Happy Dogs

Even though I have always had dogs, I have never owned 'casual dogs' before. You know the ones, they ride in the back of pick ups and don't jump out at the gas station. They swim in the pond and don't climb the opposite bank and disappear into the sunset. They get a Krystal when you go through the drive through. They walk around with silly bandanas around their necks and act like they don't care about affronted dignity.

NOW I HAVE ONE. I adopted 10 year old Smoke from the dog pound. No one wanted him because he was A) OLD B) HUGE C) A little spooky looking. I didn't care. I wanted a big dog, a sweet boy who looked a little rough, and hey olds not so bad. Ten I thought, he will be happy watching the evening news with me and snacking on soft food. NOT SO! The boy can go. Car rides, truck rides, walks in the park, swims in the pond. He can't keep up with the spouses German Shorthair, but then neither can I (neither could a racehorse).

Best of all, sometimes he looks around at the trees and sky with an expression that looks to me like:

How wonderful is the world, how beautiful are the trees, the wind feels so
soft,the food is good. I am alive, she took me from the cage, I can see
the sky!

Yeah I know that's a little much for a dog to think, but its what it looks like to me. After he looks at the sky he comes and sits next to me, leans on me and looks at me as if I am god. It doesn't get much better then that.