to judgement of others. I think humans do care what other think so they alter or choose subjects, stories and more to spin the good their way. I also think you humans are looking at it all wrong. (I am aloud to have my own opinion you know.)

Let me use my own human as an example. What if some saw her jerking on my collar and out of context thought, "oh that poor dog" or "I hate people who treat their dogs that way." Well, when I am in training my Mom makes the short firm jerks to grab my attention. Yep, she does that. And what about my best trick, staying in my front yard without a leash? How did I learn that trick? Well, my human rolled up newspaper in a long pointy tube shape and she taped the bottom of it so it wouldn't come apart and every time I went to far she cracked that thing on the ground or a tree or the flowerbed. It makes an awful sound I tell you, an awful sound. Yet if you were the guy in the Lexus that drove by and saw her raising that thing in the air, you may have looked at her like he did and thought something totally different.

Humans are sensitive and that is a great thing. That's why we love you so much. But don't be concerned with a correction on film. I have a friend who has a talkative dog. But sometimes when her dog gets to hyper she tells her not to bark so much and she holds her muzzle. My Mom and I are proud of our friend. You see, she is paying attention to her pack. She is presenting a boundary for escalation and keeping us canines within those markers. She is showing us who is boss and humanly and correctly giving a correction. If a picture looks different just explain. For I feel that you are doing exactly what we need and it is only the fur of the unknowing that raises on this subject.

One who knows her pecking order.

Emma

I'm not nervous, you are.

When we were wolves, we were wolves. But now were dogs and were family! I get it, believe me I would SO rather be with my human then anywhere else I can think of. I understand, you wouldn't leave your child at a friends house unattended. We appreciate that you take that kind of consideration when having to find a place for us to stay too.

I know that I am just one of those lucky dogs. Living indoors, eating healthy, accompanying my humans everywhere they go. It is true, I do not know I am wolf. But I do know I am dog!

To do this hurts you, I know... But today my humans left me in a safe environment outside with plenty of shade, water and no dangers. There was even a adult who watched from a window. My humans left me there for five hours! I bet she was all bunched up in a ball. Talking about nothing but me. Worrying her little self to tears.

I on the other paw, being dog, was having the best day a dog could have. It was like playtime with no parents. My friend barked and I played in the dirt, and no one told us, "no". It was grand I tell you it was grand! We knocked over a little table and we both spun around like neither one of us did it, but no one was there to care! We chewed up all the toys, we made a mess at the water bowl and life. Well, today life was just so good!

My point is, as much as you want me to be human. I want to be dog! And please, it has taken you people so long to take care of us in the manner in which you now do, I don't want to see anyone going backwards. But if you have to, or choose to: a few hours of being by myself or one on one with another canine, or in a canine pack is absolutely nothing for you to be nervous about.

I just thought I'd tail you...!

Love, Emma!

It's okay to say, "No".

Some don't want to say, no, because they think it is rude. Some don't use the word because they think they need to do it. Some wouldn't think of saying no because they want to help and that person may believe that saying no means the opposite. There are those that think the word is disrespectful to use. There are those who just are doers.

People don't say the word, no, for a multitude of reason.

They say being over loaded causes stress. It is said that stress can cause or facilitate the leading 6 causes of death in the US. (According the CDC, Center for Disease Control) heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the live, and suicide.

Also having too many obligations means something is getting all your attention. So when you don't say, No, you could really be saying, "yes but I am not giving it my all." Is that what you meant to be saying?!

Humans have this funny trait. They feel the need to explain. "No, but..... maybe I could do it tomorrow. "No, because I have too..... blah blah blah. Do you humans know that "No" is a sentence?!...

Example, how many times have you walked up to your dog laying in the hall on the nice cold floor taking a nap and said, "come on rover lets go for a walk" and the I have lifted just my head to look up at you and then let it crashed back down to the floor to continue my nap. That is dog for NO... You've all seen that, you don't take it badly or personally and in fact many of you have laughed and done it again to see if you get the same response.

A, No, can be acceptable.

Being as wolf was

Today my day was no different than any other day. My human and I ran errands, we played with my toys together. I helped her separate the fighting tortoise in the backyard. I took a nap. Mom came over and gave me a kiss. Dad gave me a hip rub. (Those are the best)It was a day like any other day, for me.

What was interesting is that today my humans had no electricity for over eight hours. They were having something done to our home.? There was no TV for them to watch. There was no computer. There were no distractions.

For me today was no different then any other day. Though I have to admit, I know I am fortunate. But if you had no electricity, if you lived as they did when dogs were wolves. Would you treat your canine different? Would you have time to pay more attention to them? To your family?

When the power returned and the TV and the Internet and the distractions reappear, my humans and I left the house to have dinner with friends. It was a day like any other day, for me.

But it made me think of this perspective I would like to share. When your day goes your way and you head off to work, or deal with other humans, or get on the computer or watch TV. You think your dog is okay because he is (or is not) doing what is normal for him or her. Maybe your dog is laying there with you on the floor. Then you go to the TV and the dog follows and is laying there with you on the floor. Once again, perspective, you see for us it is like there is no electricity, everyday! We don't go to work (okay so most of us don't) We don't watch TV or Internet (on a regular bases) LOL For us, as I said, it is like living without electricity.

So, turn yours off. See what you'd do. How fast did you get bored? What did you revert too to keep yourself occupied? Remember the days when people gardened, read books and kissed their dogs!

Today was no different then any other day for me. But would it have been different for you?

Emma Zen

How to

Be as, dog is: Don't sweat the small stuff.

Okay so that was today's post on Facebook. Great idea and all but "how" you do it would be nicer to know the "what" to do. (So responded one of my online friends.) So I gave it two woof's of thought and here is what I came up with.

When training a dog you don't just say "no" and take away the shoe they are chewing on. You say "no" take away the shoe and replace it with a more desired behavior. (Hand me something I "can" chew on) You replace the undesirable behavior with an acceptable one.

So you humans could use that technique. If you have to go somewhere in traffic, instead of sitting there angry on the verge of road rage, bring music "you" love to listen too. If you have to go to dinner with someone you don't want to be with, then maybe you could add to the conversation, choose things "you" are interested in. If someone makes you mad, choose to "not" react over reacting. Replace getting upset with being happy.

Get the idea? That's how us dogs do it. I go to dog park and their is always some meanie there who comes up and tries to pick a fight. I replace it with running. It gets me away from the trouble maker and makes me feel great to sprint across the park. Next thing I know, Me, Mom and usually some other fun canine are running through the park with glee. Yes, dogs glee.

So in answering the question, "how to not sweat the small stuff" replace sweating the small stuff with something that is of more value to you. That is how a dog does it...

Emma Zen, the Pet Philosopher.

Daylight savings

Wow can I tell summer is here. Okay, so I live in California and for me there only seams to be winter and summer and today, summer is here. Not because the time jumped forward this morning, not because it was a beautiful clear blue sky 75 degrees, not because we were in the RV this weekend either.

It is summer because today there was so much to do. Or it felt like there was so much that could be accomplished because of the extra light? We should learn a lesson from that. A little light, a little different attitude, a little extra energy and poof a different frame of mind. So that's it: The key is light!

Lets all remind each other in times of darkness to look for the light in our lives!

Emma Zen The Pet Philospher

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