Sparkling Jewel

Yay! My dog is back! Wolfing down soft dog food like I starved her for weeks, my friend is back in stride! And I need more soft dog food! Which is absolutely splendid!!!!!! This calls for a list!

Things Jewel has taught me:

• Border Collies are the most OCD dogs on the planet, which is also why they are the smartest. And cats are the best herding tool ever... Just be really careful not to hiss while Jewel is locked on to one of the house cats as this generally ends in a very miffed cat with a bit of dog slobber on it's head from the love-bite she has bestowed like a good-morning kiss.


• Sleeping in whatever position you desire is generally the best reward to a glorious day.


• No Whining! Ever! Even when your tooth is about to kill you... Life is better lived and not regretted. Eventually the human will figure it out...


• Don't let metal slow you down. Jewel has alot of metal in her back legs from multiple mishaps. Doesn't keep her from running, stalking, playing ball or frolicking in the tall grass. Again, I think the no whining part applies here...


• Loyalty is key. Despite the amazing pain she must have been in, and has been in in the past, Jewel has never offered to bite us. She has stoically and patiently waited while we poked and prodded and made her ever more uncomfortable in order to determine her ailment.


• Make it worth their while... Jewel has been such a loyal friend that a $500 vet bill for a rotten tooth, antibiotics, two car ride trips totalling over 100 miles, multiple trips to the store to find just the right dog food and four sleepless nights just don't seem like a bother.


• When you have to make a mess, try to make it in the least disruptive way possible. I know you may not believe this, but when Jewel has an accident, she generally tries to make her mess in the bathroom, and on occasion has actually done it in the tub itself. Lineoleum is so much easier to clean than carpet!


• Keep your expectations in line. A good ball toss, a meal in your bowl and a good belly rub now and then is all you really need to make it through the day. The rest is icing on the cake.


• Have a job. No matter what the time of day or where they might be, Jewel always knows where the cat is. It has been a saviour when we have lost cats our daughter cared terribly for. She has always been able to find them, be it under a bed, way up under an aging deck behind a house, in a closet... She has found them all when asked!


• Take time to let them know you care. I have never doubted the love she has for her family. Always there by your side or waiting patiently for your return... She is just the best dog I could ever have hoped to own.

Thank you Jewel! You are simply the best pup ever! Keep on ticking... Shoulda named her Timex!