Sing For Your Supper?

I have been insulted at times early in the morning on a hot summer day by a piercingly shrill red feathered cardinal who resents my presence- imagine that! My response is to raise my pointed ears and point my snout meaningfully in the direction of the loud-mouth. My human, on the other hand, appreciates birds of all sorts for their song. It is interesting to listen to the way the birds relate in the morning- a squirrel doesn't seem to bother them in the least bit but a cat or another dog makes such a titter resound from tree to tree. I read this week of another species who sings.

According to Charles Q. Choi of Livescience.com, gibbons- small apes of the southeast Asian rain forest- sing whenever a leopard or other enemy approaches. Now these apes live in the trees but they don't climb higher and away to avoid the enemy. Instead they sing and get closer and closer up to between 15 and 30 feet away. The humans have been able to record the gibbons singing. They analyzed a total of 7 distinct notes that the gibbons use to communicate in song. Apparaently the first 10 notes of any song indicates its significance.

I suppose gibbons are more like bluejays than cardinals. My human had a cat once, who upon slinking around beneath a tree in which a pair of bluejays had a nest, became the target of divebombing bluejays. The poor cat needed antibiotics to deal with the puncture.

I am not a singing dog but I have heard that some dogs do sing at times.
Respectfully Submitted,
Saxby

I'm looking for pet friendly businesses

Do you have a favorite pet-friendly business to recommend to other pets? Hopefully the January 17 edition of the K9Lives Monthly will feature businesses. I understand that quite a few of the stores on Burlington, Vermont's Church Street have dog bone signs in the window. This indicates that leashed pets are welcome inside with their humans. Do you know such a store or restaurant? Where is it? What does it sell? Have you been there? What was your experience? It's easy to post a comment to this blog- and, unless the comment contains material that is not family-friendly or relevant, my human will publish it.

Respectfully Submitted,
Saxby

On Human Loyalty

It just isn't right! Now the Department of Defense is training honeybees to sniff out bombs by offering them sugar water as a reward. I thought that was a dog's job! But, I suppose, like any job, if a human can get someone else to do the same job for less money.....it doesn't matter who gets the boot. How disloyal of the humans! Wait! The Associated Press article, "Bees have a nose for bombs," which was published in the St. Louis Post Dispatch, Saturday, December 9, concluded by saying that the bees are not reliable enough to be made solely responsible for this task. So, dogs are still necessary. Wonderful. I am relieved.

Hey! a membership in my club: K9 Lives Club For Pampered Pets of All Species is a great Christmas gift for humans who really really really like animals- or for pampered pets who need a present that will be truly meaningful. Try going to www.teamlesley.com and clicking on my picture. Then you can buy the gift online- you'll get a great certificate of membership for your pet and my newsletter e-mailed on the 17th of each month. Don't forget: I'm the dog.

Respectfully Submitted,
Saxby