Speaking of Westminster Dogs....

Parts of a press release....about the Westminster Dog Show
In all, nearly 2,600 dogs will compete in 179 breeds and varieties....
Already, three more new breeds have been accepted for the 2012 show: the xoloitzcuintli (shoh-loh-eets-KWEEN'-tlee), the Norwegian lundehund and the entlebucher....
Also likely to be a crowd favorite is a monkey-faced affenpinscher named Banana Joe.This will mark the first time at Madison Square Garden for Icelandic sheepdogs, redbone coonhounds, Leonbergers, Boykin spaniels, cane corsos and bluetick coonhounds. 

When I saw Bluetick Coonhounds mentioned, I thought of my Grandfather Clark who died when my Mother was in her mid-teens.  Grandfather Clark loved the bluetick hounds he raised and sold from his wooded farmland in Missouri.  He'd had an appendectomy, they'd sent him home, he ended up in such pain  they were taking him back to the hospital.  My Mother said... as the car pulled away, all of the hounds bounded to the fence, rested their forepaws on the rail, threw back their heads and howled a plaintive mournful baying sound.  My Grandmother said she knew then, he would not live to come home from the hospital, as the hounds had never acted that way before.  My Mother said, as she listened and watched them, she knew they were telling him goodbye.  He didn't survive and died of peritonitis. 

Dogs are amazing animals.  Oprah says that dogs are humans with hair.  Not being an Oprah convert, I personally don't believe that but I do believe they are incredible animals.  In our family we have a son that has 2 cairn terriers, like Toto, and they have taken care of our son in so many ways as he struggles with lots of health issues and chronic pain.  They brighten his life abundantly.  
  
Speaking of dogs.  Our Church building is only a year old as far as us using it.  Early on, during the Sacrament hymn, one of the full-time missionaries came in late from outside.  He did not know that a dog followed him into the building and up the aisle (the Elder was going to sit on the front row to help pass the sacrament).  The Elder sat down but the dog just scooted up the stairs to the landing where the choir/Bishopric are seated. From our left side pew, in the fan shaped design of chapel seating, we could see it all happening.  The Bishop saw the dog and made a beeline for the dog and at the same time the very conservative man, seated behind us, appeared to the congregation to race up the aisle.  Meanwhile the dog busied himself with his one leap of faith and landed on the Sacrament table!!  The Bishop grabbed the dog and passed him to the aisle runner who trotted the pup outside. Our entire left side was howling with laughter in spite of trying to control ourselves.  The rest of the congregation kept singing the hymn.  The organist kept playing even though she'd seen the scurrying about.  Our side got partial control of our outburst and then would experience a burst of muffled laughter.   What was your view on the day of The Tail of the Dog on the Sacrament Table?  Where you there?

Proverbs  17:22  A merry heart doest good like a medicine....