Liam's Life

It's a dog's life a phrase that folks seem to be using now to connote a comfortable, undemanding, pampered. even lazy life. However, its origins are the opposite, deriving from hard times when dogs were not allowed in the house, had to scavenge for food even from their owners, worked hard, no toys, no vacations, a life of misery. Going to the dogs was not a way to go. Dog-tired was not a pleasant physical state.

Liam is authoring this week's blog story. Is his life "a miserable subservient existence" as "living a dog's life" once meant? Let's hear about Liam's day.

I sleep in the den with Mommy Carol. Why? Just habit. Daddy Paul sleeps upstairs in the bedroom I am not revealing anything shocking. My parents are very open about this sleeping arrangement which came about a few years ago when Mommy Carol developed restless leg, apnea, insomnia and sleep eating.
Since the sleep issue is such a struggle she decided to stay downstairs and wrestle with her own demons.
Daddy Paul is no slouch in the sleep challenged area either. He snores and gets muscle spams.
I guess what really attracts me to sleeping on the den couch with Mommy Carol is that she occasionally gets up for a snack. She firmly believes these snacks calm her down and induce sleep. Whatever. I follow her in these early dark morning fridge forays and have a 52% rate of snack capture. Lately though she has only grabbed some Cheerios and these are quite a comedown from the turkey on pumpernickel.
Daddy Paul works and gets up around 7AM. He brings me a few pellets of doggie food as an appetizer ( no human food is ever given to me) as he scuffs in to make the coffee. I am still on the den couch, but now sitting up, the day has begun. I wait a few minutes as he fills my bowl and then I leap off the couch sliding across the wooden floor to my destination. After I finish, I am rewarded with my snack of a greenie, shaped like a toothbrush which supposedly acts as a teeth cleaner. My white teeth support this-see those gleaming teeth-no laminates needed! Daddy also lets me out to do my business. Then he is gone. Mommy Carol is a stay-at-home mom. She says she worked for many years. There are plaques, testament, flags, and photos on the walls to prove it. I am so lucky to have company during the day, although I have my own fun and she does her own things. I like to chase rabbits and squirrels, especially in those our neighbor's tree and birds and bugs in the backyard
Inside, I perch crouched on the couch back like a cat and watch for dogs. I am very patient, until one walks by and then I bark bark bark.
I also hear the heat as it hisses from the vent, my cue to toast my body. I sit as close as I can my own fireplace
When Mommy leaves for her activities, she closes off two rooms: one where the parakeets live and the other where the computer is. I have tried to play with these colorful little creatures and my parents fear I will chew on them. There is also a belief that I destroyed the former PC when I got tangled in the back wires as a puppy. These humans never forget. I am no longer a puppy, and have evolved out of puppy tricks.
I am given a treat whenever Mommy leaves and she says "good dog" because I sit still and do not chase after her. While she is out, I watch TV I like all the channel seven shows starting with Regis and Kelly. I also like CNN, and I like Mike Fancesca especially this week with all the Tiger controversy. Some callers call Tiger a "dog" and I think they do not mean it as a compliment Guess going from a tiger to dog is a fall from grace.
I bark a lot. I am a Leo and like to announce myself to all passersby. I have a high-end set of toys that can be stuffed with treats.
When Daddy comes home I go nuts. I jump all over him. We sit for a bit and catch up on the day's eventsWe might do a chore together
He takes me for a walk every night. He lets me pull on the leash, poop on lawns and dilly dally along the way. That is my idea of a walk. I control where we go and what happens. Fun.
Then we are in for the night. I have my chair But I like to explore. I usually end up in the den with Mommy Carol but go back and forth. Wherever the action is, I am. I bark and make my parents play, Daddy always says "quiet your dog" to Mommy.
Weekends are different. Daddy sleeps later. I go upstairs around 8 AM and bark once. He gets up and feeds me. He goes back up to bed. Then I go back up and bark once more. he comes back down and gives me my greenie. I then ring my poochie bells hanging from the side door. They are a set of jingle bells. Mommy has been trained to come immediately to let me out. If she dawdles, I rip down the bells. It took me a while to train the parents but they work well as a team .
I go on vacation to a wonderful pet resort Best in Show. They have parties. This week is the Howliday party. It will be wooferful.
Sometimes we have visitors who are called handymen. If they encourage me, I lick and jump on them. Our housekeeper and I have the best time every two weeks. I love helping with the cleaning and have even adjusted to the noise of the vacuum cleaner. Late afternoon more excitement as FedEx, UPS, and our mail carrier all come by. A never ending carousel of events to keep the day spinning and twirling on the joy ride that is this dog's life.
At the end on my day, I am dog tired, warming in front of my fireplace tired from playing with my toys, full of treats. it is a very pleasant physical state for this dog.
Maybe a need for a second meaning to the phrase It's a dog's life My life is restful celebratory interesting view on the world fireplace cozy fun dinners to overseeand many more superlatives.

woof woof oh and Go Dawgs, UGA
Liam