when old clothes become dog toys

Wool sweater with a hole? Socks that have worn out? A scarf that you just shouldn't have left on the ground?
That's right, sometimes our clothes headed for the Goodwill pile (or trash) can become dog toys. I remember going to a friends house that had several dogs, there would be a sock or two in the back yard that the dogs would grab, chase, pull and toss. And I always thought, well, gross. Then as I invited another fur monster into my house, there would be the "dead" squeakie toys littered in the back yard (chickens mostly), now marrow bones like an archeological dig. A few weeks there was the oh so valuable frozen ski sock, and then most recently I found my other fleece glove as Tater ran around with it in his mouth. It's still lying on the ground somewhere near the briars, and will soon become a full fledged dog toy unless I get that baby in the laundry.

dog whispering and taco bell

My friend who is in organizational development and always has a keen eye on the bigger picture often says "the world doesn't need another Taco Bell". Who wants that anyway? Or for that matter another Cheesecake Factory or another Bed Bath and Beyond. Does the world need more dog trainers? Well, surely the demand may be at an all time high, but how do you know if your "professional" trainer is of the Taco Bell or the Morton's variety? In this New York Times article, they explore the trend of dog trainers popping up like fast food restaurants. Some trainers with years of experience and apprenticing, and others pay 30K, have three weeks of training and are in business. Interesting stuff...

NY Times article by Anna Jane Grossman:

A Chorus of Dog Whisperers

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/27/fashion/27DOGS.html

touched moved inspired

Tater has been busy trimming the house plants, keeping Molly the Plot Hound busy, while Sweets has been perfecting her winter napping under the covers. The dogs keep a smile on my face- inevitably squeaking a toy while I'm on the phone, snoring on the couch or racing in circles with sticks as long as pole vaults in their mouths. They are prana, energy and are full of life on every level. I was catching up with a friend this past week, in the time that had passed, her grandmother had died. The funny thing was, she was hardly sad, but beamed about it.
"It was unexpected"
"I'm so sorry to hear that, " (the usual, same stuff that we all say), "was it a relief?"
"Well, she wasn't eating...the MRI showed a large mass...and she said, 'I want to go home'" 

So they took her home.

Then she said, "I want you to throw a party"

They did.

That Saturday relatives and friends came to toast and celebrate. She told what family member to bake or make. She instructed who she wanted to speak (well, she wasn't that uptight, but she made a few requests). It was a late night, laughter and tears and lots of conversation

 

"After the funeral, have people back to the house for sandwiches, that way they'll get a bite to eat, but won't stay late," she told them.

Three days later she died. No pain, no suffering, utterly peaceful. And, they did make sandwiches, and they did stay late. Toasting and still celebrating the grandma, mother, sister and friend that they loved.