Poem by Billy Adams

A DOG ON HIS MASTER

As young as I look,

I am growing old faster than he,

seven to one is the ratio they tend to say.

Whatever the number,

I will pass him one day and take the lead

the way I do on our walks in the woods.

And if this ever manages to cross his mind,

it would be the sweetest shadow

I have ever cast on snow or grass.

By: Billy Adams

Jan 11

Poetry by Hazel Harris-Lane

Unconditional Love.

When a dog offers you his heart
Accept it with a smile
For his love will last a lifetime –
Which is such a little while.

When a dog offers you his heart
Take it gladly and with pride
For he will be a faithful friend
Ever by your side.

A dog loves you because you’re you –
Not for how you speak or what job you do
You could be short, tall, thin or fat
Or ugly as sin, he doesn’t care about that.

A dog knows if you’re good or bad
He can see inside your soul
When he decides you’re okay
To earn your love is his main goal.

When you’re sad, he’ll comfort you
And kiss away each tear
You may even wake up in the morning
With a cold nose in your ear.

When eventually the time comes
And the lights in his eyes dim
A new star will shine in Heaven
In remembrance of him.

You’ll gaze up at the midnight sky
And you will hear him say –
“I’m so glad you were my human
We’ll meet again some day!”

So, if this poem has caused a tear to fall
That’s because you love the dog who’s giving you his all
Go travel on together, happily paw in glove
He’s the only one who’ll ever give you unconditional love.

When a dog offers you his heart
Accept it with a smile
For his love will last a lifetime –
Which is such a little while.

By: Hazel Harris-Lane

Jan 11

Calculating Your Dog’s Age

My Cairn Terrier is 68 in dog years and 13 in human years.

How old is your faithful friend?

http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/how-to-calculate-your-dogs-age

Translating Dog Years into Human Years

Age of dog	Small breed – age in human years	Medium breed – age in human years	Large breed – age in human years
1	15	15	15
2	24	24	24
3	28	28	28
4	32	32	32
5	36	36	36
6	40	42	45
7	44	47	50
8	48	51	55
9	52	56	61
10	56	60	66
11	60	65	72
12	64	69	77
13	68	74	82
14	72	78	88
15	76	83	93
16	80	87	120

How to Determine a Dog’s Age

If you’ve adopted a puppy or dog but don’t know the dog’s history, you may wonder how old he is. Even if you don’t know the birth date, it is still possible to estimate your dog’s age.

Teeth can give a rough indication of a dog’s age. The degree of growth helps determine how old a puppy is, and the degree of wear and tartar helps estimate the age of an adult dog. Of course, there are individual differences between dogs. And a dog’s previous dental care will have an impact on the health of teeth.

Here are some general guidelines:

By 8 weeks: All baby teeth are in.
By 7 months: All permanent teeth are in and are white and clean.
By 1-2 years: Teeth are duller and the back teeth may have some yellowing.
By 3-5 years: All teeth may have tartar build-up and some tooth wear.
By 5-10 years: Teeth show more wear and signs of disease.
By 10-15 years: Teeth are worn, and heavy tartar build-up is likely with the possibility of some teeth missing.

Your vet can also estimate a dog’s age based on a complete physical exam or tests looking at bones, joints, muscles, and internal organs. In older dogs, signs of aging may show up in a variety of ways, including:

A cloudy appearance in the eyes
Graying hair, especially around the muzzle at first, and spreading to other areas of the face, head, and body
Less skin elasticity