Diary of a GSD (German Shepherd Dog) Entry No. 12 MY DOG HOTEL EXPERIENCE

     One evening in June, 2015, male human was  happily talking to someone on his phone, while female human was busy tinkering with her laptop.  It was a typical cozy evening, and all of us were just preppin for a good night's rest.  Hearing male human's excited voice, female human joined in and both of them were just excitingly greeting and laughing with another human on the other line. It's just amazing that from one little phone, I can hear about three or four different voices talking to each other.  Oh, I remember female human mentioned some kind of "speaker phone" that male human should click on so voices should be heard.  I think that was the reason I heard them all exciting voices.

     From what I overheard, I understood only a few words. They were "vacation, vacation, vacation!"  Are my humans going somewhere? Wow!  My humans are two workaholic people and I'm fully convinced they need a place far away to just laze around and do nothing all day.

      After clicking off the phone, I heard male and female humans discussing about a place where I need to stay while they're gone.  Dog hotel or something?  Whaaaaaaat? "Lira stays at the dog hotel for 4 to 5 days", male human said.  Oh my gosh, my first time to hear about such place!  I couldn't hide my excitement!  I imagined a lot of chic and stylish dogs checking in at the same place and I would be rubbing noses with them all.  This is, oh my goodness, PARTY!

     On July 8, 2015, female human again talked to me about good manners and of being a gracious GSD.  She told me that some sort of a dog car will pick me up and take me to the hotel.  I felt a little nervous, but was comforted when she told me that she's coming with me to see to it that I will be comfortably settled, and to make arrangements for my food, grooming and all.  Oh well, I was almost tempted to call myself, Princess Lira.

     Just as I had imagined, I was treated like a princess in the hotel.  I met a few too many handsome dogs but some female ones were quite gawky.  But since female human told me to maintain a calm and friendly behavior, I gave my sweetest smile to everyone and showed them my strong and flashy teeth in the most endearing way.

     I met a sleek, curvy lady chihuahua who slept in a room next to mine.  She has been staying in the hotel for the last three months.  Her human family - a female doctor - is in Europe for a business project.  She confided that she truly miss her human but was told that she has to wait for another three months before she sees her again.  It's her first time to be separated from her human and found it a struggle in the first month.  The hotel staff made her stay very comfortable and lovely that she had learned to cope with her new but temporary home.

     Of course, the human staff spoiled me with delicious meals, warm bath and fun, hilarious play time.  I had a fabulous time showing off my sturdy built and cool composure.  Five days was too short a time, but I earned a few good friends, both dogs and humans, in that hospitable hotel.
  
.       My short stay in the dog hotel was a happy and memorable one.  I befriended my caretaker, a jolly, cajoling and caring person whose name was CLYDE.  All the other humans in the hotel were equally friendly as well.  But CLYDE was different.  I saw in him my male and female humans, my home away from home.

     On June 12, 2015, Clyde told me that my humans have already arrived at the farm, and he's taking me there on that day.  I said goodbye to my hotel friends and felt sad that I had to leave.  But the excitement of seeing my humans filled my whole dog day time.  I just can't quite sit still.  Clyde has to keep patting my back to keep me settled.

     So I arrived home happy to see my humans again.  They gave me a very warm hug and told me I smell so good.  They said Clyde must have taken excellent care of me.  They were so right.  I only had happy times in the hotel and forever will I cherish those good, fun times.  After saying their thank-yous and goodbyes, I suddenly miss Clyde and his wide-mouth grin and cool, funny voice as he drove his car away from me.

     Now, I'm back!  Looking at my humans, I stretched my legs and gave them my loud, poker-faced yawn, barking "I'M HAPPY TO BE HOME AGAIN!  HOW'S VACATION?"

                         My good friend, Clyde

BECAUSE I MISS THIS CRAZY BFF AND HER NORMAL DAUGHTER!

     It's not everyday that I get the honor of a visit from two random and funny people who were part of my wandering past.  I just want them to know how much I appreciate their visit, hence, I created a purely amateur video to thank them.

    Thank you Radha and Red.  Hub and I were truly humbled by your presence in our modest home.

    Happy dance!

 
    

Diary of a GSD (German Shepherd Dog), Entry #11. OF BEST FRIENDS AND SUNDAYS

     One day, while I was admiring and watching a solicitous hen feeding her 10 little chicks, my female human came and sat beside me and patted my back.  "Lira, she said, I have something important to tell you."  I looked at female human's face intently and noticed that her eyes prettily brightened and her lips broadened into a lovely smile.

    "You know, Lira, she continued, in my 54 years on this earth, I have made a lot of friends in different places.  And I discovered that there are two kinds of best friends that a person can blessedly have.  One is a best friend who knows everything about you and who you hang out with often.  The other one is somebody that you haven't seen and seldom talked to for years and years, yet you know in your heart that nothing has ever changed between the two of you."  

     Jinky, the mutt, who was also sitting across, nodded in agreement, which puzzled me.  Ah, I know why.  During our frequent convos, Jinky always mentions a friend who lives in a far away place whom, she said, she will always be tied to even if they haven't seen each other anymore. 

     So, I thought, "Ah, so best friends are people you do sundays with.  Whether they be present all the time or absent for a long time, they will still be people you do sundays with in your heart."  My farm friends and I do sundays every now and then - just being comfortable talking to each other, playing, sharing food and protecting each other when trouble comes.  So, female human makes me understand that people you do sundays with are very special people and you call them "BEST FRIENDS".

     "You see, Lira, said  female human,  I haven't seen this best friend of mine in a span of twelve years, but it seems like we just talked to each other yesterday.  She is one person I can be stupid with, belly laugh with, pig out with, cry-like-a-river with and share small and big secrets with.  She knows my imperfections.  She's crazy as I am.  She has been with me in my glory days and never left me in my darkest moments.  God has gifted her with so much capacity to love, and to rise over grim circumstances. On raising kids, she is gentle yet dauntless.  A perfect example of a mother with very sharp mother's instincts.  Now, she has two lovely and wonderful kids."

     Female human continues, "Now, Lira, she and her young child will be coming over to visit us and I want you to be gentle and friendly with them.  No rough manners, okay?"  Then, female human hugged me tight, stroked my neck, stood up and left.

     Jinky came over to me, grinning, "Lira, remember...gentle..friendly..no rough manners.."  "Yeah right, and that goes for you too, Jinky."  Before Jinky and I begin to poke at each other's manners, female human came back with a full smile on her face, saying...

     "Oh, by the way, Lira, her name is RADHA."


Ms. Radha...

Ms. Radha's sweet daughter, Red... 

Ms. Radha & female human... 

Ms. Radha, female human, Jinky...
 

Me playing with Ms. Radha's daughter, Red..

 

Ms. Radha & Missy Red

     And so I made male and female humans happy...friendly and gentle attitude is almost effortless for me as doing sundays with friends. (happy dance)

 

Photo credits: Red Fernan Rota

Taken at Bit.os farmy

Diary of a GSD (German Shepherd Dog), Entry #8. Deadly Dog Day Afternoon

     It was a Monday, the first working day of the week.  Just like any other working day, male human goes to office and female human stays home for her routine commitments: household chores, gardening, reading, blogging, beading; and her special commitments: ... she says it's private.

     Oh the other hand, Jinky, the mutt,  gave birth to four healthy pups, and that God-given Monday was the start of their third week from birth.  Female human told me, "Lira, I read in Google that the third week from pups' birth is the time to introduce them to solid food."  

     So, she then carefully transferred Jinky's pups near the backdoor outside the house where they can move around and have more room to play and eat.  Jinky, who was present all the time, also rested comfortably with her pups.  When everything was done, female human felt exhausted from her morning chores and took her power nap in her room.

     Fifteen minutes after, female human was awakened by Jinky's strong and persistent barking.  Jinky seldom barks; most of time, when she's not eating, she just lies down quietly and minds her own business.  But at that time, Jinky's barking had a sense of urgency.  Bewildered, I peeked at the door and shouted to Jinky, "What you has happening, friend?"  

      Female human went out and found Jinky restlessly moving around and sniffing on an empty gas tank that was sitting in a corner.  When female human went near to investigate, she found nothing strange and nothing moving at all.  But Jinky was agitated; she barked strongly when her pups went near the gas tank.  

     Even in the absence of a dangerous object, GSDs can still sense danger lurking somewhere.  Yes! I sensed it!  Female human, Jinky and her pups must get out of there fast!!  I joined Jinky's barking and even upstaged her.  "Get out! Get out all of you!!" That was the loudest, most annoying, most irritating noise I ever made in my eight years in the farm! 

     Female human also shouted at me..."Liraaa, shut up!  You're making me nervous!"  

     One good neighbor who was working nearby, and whose name is Marciano, together with his wife, Emily, came to check what's happening.  After female human explained to them what's causing the commotion, they offered to transfer the gas tank's location to another spot.

     Marciano then proceeded to carry the gas tank when...both female human and Emily nervously and fearfully shouted..."Oh my God! Snake! Snake!" 

      Down under the empty gas tank laid a big venomous cobra all curled up and ready to strike us dead!  Female human took a long iron rod and attempted to strike the cobra but all the more the cobra moved its fierce cheeky face  towards her.  Marciano grabbed the iron rod from female human and forcefully and courageously hit the cobra's head a number of times until it crumbled down.  

     All the time while Marciano was fighting the black & yellow skinned, death-stinging reptile, female human and Emily were screaming incoherent women words and jumping up and down like nervous wrecks.  Being a loyal and sympathetic GSD, I understand how female human acts in her fiftyish years.  I displayed a poker face look even if I wanted to burst out..chuckling.  They were quite a scene.

     So that was a near-death, dog-day afternoon in a small farm where I live.  Marciano buried the dead deadly cobra.  It took days before female human got over the nervous feeling of facing a deadly snake. 

     For me, although I did not come in between the humans and the cobra, I still felt like a hero.  I think my loudest bark ever made the difference.  It paved the way for a good samaritan to come over.  And Jinky?  She was great.

     Thank you God for Marciano.  Thank you God for saving us all.

     Thanks for reading, folks!  Till next entry.


    This was the cobra killed by Marciano..

 
     The dead cobra's burial hole...

   And this is our good neighbor, Marciano...