"Stardogs"

 

My dog Susie says

California Canines

As I've mentioned in previous barks, I've met quite a few dogs of celebrities during the time I've spent here. I was pleased to find out that while many are expensive high-brow breeds, many are rescue dogs like me. Even Uggie who won a special Oscar for his "Silent Movie" movie in 2011 was a rescue mutt. To me they're all "Stardogs."

One thing I learned is that while there are hundreds of different breeds of dogs living here in the Golden State, there are lots of different languages they respond to. Gee..English is hard enough for me without having to understand, Spanish, Italian, French, Chinese or Cockney.

One of the first and definitely the biggest dogs I met, was George a Great Dane owned by Jim Carrey. Jim had dated a girlfriend of Big Mommy's years ago. He's really funny but George is so big he scares me a little. Mr. Carrey also made some funny movies like "Pet Detective" and "The Mask" which stared a really talented doggy. In Beverly Hills, I met Lucy a Boxer owned by Jodie Foster. She was really nice.

Some singer named Clay Aiken owns a Border Collie mix named Raleigh. Ashley Judd who's from the south like me, owns a couple of Cockapoo's named Shug and Buttermilk. We saw Pamela Anderson in Malibu and she had a Golden Retriever named Star. Charlize Theron, who's really talented and beautiful, owns numerous dogs: all mutts.

In Bel-Air where Mommy lived, a neighbor of theirs, Nancy Reagan owns a Sheepdog named Lucky. Great name for a wonderful President. Steve Martin has a beautiful Yellow Lab named Roger. Oprah Winfrey, who we saw in Santa Monica, has a couple of Cocker Spaniels named Solomon and Sophie. Oprah's original home isn't too far from mine there in the Georgia mountains and forests. Speaking of trees and such, I discovered that in downtown Los Angeles something wonderful was happening.

There's an organization called "TreePeople" who, for years, have been planting trees and shrubs all over L. A. They believe that by helping nature recreate small robust natural forests, they are helping the city to heal itself. This group has enabled downtown parks to be reborn making the urban environment safer, healthier, and more fun and enjoyable for humans...and dogs. The people behind this aren't celebrities but just ordinary people with extraordinary ideas. Good for them!

At one of the TreePeople supported parks, Coldwater Canyon Park, sitting on top of the Santa Monica Mountains, we met Clara Bo, a Pomeranian owned by Kate Hudson. My big Mommy has seen Goldie Hahn numerous times. They' both seem really sweet. We also met a French Bulldog named Coco Chanel, who was a famous French women who invented perfume or something. Sacre Bleu! Her owner is Reese Witherspoon, who is originally from nearby Tennessee. She is really perky and a wonderful person. So is Coco! The most interesting Stardog was Rufus a poodle owned by Leonardo DiCaprio, who daddy met at a party at the Playboy Mansion. It seems that Rufus liked the water so much at the grotto, which was an underground pool in a cave, that he decided to relieve himself there at every opportunity ONLY when the partying guests weren't looking. I wonder if anyone noticed? Maybe Rufus doesn't like movie stars and their antics so much either. Well, gotta go, because we're getting ready to sail over to Catalina Island.

Catch you later,

Susie & Sandy Steele

P.S. On Sunday we were all walking by a local church in Westwood and saw a Minister talking to a group of young boys. The boys had circled around a stray dog and the Minister asked what they were doing. The boys said, "This dog is homeless, so we're having a competition to see who gets to take the dog home. Whoever tells the biggest lie wins! "

The Minister who was disappointed said, "Boys, it's very wrong to tell lies. When I was your age, I never told lies!"

The boys all looked at each other and said, "O.K. You win. The dog is yours!"

To read more "My dog Susie says" go to http://sandy-steele.blogspot.com

For more info on Sandy Steele go to: http://sandysteele.com

 

Living on the Left Coast

 

My dog Susie says

 

"Good Vibrations"

Ahh.. to be running along the ocean watching dolphins and whales jump high into the air. I feel like I'm watching a National Geographic show on TV. I love my green forests and lakes in the mountains of North Georgia, but the sand and surf here in L.A. is wonderful too. Especially if you're a dog!

My Big Mommy and Daddy have lived here for over 20 years and I wondered what they enjoyed the most about this area in Southern California. I heard Mommy once on the phone explaining what Los Angeles is all about. She said that when they first moved here, they learned that the city stretches from east to west. Most cities go south to north. Starting in downtown Los Angeles, you go west to Hollywood, then Beverly Hills, Bel-Air, Santa Monica and finally ending at Marina Del Rey on the shore. The greater L.A. Area is really composed of small villages linked together. Thus, reason #1 for living here is that Los Angeles is really like living in much smaller unique villages, instead of just one large metropolitan area. That's kinda neat.

They've lived in Beverly Hills, Bel-Air and Santa Monica leaving only Marina Del Rey as their final destination in the "Golden State." Getting back to why they love it here so much, these are my observations on what I've been able to ascertain. First: the weather is perfect with very little rainy days. Daddy said that when a friend of his moved from New York City to L. A. in the early eighties, he bought a convertible Mercedes and immediately put the top down. He didn't put it up for 18 months. He also said that when it rains it usually rains at night. So the weather is the #2 reason.

Number 3 reason for living here is the natural beauty found in the mountains and valleys and the magnificent beaches located all over the area. Once, in the winter, mommy and daddy were sun bathing on the beach and looked up at all the mountains which surround L.A. They were unbelievably covered with snow. I must admit that sitting on the Santa Monica beach watching surfers, dolphins, whales, seals and sometimes sharks all frolicking together seems totally unreal. Because I'm a Border Collie and a herding dog, I sure love jumping in the water and running back and forth chasing all these California critters.

The fourth and final main reason for mommy and daddy living here are the interesting people. Los Angels is the major destination for different types of humans from all over the world. Young and old, smart and not-so smart, pretty and homely looking, rich and poor are all welcomed here with open arms. Nobody cares what you do or think as long as it doesn't hurt anyone. There is an air of optimism here that mommy and daddy say they've never seen anywhere else in the world. And at the end of the day, everyone gets to enjoy a beautiful orange sunset over the Pacific Ocean...for free!

On my previous trips to the City of Angels, I met quite a few dogs of celebrities. Renee Zellweger has a beautiful Golden Retriever named Dylan and Drew Barrymore owns a rescue dog named Flossie. Years ago mommy and daddy looked at the Barrymore home which was for sale, that Drew had lived in, and almost bought it. Hey, I thought Drew was a guy's name. Anyway, I'll mention the other interesting dogs owned by other stars on my next "bark."

Catch you later,

Susie and Sandy

P.S. Daddy told me a story about when he and mommy were recently married newlyweds:

Daddy came home early from work and Sandy, my mom, had been cooking all day fixing a big dinner. Mommy, a totally inexperienced cook, was crying and blubbered, "I worked so hard preparing this special meal, but our new doggie just ate it."

Daddy gently said while hugging and kissing her, "Don't worry honey. We'll get another new doggie right away!"

For more barks from Susie: http://sandy-steele.blogspot.com

Info on Sandy Steele: http://sandysteele.com

IF YOU ENJOY "MY DOG SUSIE SAYS," PLEASE TELL YOUR FRIENDS!!

 

Cavemen, Cavewomen and Cavedogs.

 

My dog Susie says

Did dogs actually domesticate humans??

My Big Mommy informed me that the history of dogs and humans living in harmony has been linked for tens of thousands of years. It seems that all dogs were evolved from wolves eons ago. As man evolved and got better at hunting and killing his food something incredible happened: wolves became more comfortable with cavemen and cavewomen, because wolves were cleaning up the leftover meat scraps discarded by the untidy human hunter-grunters. Wolves had already become a social pack society since the beginning of time. Thus began the robust relationship between humans and dogs.

According to my Big Mommy about 15,000 years ago...and that's 105 THOUSAND in dog years...humans started walking out of Africa and fanning out across the middle East towards Asia. Eventually they got pretty tired of wandering year after year just to forage and kill any food they could locate. So when these primitive people observed the wild wolf animals hanging around closer and closer after cleaning up the leftovers, they also noticed the wolves were actually protecting the campgrounds from dangerous animals like huge killer cats, giant bears, and the like.

When the homo sapiens eventually got tired of walking mile after mile, year after year, they decided to stay in one place. Along with their friendly wolves they adopted some gentler animals who could provide them with clothing, meat, and milk...namely goats. Wolves to the rescue again! They were really quick to learn how to keep them in a cluster by herding the stragglers and were even better at fighting off any mean prey animals trying to score a goat meal. As long as the humans were in one place to stay, they decided to plant food like grains and vegetables and grapes. By now my ancestors were sort of wolf/dogs and becoming a permanent part of the human family. They were eager to help out by hauling heavy bags of grain and assisting in hunting other animal game like deer and wild fowl. BONUS: our new doggie friends would also run, search and retrieve for the humans, what had just been hunted for that nights dinner. Kinda like an early caveman Domino's delivery system!

As thousands of years rolled by, humans spread all over the planet with completely different terrains and climates. More and more types of jobs were required...jobs only a DOG could readily handle which helped humans to grow into healthier, smarter people. Who kept the rodent population under control while humans continued their messy ways? Small dogs. Who pulled sleds of hides and supplies across the snowy, icy miles of Asia and North America? Big furry dogs. Who alerted humans when their precious horses and cattle were in danger from thieves or mountain lions? Big dogs. Who traveled with Roman soldiers and Vikings to conquer empires? Real big dogs with big powerful jaws.

I could brag on and on, but it's not my style and besides, you have the Internet any way so you can learn a lot more on your own. But the simple truth is that if ancient wolves hadn't taken a liking to the poor, suffering cave people and helped them on their way to cultivating food, spreading-out around the entire world, and building permanent camps, I'd probably be sleeping in some dark dingy cave on the cold ground alone and without Big Mommy right now. That would really suck!

But the last 15,000 years have been a marriage made in heaven because the only reward we dogs ever got or still want from you guys is a scratch behind the ears, a hug, and a little tummy rub on special days.

Catch you later,

Sandy & Susie

P.S. A young woman was recently sitting with her Border Collie, Buttermilk, in a movie theater in Hollywood.

The dog was loudly cheering for the hero, laughing hysterically, and in general having a wonderful time, when a movie usher approached."That's strange. Your dog is really enjoying this movie," the usher said."I know," the woman replied. "I can't figure it out either. Buttermilk really hated the book."

For more barks from Susie: http://sandy-steele.blogspot.com

Info on Sandy and her books: http:sandysteele.com

IF YOU ENJOY "MY DOG SUSIE SAYS" BARKS... PLEASE TELL YOUR FRIENDS.