We continue to be charmed by, loved by, and exasperated by our Cesky Terrier, Kyrill. He is a dog who insists on routine, and who seems to have a canny sense of time and schedule. He likes thing to happen the same way everyday, and seems to have a set of internal expectations for himself and for us. After careful observation, I believe these are his words to live by:
1. If Mommy is in bed, I have to be with her, no matter what else is going on.
2. If I whine at Daddy long enough, he will always get me another treat. Whining doesn’t work with Mommy.
3. If my squeaky ball goes under the furniture, I have to lie down where it went under, and someone will get it for me.
4. I get roasted squash in my kibble two times a day. I get freeze dried beef sprinkles on ice cubes two times a day. It is ok if my kitty licks the ice. All my beef gullets and pork sticks are kept in the garage. I get two each day.
5. I need to sleep with my beef trachea and squeaky ball at night. Mommy’s feelings about having a trachea and a squeaky ball in her bed are not important. I only go outside if I have my squeaky ball with me. I always bring it back inside with me.
6. Any coffee cup left within my reach is fair game and I will drink it dry. Pens and socks should be chewed. They all belong to me, you know.
7. Stay with your pack. Don’t be a door darter.
8. It is tugging time after breakfast and morning coffee.
9. All squeakers in plush toys must be removed within 10 minutes of receiving them. Any plastic squeaky ball without a squeaker must be replaced immediately.
10. I must do the pre-rinse on all ice cream bowls before they go into the dishwasher.
What are your words to live by? How have animals controlled your life?
Trail Baboon 
According to Ernie, Bruno must not be allowed to have fun with other dogs at the park.
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one foot in front of the other. toward the goal
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Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.
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Nimue: even though it’s not 7:30 yet, if I get up on the bed and look really cute, maybe Mama will give me treats now.
Guinevere: it’s your fault if I’m whining at 3 AM. You’re the one who taught me to “ask“ before getting up on your bed.
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Never give up! Never surrender!
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I will pee wherever I want to. I am a Princess and I am only four and a half months old. I will decide how long this decree will remain in effect. My mom can just tear her hair out. I do not care. ~Maggie Mae
If my mom does not play rowdy with me for at least an hour in the morning, I will chew something that belongs to her. That includes furniture, rugs, or wood trim. ~Maggie Mae
If my mom leaves me for any length of time I will have a complete meltdown and the whole town will know how unhappy I am. ~Maggie Mae
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Live your life with integrity. Be grateful for what you have and what you receive. Try to make YOUR world a better place (not THE world–nearly impossible). Strive for and appreciate excellence when you see or experience it. Be polite to strangers and give people the benefit of the doubt until they prove they don’t deserve it. Don’t sweat the small stuff; and it’s all small stuff. Smile and say please and thank you a lot.
Animals? Just cats for me. Wife had dogs when she was a kid. Iris is confounding her because like most cats, Iris doesn’t take well to be told what to do and how to behave. Wife is a controller, so she gets frustrated when Iris doesn’t want to sit on her lap, doesn’t like getting brushed, nips her when she gets too aggressive with petting or playing or brushing, won’t play on command, eats too much or too little; won’t sleep on our bed every single night and when she does, sleep between us instead of on her legs; and ignores/avoids me most of the time.
I’m a laissez-faire cat owner and am content to wait for 14-month-old Iris to mature a little more and figure out what sort of cat she wants to be. Let her dictate how we should interact with her. Progress is slower than I’d like, but she did sit on my lap this morning while I was reading for the second time in two months. 🙂
Chris in Owatonna
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