Dog Motto

I always used to say that if my pooch who passed away in December had a motto, it would be "Speak softly and carry a big stick". She moved through life quietly and peacefully, never feeling the need to draw attention to herself. Somewhat of a shy girl, she lived her life obediently, confidently, and sweetly, never having much to say. (She was the best listener ever.) However, true to her breed, she always needed to have something in her mouth. The pooch's choice item was a stick - the bigger the better. She once pulled a 10 foot long water logged tree that was trapped in the middle of the lake to shore. Wherever we would go, she was always on the hunt for the next big stick. She loved to fetch sticks but sometimes she would just walk around with one in her mouth. I had several people tell me they thought of my girl when they saw that Budweiser commercial where the Clydesdale retrieves a giant stick. Being quiet and modest while toting around a big stick was the pooch's thing.
(first picture taken spring 2007)



It hasn't taken long for me to discover what Maya's motto is. She has made it clear that her mission in life is "Don't Litter". Just about every day she and I take a walk down in our woods. It is a rare day when the pup returns empty handed (or empty mouthed). She walks by prime sticks and I can almost see the pooch up in heaven shaking her head in disbelief that they aren't carried along. Instead, Maya heads right for the litter that has somehow accumulated in our little neck of the woods. She has brought back paper, a broken piece of a paintball gun, a beach ball, and just this evening she returned with a plastic bag. Over the weekend on two separate occasions she returned with old beer cans. And so it shall be known, this dog is an anti-litter dog, saving the planet one piece of garbage at a time.