Puppy Size

"She keeps repeating it over and over again. We've been back to this shelter at least five times. It has been weeks now since we started all of this," the woman told the volunteer.

"What is it she keeps asking for?" the volunteer asked

"Puppy size!"
"Well, we have plenty of puppies, if that's what she's looking for."
"I know ... we have seen most of them," the mom said in frustration. Just then the young child came walking into the office.

"Well, did you find one?"
"No, not this time," she said with sadness in her voice. "Can we come back on the weekend?"

The two women looked at each other, shook their heads and laughed. "You never know when we will get more dogs. Unfortunately, there's always a supply," the volunteer said. The young child took her mother by the hand and headed to the door.

"Don't worry, I bet we'll find one this weekend," the child said. Over the next few days both Mom and ! Dad had long conversations with her. They both felt she was being too particular. "It's this weekend or we're not looking any more," Dad finally said in frustration. "We don't want to hear anything more about puppy size either," Mom added.

Sure enough, they were the first ones in the shelter on Saturday morning. By now the young child knew her way around, so she ran right for the section that housed the smaller dogs. Tired of the routine, Mom sat in the small waiting room at the end of the first row of cages. There was an observation window so you could see the animals during times when visitors weren't permitted. The young girl walked slowly from cage to cage, kneeling periodically to take a closer look. One by one the dogs were brought out and she held each one. One by one, she said, "Sorry, you're not the one."

She was at the last cage on this last day in search of the perfect pup. The volunteer opened the cage door and the child carefully picked up the dog and held ! it closely. This time she took a little longer. "Mom, that's it! I found the right puppy! He's the one! I know it!" she screamed with joy. It's the puppy size!"

"But it's the same size as all the other puppies you held the last few weeks," Mom said.

"No not size ---- sighs. When I held him in my arms, he sighed," she said. "Don't you remember? When I asked you one day what love is, you told me love depends on the sighs of your heart. The more you love the bigger the sighs!" The two women looked at each other for a moment. Mom didn't know whether to laugh or cry. As she stooped down to hug the child, she did a little of both. "Mom, every time you hold me, I sigh. When you and Daddy come home from work and hug each other, you both sigh. I knew I would find the right puppy if it sighed when I held it in my arms," she said. Then holding the puppy up close to her face she said, "Mom, he loves me. I heard the sighs of his heart!"

DOGS

1. Dogs are never permitted in the house. The dog stays outside in a specially built wooden compartment named, for very good reason, the dog house.
2. Okay, the dog can enter the house, but only for short visits or if his own house is under renovation.
3. Okay, the dog can stay in the house on a permanent basis, provided his dog house can be sold in a yard sale to a rookie dog owner.
4. Inside the house, the dog is not allowed to run free and is confined to a comfortable but secure metal cage.
5. Okay, the cage becomes part of a two-for-one deal along with the dog house in the yard sale, and the dog can go wherever he pleases.
6. The dog is never allowed on the furniture.
7. Okay, the dog can get on the old furniture but not the new furniture.
8. Okay, the dog can get up on the new furniture until it looks like the old furniture and then we'll sell the whole works and buy new furniture...upon which the dog will most definitely not be allowed.
9. The dog never sleeps on the bed. Period.
10. Okay, the dog can sleep at the foot of the bed.
11. Okay, the dog can sleep alongside you, but he's not allowed under the covers.
12. Okay, the dog can sleep under the covers but not with his head on the pillow.
13. Okay, the dog can sleep alongside you under the covers with his head on the pillow, but if he snores he's got to leave the room.
14. Okay, the dog can sleep and snore and have nightmares in bed, but he's not to come in and sleep on the couch in the TV room, where I'm now sleeping. That's just not fair.
15. The dog never gets listed on the census questionnaire as "primary resident," even if it's true.
The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue. Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful.

Natural Dog Treat Recipes!

Peanut Butter Cookies:
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. wheatgerm
1 c. peanut butter
1 egg
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/2 c water
1/2 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, wheatgerm and salt in large bowl, then mix in peanut butter, egg, oil and water. Roll dough out onto a lightly floured surface until about 1/2" thick. Then cut out the biscuits using a cookie cutter. Put the biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes for smaller size cookies and up to 35 minutes for larger shaped ones. Store in the refrigerator!

Dog Munchies:
3 c whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 c soft bacon fat
1 c shredded cheese
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 c milk
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place flour and garlic salt in a large bowl. Stir in bacon fat. Add cheese and egg. Gradually add enough milk to form a dough. Knead dough and roll out to about 1" thick. Use dog bone cookie cutter to cut out dough. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake about 12 minutes, until they start to brown. Cool and serve.