5 good things about the dog

I've never owned a dog before; so I thought it was time as I now live near a great beach, with a dog section, in Tahuna. So, Vito and I have been together for 16 months, and my training has been going very well. He's a Sydney Silky - but I keep his hair cut quite short so he doesn't have that overgrown mop look. I'm getting better at the haircuts and he looks less punk now.

I reckon there's a few good reasons to own a lively little dog:

1. He will drag you out for walks on a regular basis; or drive you to distraction or chew your shoes
2. You'll end up meeting other people with dogs that you would normally never speak to; some of them are quite nice, some of them you just wish he'd walk past without creating a conversation
3. Kitchen scraps, like cooked rice, apple cores or chop bones, will never go to waste again
4. You will learn a second language - one that includes sniffs, squeaks, growls and animal body language. This helped me deal better with other people's dogs. (I'm much less of a wus now.)
5. Keeping the upper hand, or the mystical 'top dog' status is tricky, but you'll learn to be consistent

Vito

Of course, if you start talking silly, buying dog outfits, or looking like your dog its probably time to call it quits.

Lizzie