Happy Father's Day 2006

15 reasons why we love our Papa:

1. He’s never grumpy in the morning when we feel frisky and want to run and jump and play. He’s ready to grab the stuffy or throw the ball and we love to do that at 6 a.m. We avoid Mama like the plague if the hands on the clock don’t say at least 9 a.m.

2. Papa isn’t afraid of anything and that makes us brave, too. Bigger animals, loud noises, frightening in the sky, our Papa faces them all down and makes them run away.

3. We adore treats so, of course, we love Papa who brings us the treats when he goes to the $100 store (Sam’s or Costco). He hides them down by his side of the bed but we KNOW where they are and we go stand right in front of his hiding place so he will remember to give us some. He never gives just one either; we always get at least two each.

4. Papa teaches us stuff but he’s not mean when he does. We have learned that streets are very dangerous and we must never step on them when we are off leash. He teaches us that we must come when he calls or we could get lost or hurt.

5. Because he treats Mama gently, he is our role model. We all know that our Mama can be more fragile than Papa and we can’t jump on her like we do with Papa. Also he shows us by example that licks and love and better than growls and bites.
   

6. Our papa is very patient. He helps us remember not to pee-pee in the house or run into the evil neighbor’s yard. He’s good about not yelling at us when we forget but he can be very stern with us when we forget. He also knows that we don’t remember things for very long so if we make a mistake he doesn’t punish us for it the next day.

7. Papa is very, very smart. He can drive the big automobile that takes us fun places, he can drive for hours on a long road and end up where we meet very nice people, and he can read so he knows which are the good treats to buy for us.

8. Our papa is so handy that he can open treat jars, dog food bags, and cans of liver with only his paws. Wow! We wish we could do that! He can also turn on faucets and fill water bowls. These are GREAT skills to have!

9. Papa has insight into what the crazy Mama is going to do next. We never know but Papa helps us follow along with her moods, her cooking habits, and her housekeeping. He also seems to know when Mama is going to turn on the evil vacuum which always tries to gobble us up; he takes up for a ride just before the vacuum gets turned on.

10. Papa is rich. He has an automobile which we get to ride in. He has paper in his pocket that turns into really good food at the dog food store. He has a big bed which he shares with Mama and us. He has a house that he lets us live in. Inside that house is heat when it’s cold and cold when it’s hot and running water and a place where treats and food are stored. Papa is probably the richest man in the world, actually.

11. With his huge hands Papa gives the most wonderful scritches in the world. We nudge him all day long for those scritches. We love Papa’s scritches! But even though his hands are big and strong they are always gentle.
    

12. We go on long walks every day with our papa. He taught us to walk off-lead and as long as we come when he calls we don’t have wear leashes. Running free in the park is the best gift that Papa gives us. He had to work a long time with us to teach us the rules of the “free run” and we love him for doing it.

13. We get to ride along side Papa in his big automobile nearly every time Papa goes for a drive. He taught us the command “Get in the back” so we can ride when he has company with him. We also get to sit up front with Papa when he’s alone. We love to go for a ride in the car. We even know how to put the windows up and down by ourselves!
    

14. Papa always shares his dinner with us. No matter if he eats in the best restaurant or from a paper plate at home, he always gives us a bite. We’ve eaten steak and lobster and hot dogs and hamburgers. At Baskin Robbins we get our own cups of vanilla. Papa always has enough for three on his plate.

15. Best of all, our Papa has a huge heart and he gives his love to us and to Mama. We can feel that love when he feeds us and plays with us and pets us. He doesn’t take the love away when we forget stuff, either. He loves us every day, all day long. And we love him back.

We hope that you have a Papa as good as ours and that you are showing him all your love this Father's Day.

We love you Papa! Fritzy and Gus

PS -- the photos of our Wolfie, the best dog in the world

1986 - 2005