Archive for » August, 2008 «

Monday, August 18th, 2008 | Author: vbeaulieu

My daughter and I were dog-sitting for my sister this evening…yes, dog-sitting. Anyway, she (my sister) has a new member in her little family. She adopted a dog from Animal Control (that’s a story in itself), and he’s the cutest little thing! He’s a Chihuahua or part Chihuahua, and he’s so shy. He was sidling up to Tina (my daughter), sniffing her stockinged feet and softly wagging his tail. Tina was scratching him behind his ear, when all of sudden, she said, “How is it that something this small, this tiny, actually descended from the wolf? How is that all dogs are descended from the wolf?”
   The only answer I could come up with was, “Many years of breeding.” But, then I began to think, how does a tiny, little bit nothing truly come from a wolf?” Where in the world did the selective process start? What makes a Chihuahua a Chihuahua; a Pekingese a Pekingese; a Border Collie a Border Collie? I mean if they ultimately share the same ancestors, where did the difference begin? Where did the “odd wolf out” come from to start the process of the different breeds? Today, it’s easy to understand how breeders use different breeds to create new ones, but in days gone by, where did those different breeds come from?

Tuesday, August 12th, 2008 | Author: vbeaulieu
The Dreamer

The Dreamer

Have you ever wondered if animals dream? If they do…how would we know? I was sitting in my recliner watching both my dogs (Spades, a Border Collie , and Sony, a Pekingese) who were in a deep sleep. Spades’ legs were actually moving as if he were chasing something. Maybe he’s chasing a sheep in his dream. After all, he is a herding dog, and he loves to circle around me and try to make me go a certain direction when he’s awake. All of sudden, I hear Sony whimper and her little, sausage body jerks a bit, as if she’s shivering or afraid of something. Is she dreaming that something’s chasing her? Or did she just have a hiccup? Then after a couple of moments, they are both still, and except for Sony’s snoring (yes, she snores), I don’t hear another peep. Again, I wonder…are they dreaming? It’s not like they can wake up and say, “Guess what kind of dream I just had!”

Isn't she beautiful

Isn't she beautiful

Category: My Pets  | 6 Comments