The Dog’s Commandments.

From a- witless puppy I brought thee up;

gave thee fire and food,

and taught thee the self-respect of an honest dog.

Hear, then, my commandments:

I am thy master : thou shalt have

no other masters before me.

“Where I go, shalt thou follow;

where I abide, tarry thou also.

My house is my castle;

thou shalt honor it;

guard it with thy life

if need be!

By daylight, suffer all that approach

peaceably to enter,

without protest.

But after nightfall thou shalt

give tongue when men draw near!

Use not thy teeth on any man

without good cause and intolerable provocation;

and never on women or children.

Honor thy master and thy mistress,

that thy days may belong in the land.

Thou shalt not consort with mongrels,

nor with dogs that are common or unclean.

Thou shalt not steal.

Thou shalt not feed upon refuse or stray bits ;

thy meat waits thee regularly in the kitchen.

Thou shalt not bury bones in the flower beds.

Cats are to be chased, but in sport only;

seek not to devour them;

their teeth and claws are deadly.

Thou shalt not snap at my neighbor,

nor his wife, nor his child, nor

his manservant, nor his maidservant,

nor his ox, nor his ass,

nor do harm to aught that is his.

The drawing-room rug is not for thee,

nor the sofa, nor the best armchair.

Thou hast the porch and thy own kennel.

But for the love I bear thee,

there is always a corner for thee by the winter fire.

Meditate on these commandments day and night;

so shalt thou be a dog of good breeding

and an honor to thy master.

Lady & Miss NYE 2015

Lady being quite the “dog hog” taking up both the huge woolen blanket and dog bed, leaving Bilbo shivering on the door mat before I intervened. I’m sure many blokes who’ve lost the doona mid-winter would say: “typical woman”. I do think Lady also tries to live up to her name and sometimes even Bilbo is treated like the “Tramp”.

A family photo with Bilbo as a pup Mother’s Day, 2007.

Bilbo appropriating another dog’s ball.

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While trying to find out more about the canine food thief in my previous post Judge Reprimands Naughty Dog!, I stumbled across  this in Kooweerup Sun, Lang Lang Guardian and Cranbourne Shire Record (Vic. : 1918) Wednesday 4 September 1918 p 3.

Any thoughts?

xx Rowena