Speak My Language

Today I went to Home Depot and I was so confused by what I saw in the parking lot.

Have you ever been in the store and you hear someone yelling at their children and you have to use everything you have not to step in a teach someone else what not to do to their children? Well, I understand. I felt like that today. See there was this woman in the parking lot and she was yelling at her DOG! I was in a state of disbelief. I could not believe what I saw! She was YELLING and saying full sentences and was all out of control. And my poor kind... he was just standing there looking at her with the dumbfounded expression. (Which I understood) and all it did was make her mad.

Mom and I both wanted to jump in but you know how those things escalate. So we went inside and when we came out the people were gone but we saw the car parked over by Jack in the Box so, figuring they were inside, we left a note on the window that simple said, "Dog is Good" (We have that sticker on our truck)

I guess the moral of my story or the lesson I wanted to share with you humans is, speak my language. I mean seriously, I wasn't there 3 minutes earlier and I don't know who was wrong, the dog, the person or both. But I do know that dog did not understand a things she said.

First of all I do not understand sentences. Tell me to "sit" "stay" or "stop" but don't give me some human explanation and expect me to understand.

Second, remember it is consistency. If you didn't teach it to me before and then again last week and then again yesterday don't expect me to remember it from 6 months ago. I need consistency in my life.

Third, Don't yell at me! How would you like it if I barked in your face everyday? I can understand you better when you use a normal intensity.

Fourth, I understand pitch and tone so learn to change your tone "Good Dog" "Bad" "No" I am much more alert to tone then I am to loudness.

Five, If you are having such a bad day. Leave me at home, I don't need that kind of energy! :-)

I feel I should have said more there but maybe it will do more good here? I love you but I am dog and I will do things my way that will not fit into your world. We need to work together. I see so many people treating us like people, If you find a canine that needs help he can do better too. Just Speak His Language!

Emma Zen

The more I learn

There is this old human saying, the more you learn the less you know. I didn't think it applied to dogs.

See Mom makes me work on my commands ALL the time. (Slave driver) Don't tell her I said that. And I thought I was doing SO good! In fact, I got so good I could do them all on my own. And in different orders. I am sure you have had a dog like that before were you say "sit" and your canine sits, shakes, speaks and down all in a row without waiting for any commands. Well, some days that is me. Mom DOES NOT think it is funny and then makes me learn new tricks and mixes it all up. Learning she says is not doing the same thing time and time again until you have it mastered but stretching and expanding yourself to boarders beyond your comfort zone.

So I learn and the more I learn the more I have to concentrate on what I am doing. The more I learn the more effort it takes. The more I learn the harder it gets. Wouldn't you think it would be the other way around?

Humans also say, "The more I learn the less I know and all I can hope for is to be really good at least one thing" So remember when we, the decent of wolves, fall off our program or your program you make us do that there are times and days and moments when in stead of excelling at many we just resort to the one area we have down pat. For a dog, it is to make you smile!"

Be patient maybe we just needed a break!

Blue Shoe's

My human once read this book called "The number one lady's detective agency" by Alexander McCall Smith. One of the *many* passages that stuck with her was the story of the Blue Shoes. The book was about Mma Ramotswe and her adventures as a dective. Many of her escapades happend within the offices of the dectective agency with her secretary Mma Makutsi. Mma Makutsi cared about just a handful of things. She cared about her statistical standing when she graduated from school, she cared about her brother who was ill, she cared about proper office organization and she cared, about... shoes!
Now in Gaborone, capital of Botswana, times were different. Poverty seamed to be the norm and wealth was measured in land or cattle. There was very little time or purpose for extravegant purchases. Mma Makustsi did a lot of talking about the day that she would be able to buy a new pair of shoes, enough that it drove Mma Ramotswe to her witts ends.
One day while on a very important cases Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi were walking in the town pretending to window shop when Mma Makutsi got stopped by a pair of new blue shoes in the window. Mma Ramotswe had no time for this stop, she had no patiences, she had no interest, she had.... Mma Ramotswe after a few sharp words left Mma Makutsi standing there admiring the blue shoes and she continued down the street. The case took some other turn in the book and Mma was left with nothing to do but watch her business associate stand there and admire the shoes.
It was then that it dawned on her. It was this part that my human thought interesting. Everyone has their own "blue shoe" their own thing to admire, their on thing to show deep appreaciation for.
So she headed back to the window and stood their with her friend. For it was Mma Ramotswe's place to be in the moment it was Mma Makutsi's place to be in the moment. It made it easier, understandable that she did not have to admire the shoe, she meerly need to recognize that Mma Makutsi did!

It is that chapter that my human frequently remembers. And whenever she gets irritated with her friends or family gaking over something she just says "blue shoe" "blue shoe". And it reminds her to be patient when others have their moment as so many are patient with her. She gives me my moments too.

For example, today my Mom went to a tatto supply shop to get stuff for work. She is a cosmetic and medical tattooist. And I couldn't go. :-) It is her thing, her blue shoe, she loves it there and she thougth of me while she was gone and brought be home a funny t-shirt. (Check out my twitter or facebook for that picture!) but I didn't go and as much as I appreacaited the shirt well it's not dog park. And she understands this for today after the tattoo shop she came home and picked me up and we went to the feed store! Anaheim Grain and Feed, I love this store! They have dogs go there all the time and it smells so good! And the people are friendly and all know my name! And you get treats and you get to go in the back and sniff stuff! It is my Blue Shoe!

She didn't need to buy anything and she didn't need to go. But she understood I did. 30 minutes of not healing, just free range nose sniffing... It's a blue-tiful thing!

****Just because you take your dog everywhere with you or you come home with bones or treats in hands. Doesn't mean I got to do my thing. Please just file this as knowledge and whenever possible give your dog a blue shoe. No matter what it looks like.****

Wholly Cow

Today in the mail I recieved this correspondances. Now even Willie G. knows who I am!! For a Biker Dog, life just can't get any sweeter!!!

I love life

Ever have a day when nothing goes right and don't feel yourself? Or maybe a day where you are just SO bored your sure there is nothing good in the world? Well that is the kind of day I am having today. I am SO bored!!! My humans did take me to the sterio store but I was bored there too. And they did take me to El Pollo Loco but I was bored there too. And they did fill up my boring pool, but please.. I, am just.. bored.

Then I realize there were a couple of things I saw today that made me smile. I met a baby in stroller while we were having lunch. And the gardener came today and made everything smell good. And a stranger sat with me while my humans were purchasing stereo equipment.

And now I realize, even though my tribulations (and a bad case of lazy) I do perk up to something, LIFE... Babies, flowers, strangers. Three small seconds that made me glad to be. I wouldn't have wanted to miss those moments for anything. I am glad I got my head out of the gloomy cloud.

No matter what your day was like, find one thing. (Just one) and smile about that thing at the end of your day because no matter how any of us feel, we all succeed with a bigger smile if we just sit down and realize we love life!!!

(Don't be your own roadblock!)

Our 1st Book

Sometimes something is just so cool you just have to brag about yourself! My Biker Buddy George wrote a book! And it came in the mail today. It is just to cool. We started the Biker Dog Rally in South Dakota this year. It was so much fun. What to see a cute tail? (I mean tale...) visit http://emmaandgeorge.shutterfly.com/126

Creating Happiness

Well this is a good day to start my daily blogging, September 1st, 2009, not that the date means anything to me I am a dog. Today all I did was go on some errands with my human. Yet even simple errands can turn out to have a lesson. I was just being myself, calm, friendly, understanding. And we were at the nail salon. (Yes, they let me in) and everyone was really into "telling me there stories" seamed a lot of people I met today needed the loving powers of a dog. We all have that you know. If you can concentrate on the good in you, through your experience in the day you can shape your own world. It's so cool. And if you are not feeling very "in touch" just take a deep breath and "BE A DOG." Your day WILL go better, even if it is already good!