Hot Diggity Dog!

Isn't it always the bad kids who get the attention? It may not be the good kind of attention, but it's attention nonetheless. Children who behave badly get reprimanded and lectured and grounded and participate in endless discussions about conduct and carrying the family name. The good child needs none of this, so the good child gets none of this. And often is overlooked.

I am guilty of this behavior. Not with my child. With my dogs. I have a blog full of pictures of the little dog and excerpt after excerpt of his wildly horrid behavior. But not a single picture of the big dog, the good dog, who needs no lectures on carrying the family name (or eating make-up or digging holes to China in the family room floor, which still has yet to be fixed, by the way).

So here is the big dog. He is a good, gentle, loving, lazy dog. Thumps his tail when you talk to him. Loves to be loved. Can walk outside without a leash and won't even chase a rabbit if he has been told to "sit". He essentially obeys better than our child does. He's the perfect dog because he wouldn't hurt a fly, and yet, because of his sheer size and big bark, grown men have trembled when meeting him for the first time. And we introduce him to every solicitor who comes by the house.

The only thing the big dog has done wrong was last Thanksgiving. And he really can't be blamed... His head rests so nicely on the kitchen island, which is where the Thanksgiving Turkey was sitting atop the Williams-Sonoma platter.

He just couldn't wait for a bite of the orange and rosemary stuffed bird (at least a little nibble on the drumstick), so he pulled that platter a little bit closer in his direction, until all of a sudden "CRASH!" Turkey and platter broken and mingled all over the kitchen floor.

All in the room panicked, except for me. Not liking turkey of any kind, I was happy to see the dog enjoying a meal on Thanksgiving Day. He deserves it after eating Purina ProPlan night after night.

So there's the big dog. He may not get a lot of notoriety, but he does get lots of hugs and love and Beggin' Strips for being such a good boy!