Say it with Pride!

by Mydogbarks @ 2010-07-24

Like most Saturday mornings, Pajamas and I took our walk to the local coffee shop for our morning coffee and treat. Me with my cheddar scone and Pajamas with her bacon and peanut butter treat. The coffee shop has a great patio that faces east, a great place to catch some earlier morning rays before the heat gets unbearable. Pajamas loves the treats from this coffee shop. She sits on the patio looking in the window of the shop while I order my breakfast just daring me to forget her treat! When I come out with both our treats on a plate she licks her lips and sits as pretty as she can. I always like to split the treat into three or four smaller pieces so that she can enjoy it just a little longer.

I am sitting peacefully in the sun eating my scone when two men walk out of the shop and get into a cab. My dog barks. Just one pronounced bark. The people sitting next to me look over and say with a smile "our dog never barks". And I had the most amazing reaction. I laughed and smiled down at my dog and said "Oh, my dog barks!" I was happy! Even a little proud of my little munchkin. She is my dog and I love her just the way she is.

Even the Heat Doesn't Stop Her!

by Mydogbarks @ 2010-07-07 
We're in the middle of a heat wave here in Toronto and every day when I leave for work I worry about leaving Pajamas home in my non air conditioned house. I shut all the blinds and leave extra water to make her as comfortable as possible.

As I walk up the street from the streetcar after work in the sweltering heat I feel a little excited. I feel this way every evening as I head towards home. "Pajamas, Mommy is coming." I'll tell you a secret...sometimes I actually jog up the street cause I just can't wait to see her!

But today, the heat keeps me at a slower pace. I enter my house. And there she is spinning around in circles, with her ball in her mouth. She's ready to go as always. I fill a big thermos with water, change into my coolest sun dress and head out to the park. Pajamas can hardly contain her excitement as I prepare for the park. The minute I open the door she charges ahead and down the driveway. She runs down the street, stopping every two or three driveways to make sure I'm still following. I'm never fast enough for her, especially in this heat!

We get to the park and I claim a spot in the shade the big tree and the game of fetch begins. I don't bring the chuck it in this heat, so she is surprisingly quiet. I toss the ball just a few feet away, but she runs at the ball full of energy and excitement. She stops more often than normal to grab a drink and lays down to catch her breath, but she's as happy as ever.

There is no doubt in my mind that when Pajamas dreams she dreams of running in the park with Mom at her heels and a ball in her mouth on a beautiful sunny day like today.

Crashing Waves of Lies

I took Pajamas down to the beach the other day and the minute her leash came off her barking began. I don't have a ball with me so she proceeds to jump around in front of me, barking so loud her ears are bouncing off the side of her head. She's barking so loud it echos off the houses behind us. A woman approaches, her quiet dog prancing along near by. "Your neighbors must hate you"
I was completely taken aback and before I realized it I was responding with, "She never barks." ..... She never barks? Where in the world did that statement come from? My mind immediately thinks back to this rightly named blog..My Dog Barks.
What prompted me to state such a bold faced lie? I tried to back peddle with embarrassment. "It's only when we're at the beach," I hear myself say. Another lie. "and when she's excited," I add. But, it's definitely more than that isn't it.