Woof! Year of the Dog

In the Chinese calendar, 2018 is the Year of the Dog - the Year of the Earth Dog to be exact.

Bonus - I've got two of those suckers in my house, so that must mean it's going to be a great year, right?  The Year of the Dog arrived in February - I hope you were paying attention.

That's a lot of good fortune.



The Earth Dog is a balance of yin and yang, male and female, so we've got that covered in our house.  The Chinese believe that if a dog comes into your house, it symbolises coming of fortune.  Let me tell  you, not only have we got two dogs, but we've been dog-sitting another, and after he leaves, I have ANOTHER one coming to stay.  The fortune is going to be spilling out of this house like a glorious waterfall during the rainy season.  Look out, you might drown in all of that fortune.

They have probably covered their butts though by saying 'fortune doesn't necessarily mean money'.  With my luck fortune means cellulite, and if so, I'm screwed.  Anyone want some dogs??

Earth Dog is also associated with the colour brown.  While both of my dogs are a golden buff/cream, they certainly turn their bedding brown because of their dust baths and love of lying in the dirt.  Close enough for comparison, I say.


2018 is also Mountain Dog Year - I tried to figure out how it could be both and got very confused - Confucious say....'you don't need to understand' - so I don't.  But it is also Mountain Dog Year - take my word for it - I googled it.  Apparently the mountains can block your way out.  Have you ever lived with two dogs, both over 50 kg each?  I live with two mountains and they block my way all the time. I have this Chinese New Year stuff covered.

Brown earth dog

So now we have Brown Earth Mountain Dog Year - it's working for me so far.

There are clear traits that come with being a Dog year.  Like our four-legged friends, this is a year of loyalty, friendliness, honesty and things being easy going.  That mostly sounds like Chamois and Manu. Unless you are a small fluffy dog, then Chamois' friendliness is classed more as disdain.  I think disdain is suited more to Year of the Cat.  There is no Year of the Cat....probably with good reason.  Can you imagine?

This is why there is no Year of the Cat

In honour of the Year of the Dog, let's look at some fun doggie facts, just because we can.

• Labradors are the most popular breed in the world.  I can attest to that - I have one (temporarily) in my house right now.


• Dogs have about the same intelligence level as a two year old.  As with all rules, some of my dogs have been the exception, and not in the good way.  Chamois plots and manipulates like a three year old.  Manu eats poo.

  

  Smart doggie

• They do know you are coming home and will wait for you at the gate or door.  Their hearing is four times that of humans, and can hear your car coming.  Their sense of smell is also 10,000 - 100,000 times better than ours (depending on the breed) and they can probably smell you before they hear you.  Maybe that's why my husband farts so much - he's sending a secret code to the dogs?


• Each nose print is as individual as a finger print.  That give me little solace as Chamois shoves her nose into everyone's crotch as a greeting.

  

  Chamois' soul mate

• In ancient Egypt, when your dog died, you shaved off your eyebrows, smeared mud in your hair and mourned aloud for days.  Sounds like a fun Saturday night....


• Dog's shoulder blades are not attached to the rest of their body to allow for better flexibility when running.  And licking themselves.


• A person standing still 300 yards away is almost invisible to a dog. But a dog can easily identify its owner standing a mile away if the owner is waving his arms. Not that he'll come to you - he has better things to do.
  
  
  
  
  
  

Happy Year of the Dog to all of the dogs and all of the dog lovers out there.

My husband is really looking forward to next year, the Year of the Pig.  Ooo, I wonder if I can get a pet pig in celebration?!

Happy 2019!