Happiness Illustrated

Disney World what? According to Gertie and Duke, The Farm, not the Disney park, is the happiest place on earth.

The shirt says it all.

They romped and stomped and bounded. They impersonated a thundering herd. They hunted mice in a staccato duet–Gertie: pounce, lunge, point and freeze. Duke: spring, stomp, freeze–alert. Back and forth.

They sipped from the pond at sunrise and splashed in the muddy waters.

They were wild things, running free.

And even after this:

They were lovey dogs in the big red truck:

But after the ears-flapping-in-the-wind, jowls-bouncing joy came the make-me-gag, Could-You-Be-More-Disgusting? incident. Apparently, during his third trip to the farm, when I was so proud that he was bold enough to explore the woods on his own, Duke ate some deer dung. But I didn’t notice when he emerged from the woods, when I could have washed his mouth out in the pond. No, I didn’t find out until later–when he barfed it up on the living room carpet. I will spare you the details, but something meant to come out the back end of a wild animal projecting from the front end of a dog is just as gross as you would imagine. And I spent more than an hour blotting the carpet. Ugh. But I suppose it was worth it for all of that happiness; I’ve just told Duke that if he’s going to eat poop, he should have the decency to keep it down.

What’s the most disgusting thing your dog has done?

5 Reasons My Dogs Love Labor Day

1. Kids’ faces to lick. Like many American families, ours gathers over the Labor Day weekend, including my nieces and nephew.  Here’s what Gertie’s capable of when it comes to kids:

This baby receiving a lickdown from Gertie is our friends’ son Nolan. Ella is 16 months old, so I’m sure she’ll be in the same boat as Nolan.

Now let’s check out Duke’s tongue and think about the implications for the children:

My bet: Duke will be able to slurp a child’s cheek from about five feet.

May your dogs find chubby cheeks to bathe in slobber this weekend.

2. Run Free! Dogs love to run free–no leash or harness to hold them back, ears flying, tongues flapping in the wind. This weekend, Gertie will introduce Duke to The Farm. The farm is more of a wildlife preserve and retreat for my parents, and my dad drives Gertie out in his big red truck (so she now has an affinity for big red trucks; on a walk one day, she stopped in the middle of the street and begged to go get into a stranger’s red truck). The farm is bordered by actual crops. The variety of animal smells really attracts the dogs, as well as the pond for drinking, wading, or stealing fish food. But the room to run is the biggest draw.

May your dog find room to run this weekend.

3. Food. Little kids + tasty meals = yummy crumbs for dogs. And sometimes naughty grandpas offer treats as well.

May your dog enjoy delicious (and hopefully healthy!) treats this weekend.

4. Smells. The Labor Day weekend provides plenty of odorous entertainment. In addition to the yummy kid food mentioned above, and any grilling and celebratory desserts, the farm and my parents’ wooded yard offer scents from woodchucks, deer, squirrels, rabbits, birds, raccoons, and more. I love to watch Gertie snuffle through the grass when she’s caught a particularly pungent scent, and I’m sure Duke will be on the trail too.

May your dogs sniff to their nostrils’ content this weekend.

5. Duh–Mom and Dad don’t go to work!

May your dog enjoy quality time with you this weekend!

What are you and your dogs doing this Labor Day weekend?