What Makes a Dad?

By with Comments Off on What Makes a Dad?

Father’s Day is a day to honor our fathers, and all men who fulfill the role as father figure. Stepfathers, grandfathers, uncles, and adult males deserve recognition from both their two-legged and four-legged ones who understand the positive influence they have been on everyone,human and canine. Dads can sound tough, but when the chips are down, they are real softies, as illustrated in this supposedly true story, “Every Boy Needs a Dog.”

“Dad, there’s a dog down the street who needs us.” My seven year old looked at me seriously. It had been a tough week at work, and I was looking forward to relaxing on this Dad’s Day, so my immediate response was, “Well, we don’t need a dog.”

“Dad, every boy needs a dog and that dog needs me….his human is mean. Yesterday I saw him hitting the dog with a stick, and told him she shouldn’t, and he said if I was so worried about the dumb dog, I should take him. I said, okay, this week end is Father’s Day, and my dad likes dogs, so we will take him.

“Scott, I do like dogs, but we don’t need….” I couldn’t finish, because my thoughts went back to a time when I was a boy not much older than Scott.. Oh, how I wanted a dog, and I soon discovered a neglected dog at the end of the block. The poor animal often had no food, so I began saving part of my school lunch for him.

One afternoon I realized that he had pulled loose from his chain and was following me home. I deliberately left the garage door open, and I hardly got into the kitchen, when my brother called, “Hey, come see. There is a dog in our garage. He looks hungry.” Dad responded quickly, “No way do we need a puppy.” Then he glanced at the open garage door. I took a deep breath and admitted I had left it open. Dad just shook his head, and said, “Well, the dog can stay in the garage tonight; we’ll take him to the shelter in the morning.”

I saved most of my supper, so he really had a good meal. We rigged up a box in the corner with an old blanket, and he curled up and went to sleep. Early the next morning I hurried into the garage…there was the puppy, still curled up in the box. I crawled in beside him, and the next thing I knew Dad was standing there, shaking his head. “This dog belongs to someone. We’ll feed it and then I am sure someone will claim him” No one claimed him, and to our amazement, Dad agreed, “if no one claims the dog by the end of the week, we will keep him, but you have to take the total responsibility to care for him.” When Sunday night came, our family celebrated. We had a dog, a wonderful dog.

Several months passed before I finally confessed to my Dad that I knew where the dog belonged, and what I had done. He just smiled. “I know. I saw him tied up every day when I went to work. I talked to the owner. He didn’t want the dog. Buddy is ours.” I was jolted back to the present, realizing that my son had crawled up onto my lap, something he hadn’t done in a long time. “Scott, let’s go talk to that man and get your dog.”

Dogs and dads are a lot alike: on their loyalty you can depend…..your friends and protectors to the very end. They’ll love and protect you their whole lives through, and their devotion and love they’ll shower on you.

Paw Hugs and Nose Kisses for Dad

By with Comments Off on Paw Hugs and Nose Kisses for Dad

It’s that special time of year when kids give their dads neckties, power tools, and hand-made greeting cards (sometimes including promises to do some extra chores) to celebrate Father’s Day. Father’s Day was first proposed in 1909 by Mrs. John Dodd to honor her father, William Smart, a Civil War veteran, who was widowed and raised six children by himself. It was after Mrs. Dodd became an adult that she realized the strength and selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge promoted the idea as a national day, but it wasn’t until 1966 that President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation to honor dads. Father’s day has become a special day to honor fathers, and other men who act as a father figure—stepfathers, uncles, grandfathers and male friends who have been important influences in our lives.

Here are a few reasons that kids give for loving their dads:

  • He runs our races right alongside of us. Unless he gets behind
  • He protects us and keeps us safe
  • He lets us have junk food when Mom isn’t looking
  • He takes us to new places to do new things
  • He often says, “Ask your mom,” when he doesn’t know the answer
  • He complains a lot about the dog, but defends her when she gets in trouble.
  • He sometimes complains about us kids too, but protects us big time from others.
  • My dad claims he is tough, but he is really a softie at heart. Sometimes he is a pushover.
  • My dad said No Dog in the House, but that rule only lasted a week. Now the dog sleeps with him in his lazy boy.
  • My dad is the boss in our house. That’s because Mom put him in charge.
  • My dad helps me do the dog chores…sometimes I forget and he feeds and waters her.
  • He doesn’t know that sometimes he gets dog kisses on the face, right after she has licked herself in all her private places. But I figure what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.
  • Sometimes my dad makes me do things I don’t want to do, but he always says, “It’s because I love you…someday you’ll understand.”
  • My dad is one of the most important people in the world to me… he is my friend, my hero, and the best dad in the world.

And then there’s Angie’s Father’s Day Story:

Our daughter Meg had left a BIG bag of candy on the table, and our Beagle Boy can reach the table, so while we were at church on Father’s Day morning, BB ate four candy bars and all the Hershey’s kisses, including the wrappers. When we got home and discovered what had happened, we called the emergency clinic and the vet told us we had to induce vomiting. Yeah…that’s what he said. Have you ever tried to get a dog to drink 3 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide? NOT EASY. We missed the special Father’s Day dinner, and spent most of the afternoon outside in the yard. Finally he upchucked more gunk than you can possibly imagine…and trotted over to my husband to give him an unwelcome kiss. All he said was, “Well, I guess all’s well that ends well.”

Dads are special: they hold you tight, support you, guide you, teach you, hug you, and protect you. They defend you till they draw their last breath. They may not be able to give you everything you want, but they give you love, time, and attention. They give you the greatest gift anyone could give another person…they believe in you…… You can’t buy those things.

We wish all dads a relaxing, shoes off, wonderful kind of day…and lots of paw hugs and nose kisses from their four-legged friends.

What is a Dad?

By with Comments Off on What is a Dad?

Mrs. John Dodd, of Washington, first proposed the idea of a “father’s day” in l909, because she wanted a special day to honor her father, a Civil War veteran, realizing the selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent, after his wife died. Father’s Day has become a day to not only honor your father, but all men who act as father figures; stepfathers, uncles, grandfathers, and adult male friends are all honored on Father’s Day. An estimated billion dollars is spend each year in the United States for Father’s Day gifts, but there are more collect calls on Father’s Day than on any other day of the year, meaning that dad is still paying the bill on phone calls from the kids.

 

A dad is someone who wants to catch you before you fall,

 But instead picks you up, brushes you off, and allows you try again.

A dad is someone who teaches you how to relate to people and animals,

Understanding that a rescued dog offers unconditional love and loyalty.

A dad is someone who wants to keep you from making mistakes,

But instead lets you find your own way,

Even though his heart breaks in silence when you get hurt.

A dad scolds you when you hide a stray puppy in your room,

But recognizes your compassion toward everyone, two-legged and four-legged,

A dad is someone who comforts you when you cry,

And has faith in you even when you fail.

A dad will hold you tight, support you, guide you, teach you, hug you,

Protect you and love you with all his heart and soul.

I AM BLESSED

 

Like many fathers, my dad turned a blind eye to the faults of his kids, both human and canine.  This arrangement suited me and his favorite dog Chester, as we both were sometimes disobedient. Dad loved our high spirits and didn’t want to curb them or restrict our freedom…Now, Mom was a different story…she ran a tight ship, and both Chester and I knew our boundaries and limitations with Mother. For instance, when the neighbor called to complain that Chester had made off with the ham she had cooked for dinner, Mom demanded that Dad go and apologize and that Chester be confined to our own yard from that day forward. He went, reluctantly, mumbling that we would certainly replace the roast, but apparently on his apology-visit, he learned that the neighbor’s boys often left the door leading from the garage into the house ajar. Immediately he defended his companion with “Well, what does she expect if they leave the door open? Chester viewed this as an invitation to enter and sample whatever lay on the counter.” Mother replaced the ham and included some homemade cookies, and Chester stayed confined to the yard for two days, until Dad said he couldn’t stand it anymore….we were never sure whether he meant he couldn’t stand it or Chester couldn’t stand it, but Chester went back to his old exuberant self. And me? I grew up knowing, even when I was disagreeable or disobedient, that I had everything I needed…love, time, and attention, and to this day, I think my dad turns a blind eye to my faults, and although he didn’t tell me how to live, he lived an exemplary life, and I watched him do it. I am blessed to call him DAD.

We wish all dads a relaxing, shoes- off, slippers- on, wonderful kind of day. HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!