One of the reasons I love dogs is their capacity to give, especially to us humans.  My adopted rescue dog still shows me how happy she is that we found each other at the SPCA. From the start we worked to build up Cleo's confidence in us, that we were a permanent family.

It took lots of practice of leaving Cleo in the living room with the words "wait here, I'll be right back" and closing the front door, for a few minutes at a time, before we could open that door and see a happy face. At first Cleo barked, howled, and cried on the other side of the door, or tried to block us from leaving in the first place. It was heartbreaking.

After many practice sessions we eventually got her to wait for us with only a mild case of stress panting. I learned that my dog is not interested in hanging out by herself. I also learned that though she was already three years old when we adopted her, rather than being wary and standoffish, she was eager to trust and bond with us immediately. Eight years together, she is still quick to forgive whenever I make her wait on her own.

We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals - Immanuel Kant

Watching my old dog now curled up contentedly nearby, this story of Gideon the pit bull affected me deeply. How people can neglect and abandon a dog is beyond me. The fact that Gideon was microchipped and his people's contact information was current, yet when contacted they still chose to discard him like an unwanted toy is nauseating. Fortunately for you, I only share stories that inspire, educate or entertain - and this Huffington Post story touches the part of me that remains optimistic about the future of mankind. You'll be glad you read it.

My dog is smart. I'm sure everyone says that about their dog but as you can see from this photo, she made her way straight to Switzerland, aka her inner tube, aka her bed with the high walls, when the Dyson vacuum came out. The high walls tuck her in and she feels secure, while being able to hear and smell any action at the front door.

If my dog could speak, or at least use ESP to communicate with me, I bet she'd say,

"Today is April Foods' Day. A day beloved by dogs all over the world. It is a day celebrated by giving us unlimited treats and an extra scoop of savory goodness at meal time. I'm not kidding. It's a real holiday. Trust me, I'm a good girl. I'd never joke about this, just like when I tell you the mail is here, or that someone is parking their car in front. I'm always right, right?" 

Look at her expression, it speaks volumes, and she IS right about being the best alarm system around.

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Spring is here and it's traditionally a time of home and garden improvement. I tend to go through my dog's toys, unused collars and bedding etc. to see what can be donated. April also brings extra cleaning, the type that requires real effort, maybe a stepladder, and some dusting in hard to reach places. Therefore now is the perfect time to announce some housekeeping here at Grouchy Puppy.

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