a few things i know for sure

i have learned the true meaning behind some idioms applying to dogs. to" work like a dog" is to do absolutely nothing. you lay around, on a bed when no one is home for example. you sleep. then, you wake up and want to eat. now we come to "it's the dog's dinner". i will spare you a picture of this, but at our house it's usually something delicious like reheated beef bourguignon poured over 2 cups of fancy kibbles. or maybe shredded roast chicken or some neighbor's leftover steak from a really good restaurant i can't afford to go to. once again, reheated and poured over said kibbles. so, " a dog's dinner" does not signify something that is a real mess or a job poorly done, or even someone overdressed; it means a gourmet meal served on the floor. or, german chocolates eaten from the christmas tree. "keep your nose to the ground" means, no matter what the weather, the time of day, whether your owners have to catch a bus or not, keep sniffing. there might be a mouse in that hole, or a squirrel up that tree, or a rabbit up that hill. dogs, a daily triumph of hope over experience. love them.