Losing a Dog, Losing a Friend

Yago at age 6, 2002.

It's been almost a month since my dog Yago passed away. He was a big part of my life for 16 years.
This "dumped-as-a-puppy" chow-mix dog was by my side through so many transitions in my life. In many ways, he was my stability and security through these transitions. He was more than family. He was, in the truest sense of the word, my closest and dearest friend.

Yago, 1998 at his horse farm home in Mena, Arkansas.

I knew his time was coming. He told me with his eyes and his ears. His ears, always big, pointy and upright, were more often laying down as his face showed signs of discomfort.

Yago, Mena, Arkansas, always keeping watch.

He passed away laying in the sun and "guarding" the entrance to our show horse barn as he had always done.
I held him in my arms assuring him he would be loved forever. I thanked him for enriching my life in so many ways - so many, in fact, that I am literally flooded with memories of our time together.

Yago laying in one of many big holes he dug during his lifetime.

Yago was the reason I started Appreciate Your Pet several years ago. He and I both hoped the web site and "pet honor" certificate would really take off and be very popular, and well, let's just say that it didn't quite happen like we thought. We decided to downsize the web site to a blog and start from the beginning with the hopes of building the Appreciate Your Pet brand while continuing to expand our mission of "honoring animals who enrich human lives". Perhaps with time, Yago's profile and the Appreciate Your Pet logo will become recognizable.

Yago (right), his daughter Yuka (left) and  my daughter Jennifer Holland.

It's interesting that human lives can be "enriched" by something other than money and material possessions.
Pets -and especially dogs - do just that with an innate precision and mission that can only be from a higher source. The love we have for our pets - and other animal friends - is a rather unique love when you stop and think about it. As humans, we easily and readily give our love and affection to beings who are totally different from us in so many ways. What is it about dogs that make them so easy to love? Why do we cherish these relationships? What does this really tell us about the nature of love?

The Appreciate Your Pet tag, featuring Yago's profile in yellow.

Today I ask you to honor the animals in your life. Take a few moments to think about the happiness and love they have brought into your life. In memory of my Yago, please thank them for enriching your life.


Something tells me Yago is still with us. He was always such a clever dog, and I believe his spirit will find a way to continue the journey he started.

Life is But a Dream

It's now  been two earth weeks since I passed. I AM still me! I've been thinking about the life I just left. Was it a dream? Or am I dreaming now?

I am recalling my life......

I was rescued by "Mom" as a puppy and always had a "home".

I was always fed really good food! I was never hungry. If I was, I could hunt my own snacks.

I had freedom. This is what I loved the most. I could come and go as I pleased. I stayed outside as much as I wanted, but I always had a nice soft bed waiting for me at home.

I was rarely on something called a "leash".  I only wore something called a "collar" during hunting season. It was bright orange and matched the orange tiger stripes in my fur. I could slip out of any collar and even out of something called a "harness".

I dug many holes. I loved digging holes!!!! It was one of my favorite activities!

I was a father, and I helped raised my four pups. I can proudly say they all followed in my footsteps and became outstanding horse farm dogs. Not too many male dogs get this opportunity any more! 

I got to eat all kinds of things - especially things that made human faces distort! This was fun!

I ate horse hoof trimmings, sweet feed, cat food, things I found in the woods, all sorts of manures - an entire smorgasbord of canine delights!

I could be smelly and dirty. I hated baths, and "Mom" only gave me a bath about three times during my 16 years! 

"Mom" never put any goofy costumes or clothes on me. I did wear one of those cones at one time, though....

I did a great job of training humans. I could get them to do all sorts of things with my charming barks, tricks and stares. This was the best! I was a master at this!

I had a job I truly enjoyed - Chief Security Officer of Silver Eagle Arabians horse farm and boarding stable. Man, did I ever mooch a lot of treats from the boarders! I knew the sound of each of their cars! And the UPS truck....the human in the brown uniform always gave me a treat!

I was the inspiration behind  Appreciate Your Pet. Look at the logo - that's ME with those cool pointy ears! 

I'm a bit sad now. I miss my life. I miss my "Mom". I always knew she had a soft spot in her heart for me. Sometimes I used it just to get treats.....But now - now that I'm really thinking about it, I realize that she loved me, just the way I was. I still see her holding me, petting me and crying on that last day. I wish I could talk to her and let her know how I feel.
Am I dreaming?

New Baby? Appreciate Your Pet!

Oliver the Yorkie stands watch over the newest member of his household.
One more reason to Appreciate Your Pet.

Good Bye, Fourth of July!

Not the most flattering photo of me. I'm really stressed out!

I hate the Fourth of July human holiday. I can't wait until it's over! Good-bye Fourth of July! Booms, blasts and bombs all night long. It scares me! And it scares other animals as well. The horses at the farm where I live have to be brought into the barn each night during this war-like weekend of noise. What is this all about?

In my younger years, I'd hide in a freshly dug bunker shivering and shaking. Now that my ears don't work as well as they did (hey, I'm 15 years old!) I don't shake as much, but I can still feel the vibration of those booms, blasts and fireballs in the sky even inside a human house.

People, if you really appreciate your pet, make sure they are not outside and exposed to this Fourth of July madness. I'll bet most pets could be bribed gently persuaded to stay in your human house with a little treat right off of the Fourth of July grill!

I'm making a straightforward plea to American humans this year: Please be considerate of pets and other animals this Fourth of July.  Remember that fireworks and loud booms frighten us and hurt our ears.  Keep it to one night only. In my neighborhood, crazy humans will be booming and blasting for the entire weekend! I'm already getting stressed out just thinking about it. And when I get stressed out, I want to eat!

Sit, Stay, Smile! A Real Dog's Blog.

Me (at right) and my daughter Yuka (left).

I'm Yago. A real dog. This is the first post of my real dog blog.

I've recently returned from a year-long sabbatical. I had developed a bad case of blogger's block and I needed a break from the clutter and clamor of everyday modern canine life. I had taken a position as a corporate spokesdog, but it just wasn't me. I needed more. I needed to find myself. So I left my lofty position and went back to my roots. Literally.

I dug big holes in many places. I laid and rolled in each of them, thinking, sniffing, meditating, feeling the earth.

I dug a really big hole behind these shrubs!

It was a cleansing process for sure. And I really needed a bath afterwards. But then, I hate baths! Had I changed?

Somehow, I was indeed transformed, confident in my new life's purpose. Some of my peers even referred to me as the Dalai Doggo Yago, a canine spiritual leader. That's much too much for me, and I'm content with my name just as it is - Yago Doggo.

I think I've figured out most of life's mysteries here on this earth, including the age old question, "Why are we here?" In this case, the word "we" refers to animals, specifically pets.

Humans are a "puzzlement" to me. I like the word "puzzlement". I heard the King of Siam say this word in a human play called "The King and I".  As a species of beings on this earth, humans are well, very different from those of us who are native beings. More on this later.

So why are "we" here? Pets are here to make life on earth better for humans. There's so much that humans don't understand. We're already way more advanced - so advanced that we are able to allow humans to think they are superior beings! 

I hear all you humans laughing, even with my partially deaf ears! Just keep reading my blog! I'll prove my point! In the meantime, APPRECIATE YOUR PET! They are with you for reasons you can't understand yet!