Thoughts from the Bark Side

We just didn’t think another dog could ever fill the void in our hearts that was made when Shilo passed away. I think we have bigger hearts than we can know. We can never fill the holes made by those that have passed on, those of the human or animal variety. We just find new places to put the newcomers.

We had registered with the Southern California Golden Retriever Rescue (SCGR Rescue:http://scgrrescue.org. We had our home visit and passed, whew! We made inquiries about a few dogs, but none of them came through, until Pinky Tuscadero. The volunteer emailed us asking if we were interested in meeting her, we said, “of course” and a few days later we were in front of the Rose Bowl meeting our new dog. Pinky said, “OK, I approve, now let’s get out of here,” and off we went. We made a quick stop at the pet store. She selected a nice bed, new collar and a few toys. We also had her name changed to Shelby for the engraved tag. Pinkey was the name they used at the rescue and was not her previous name so we figured it was OK. She very much agreed with the change.

When we arrived, Shelby immediately approved her home and yard. That evening she was greeting by a large raccoon peering over the fence at her. No barking (from Shelby, not the raccoon), just staring until she got bored, and called it a night. However, she does remember where the raccoon had been and now revisits that spot every outing just in case he returns.

So it seems we have already gotten into a routine. She seems to love her walks. I’m not sure she has ever had one of those before. She knows how to sit, but we definitely have to work on stay, heel, and down. She is now curled up at my feet under my desk. Oh, she is only 65 pounds, half the weight of Shilo when we adopted him. Whereas Shilo was bigger than a normal golden, she is smaller. She is just past 3 years old. Her owners had dropped her off at the pound saying they just didn’t have the time to take care of her. And she does bark, as we discovered when the gardeners came by. It took Shilo over a month to let out a bark.

So we will continue to get to know each other. We do want to be the best humans possible for her, and I know she is equally trying to be a good dog, and she is, a very good dog indeed.
Cheers,
Susan

Hello all, Shilo here,
My humans are sure of one thing and that is they are happy (well, for the time being) that it is now 2009. That’s what they keep saying, “Boy, am I glad we are finished with 2008″ However, I have some rather good things I keep in my brain about last year, like:

1. I am the author of a book, “E-Mails From Shilo” (shameless promotion noted). I have gotten some very nice pats on the head for my accomplishment. It was rather sneaky of my humans taking my private email to my buddy Max and putting it in a book for everyone to read, but they said it will give others a great insight into what goes on in a doggie’s head, so I guess it is OK. I am very happy that others will now know about the most wonderful Sammy the Basset. A better friend there has never been to any dog.
2. I accepted a dog into “my” house. That was huge for me. But I understand I need to keep trying to put others before my own needs. I learned it was quite easy really. I got more attention because my humans knew I was doing something quite extraordinary. The best part, Mickey now has a wonderful home of his own.
3. I have taken my problem of getting my butt up off the floor in stride. Sometimes it really hurts, but rather than mope about it like I use to, which did no good at all, I just go to my good memories of when I was running around the yard, and I feel better. However, I keep hinting, ALOT! that a swim makes me feel ever so much better. Sometimes hinting works, sometimes it doesn’t, so back to the happy thoughts when it doesn’t work.
4. I have also gotten over losing most of the sight in my right eye. Something called the third lens just won’t open, so it is pretty foggy on that side. I haven’t run into anything yet, but just don’t try sneaking up on me on the right, I hate that!

Now for what I shall do in this beautiful New Year!

1. To love my humans as much as I can.

I have a nice family, a great house, and a big yard to keep patrolling. I have plenty to eat and toys to play with. I will handle one day at a time. My wish, however, is that all dogs find a home this year and that no more dogs are born into a puppy mill or are abused or abandoned. That is my wish. What is yours?
Happy New Year!
Your Buddy,
Shilo

Shilo has begun receiving questions to very pressing problems from his fellow dogs.  He will occasionally select a few to answer. Once in a while, however, he will have to consult with his mentor, Sammy the Bassett.

Dear Shilo,
I am a 4 year-old cocker spaniel and one of my MOST favorite things to do is to take a ride in the car. It is so much fun. I stick my head out the window and the wind feels so great on my fur and my ears just go flap, flap, flap ( I have lots of ear real-estate.) So yesterday we all piled into the car, and can you believe it, I was strapped down like a calf during a rodeo. I am humiliated. It has taken all the fun out of the car ride. Why would my humans be so mean to me now?
Dog-tied in Arkansas

Dear Dog-tied,
Actually, I know the answer to this because I too was fur-ious when I couldn’t do the ear wave anymore out the car window. My answer won’t give you your freedom during the car ride, but it will make you love your humans even more.

I now have to ride in a crate. . .in the back of the car . . . AND I can’t even see my humans. Growl. However, the way I understand it from Sammy is if your human had to stop quickly (like for a stupid cat running across the road!) a loose dog could become a flying mass of wild fur going through the front window (horrors!). Please note, humans are strapped in and don’t poke their heads out of the window. So now they have to either get a jacket to put us in to connect to the seat or put us in a crate that is also secure. Safe dog is a happy dog. Hey, here is a picture of a vest they sell here in my neighborhood of california. However, I hear we should really ride in the back seat because if your human runs into something, this GIGANTIC balloon comes popping out of the dashboard and could knock a few teeth out. Ya know, I love my bones and I need all my teeth.

So give a big lick on the mouth to your human for caring so much about you. And give them a lick for me too. (Wait until after they eat dinner, it will taste better, trust me, I know.)
Your buddy,
Shilo

Hey here are a few sites that have harnesses, but also check at your local pet store:
S.A.S.H.A, Safe and Secure Harness Alliance
Ruff Rider Harnesses

Hi Mr. President-Elect, Shilo here,
Hey, big congrats on your new job. I understand you are going to be the new alpha in the pack of america. Not real sure what all that means, but my humans roll their eyes and say, why would anyone want a job like that, so it must be somewhat difficult.

I hear you want to get your beautiful girls a new dog. Fantastic (hey, cats are OK, but a DOG is sooo much more prestigious.) This is a big decision and obviously you don’t want to blow it. You should really give this gargantuan decision serious thought. Not sure what other decisions you will have that will equal this one in its enormity. Therefore, I would like to put my two biscuits into the mix of possibilities.

I would like to recommend a “rescue dog.” Ha! Bet you thought I was going to say a Golden Retriever. Nope, I think if you get your girls a rescue, it would be such a wonderful thing to show your neighborhood of america. They say that people look up to you and will follow by example. Think of all the dogs (and OK, cats too) that need good homes, especially since so many are now homeless with that stupid “mortgage meltdown.” (Again, I don’t know what that is, but it certainly wasn’t something that could be eaten, chased or slept on by which I measure the importance of things.) Did you know humans just left their sweet animals in their abandoned homes. . . to starve?! I’m horrified, aren’t you? If you get a nice rescue dog, think of all the people that would follow your example and give other dogs (yeah, yeah, cats too, geesh) a nice home. They say you are going to have a big backyard. Maybe you could get two, even three dogs. Wow, what an example that would set. Three pooches with a nice home and a family to love them. Sigh, what a swell thing that would be.

So give it some thought. I am here for any consultation you might need. Will you have a pool? I’m happy to come over to give your new pooches doggie paddling lessons! I am quite proficient.

Looking forward to your reply.
Your buddy and supporter,
Shilo

Hi all, Shilo here,
OK, a few days ago I felt terrible, and lost my breakfast AND dinner. Considering it was all over the furry floor, I thought my humans would be upset, but they really didn’t care, they worried about ME! The bad part was that we had to go to the doc, and do you know what he said, no food for Shilo for an entire day. Can you imagine, a dog with no food. That is cruel beyond reason. I was so thirsty and all my humans would give me was a bunch of frozen shredded water. The doc also gave me a shot, and … horrors, shaved my tummy due to, what he calls “hot spots.” OK, I must admit the smell was even more than I could take, but taking away my fur. I am humiliated.

I have all these stupid little pills to take and today, I get a “special” bath. This very strange stuff is put on my fur and left there for the longest time. But you know what my human woman did? She gave me a doggie massage while we waited until she could wash it off. Oh heavenly dog, is there anything better than a doggie massage. My back hip isn’t what it was in my pupper days, and when she massages my hip, I feel like I could race a greyhound.

So, still not feeling geat, but am well tended to. Sorry about the big mess on the furry floor, I didn’t mean it, honest!
Your buddy,
Shilo

Hi- Shilo here,
A bit of time ago, I was out in the back inspecting the perimeter making sure any marauding varmints were out of the area: Squirrels-check, raccoons-check, holy cats, what is that! I saw something move under the ivy, a tiny nose was trying to quickly take cover. What my eyes might have missed, my keen nose quickly picked up the scent and there I was in a bound (and at my age, that is quite a feat!) I immediately pawed at the ground and returned with a very small critter between my jaws. However, that little varmint went immediately limp. Now that is a puzzle because I know how to soft-mouth an animal to present it to my humans in perfect order. Not that I’ve ever done that, well, OK, once with a baby bird, but it was OK, and oh yeah, there was that other bird… but I digress. (They were FINE!)

So I proudly march over to the back door and announce my presence by giving my usual paw-tap on the glass. No answer, I tap again and finally here comes Mom. She opens the door and I majestically lay the beautiful creature at her feet, a beautiful present from her loyal dog. She lets out a scream that I don’t think people could hear, but I sure did! She starts running around like some idiot shouting about something I could not understand. I follow her into the house saying, hey, my present, what about my present, isn’t it just the best, come back and look at it. Finally she stops, turns around and her present has just disappeared. Gone. She just stood there, with her hands on her hips and said something about… well, they really do play dead. Last time I present her with a baby possum. I think Dad would have been more appreciative. I’ll remember to bring it to him the next time.
Your buddy,
Shilo

I start out with great trepidation, as I am not sure I have enough to say to warrant a blog. I am astounded at the great wealth of pent up interior (or inferior) commentary that spews from the world’s population. Therefore, I am inviting various guest writers and astute critics to join me in observations and reflections of various subjects… whether of import or barely warranting scrutiny.

This blog was created for shamelessly promoting the book my dog wrote (just lost you? please hang in there.) Hey, it’s not called, “Thoughts from the Bark Side” for nothin’! But then again, I am a graphic and web designer, and I figured I better learn how to set one of these things up as my clients have asked about them. So I will learn as I go.

So about the book. First, here is a link to Shilo’s website: E-mails From Shilo

How does a dog come to write a book? It all started one day when I was trying to tidy up the hard drive on my computer and came across this folder of files I couldn’t read. I found a translation program online and after much angst, I finally got all the files translated. They were from Shilo to my sister’s dog Max, a lovely little Bichon Frise. Yes, I was shocked too. Now how Shilo figured out how to use my computer, I have since discovered was something he learned in his previous household. Shilo is a rescue. We have no idea why he was given up, but he is the most darling, gentle and sweet guy you could image, UNTIL he meets another dog. You see, Shilo has “issues,” something of which he writes copiously in his emails to Max. Enter Sammy, a little Basset Hound who befriends Shilo, teaching him the “way of the dog” including the history of the wolf and man’s relationship to these four-footed canines.

“E-mails From Shilo” is not a novel, it is the opposite of a novel. It is meant as a quick, fun read and if you are not a dog lover, it might not tickle your fancy. It is a family book, meant to be passed around, read outloud and, yes, made fun of. It’s OK, we can take it. Oh yes, it has over 50 illustrations . . . we do like pictures with our reading, don’t we? You will not find this book on the shelves next to Mailer, Hemmingway, Irving, or even Dave Barry. Shilo is a writer unto his own.

So that is my start at blogging. Hopefully soon I can get Shilo to poke his nose into this and have a few things to say. Still not sure how he writes, never caught him at it, but doggie see, doggie do, (I hope.)
Cheers,
Susan