THE DOG

My four legged companion Shane is turning nine this weekend.   Time has gone by quickly.  From getting him when he was a pup and lying on my lap in the car (I wasn't driving) going to his new home to the present day, a lot has happened.  He has been a busy fellow:

• he has had some major surgeries, 
• chewed a number of shoes, 
• damaged some underground sprinkler lines in the background, 
• pulled a toilet paper rod holder off the wall which resulted in patching a wall and repainting a bathroom,
• chewed two seat belts in the back seat of a car,
• rolled in some awful smelling stuff on a number of occasions, 
• cools off in the fish pond in the backyard and disregards his own wading pool,  
• has mastered the art of licking a bowl,
• developed a fondness for ice cream, carrots, banana and peanut butter,
• discovered how to pick cucumbers off of the vine and dig for carrots,
• taking food off of the kitchen counter,
• learned to supervise me while I prepare and cook meals,
• took a number of obedience classes, 
• attempted but never succeeded mastering agility competitions (too many distractions),
• never met a ball he didn't like,
• loves his morning walk, and
• loves to grab socks, gloves or shoes and trot off with them.

All dogs are wonderful and I have never met a cat or dog owner who doesn't like to talk about their pet.  Lab retrievers never quite grow up and I reckon that he will have that teenager dog sense of play  until his dying days.  He is a very social dog and on our daily walks, has managed to suck up to several walkers, non dog owners, who have to stop to pet him, praise him and tell him what a good boy he is.  This can happen on a daily basis.  I like to call him the Johnny Carson on the walking path.  All he needs is a chair and couch and he could have a reality TV show.

I have posted some pictures to share of the one and only Shane.