Friend

This is one of our friends. She is an Asian house gecko (hemidactylus frenatus). She is on our kitchen window. They hang around and eat insects. They have only been in Australia for about ten years and live in houses, business and wharves. Mandy calls them "friends". They are good and nice. We welcome them into our home.

Life is great when you have friends.

Still Great

Thanks everyone for your great response about greatness. Honey made an interesting comment,

"Actually, my human is Chinese and she says that in her culture, it is very rude to talk about yourself - everyone should be very humble. But sometimes she thinks that it is good to also be proud of yourself too - not to just put yourself down all the time. I guess it's a balance!"

I think balance is fantastic and it is a benefit of knowing different cultures. We can learn different ways of looking at the world and have a more balanced view. I think that maybe being humble and proud at the same time might be the answer. This sounds contradictory.

We all have gifts given to us by Dog, (or God or the Universe or Nature or whoever it might be). So we can honour these and we are actually honouring Dog, (or God or the Universe or Nature or whoever it might be), which includes everyone. We, therefore, achieve balance not by being in the middle but by having both. This is getting heavy and I am just a young dog so I will leave it there. Keep being great everyone.

This photo is called, "I've got my eye on you." 

Life is great when you recognise your own greatness.

Greatness

"I believe that one cannot have too high an opinion of oneself. If I don't think I'm great, why should anyone else? And since loads of other people think I'm great, I must be onto a winner with this theory."

Clive

Clive is a very profound thinker. Being falsely modest doesn't do anyone any good. If you put yourself down, you are not allowing others to be great. By shinning yourself, you allow others to shine. I think we can all take a leaf out of Clive's book. So here goes; I am beautiful, intelligent, graceful, agile, fast, sociable, friendly, gentle, loyal, popular and enthusiastic. That is enough to begin with. 

What is great about you? Please tell me. It will help me to shine bright.

Life is great when you are great.

Comparatively Speaking

We went to the beach for the day on Saturday and had a great time. I like running in the shallow water but I'm not going to swim in that crazy unpredictable beast they call the ocean. Tim goes in and swims right out. I get worried but he always comes back looking no worse for wear, he looks better actually. There were a couple of golden retrievers to run around with so that was a lot of fun. 

There is a programme on TV here called The Biggest Loser, there is a US version and maybe a UK version too. In the show overweight contestants have to lose weight and they can get voted off. Cameron, a middle aged bloke, lost 3.3 kilograms for the week, which is great in the real world but in the contest is nothing special. He was upset and said that it was terrible compared to Bob, also middle-aged, who lost more than 7. Later Bob told a story to everyone. When he was about 14, he got chosen for the hockey team. He played a good game but missed a goal at the end. On Monday, the teacher told him, infront of the class, that he was as bad in the classroom as he was on the hockey field. He never played a team sport again. He also said that he often passed on participating in things because he always saw people who were better than him. He added that if he compared himself to Cameron he would come up short in many areas of life. It was an inspirational story to show the folly of compring yourself to others. 

Life is great when you follow your heart and don't compare yourself to other humans or hounds. 

How to Care for a Human

This is a message to all dogs on how to properly look after your people. Obesity is becoming a big problem in many countries so it is important that you take your person for a walk everyday. A person who is well exercised will be healthier and happier. Another problem of modern society is that some people are becoming isolated, so you need to socialise your people. A good place for this is the dog park. Even though it is called a dog park, there are just as many humans as dogs. The people in the dog park are usually not in a hurry and are happy to talk. It is important to show affection to your people as they thrive on this. Affection can be given in many ways; kisses, leaning on them, gazing lovingly at them or simply sitting at their feet. Occasionally it is necessary to give corrections to your people when they step out of line. Foe example, if they are eating something good-smelling and they haven't offered you any, you might have to give them a look which says, "how could you eat in front of me and not give me any when I am clearly starving?"

Having a person or people is a big responsibility. You need to look after them well. Remember; a person isn't just for Christmas.

Life is great when you have people.

5 Minute Post

I am giving myself just 5 minutes to write this post to see what I will come up with. It might not be too much as it is difficult to type quickly with paws. The problem is I hit the right key but also one or two next to itr. We went to our third agility class last night. It was good because the pace was fast and we got some flow going on the jumps. The instructor is great. He has passion for it, which really comes across. Also he emphasises that it needs to be fun. 

Life is great when you are having fun. 

Loyalty

"Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things- a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in the shaft of winter sunlight. And as he grew old and achy, he taught me about optimism in the face of adversity. Mostly, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty."

Marley and Me John Grogan

You've all probably heard about Marley. He has touched a lot of people. A lot of dogs are given and killed when they can't find a new home. They are given up because the people move, the dog chews, the people have a baby or the dog is too energetic and uncontrollable. John Grogan and his family expeienced all of these things with Marley. They experienced a lot of trouble and expense and never regretted any of it. Only by accepting a dog as an unconditional member of your pack will you experience the enormous benefits of living with a dog. The dog will still try to give loyalty and affection but the person will not be able to receive. Oh, by the way, the same applies for human-to-human relationships. 

This is lying postion number one-hundred and forty-nine.

Life is great when you are stretched out on the sofa.