It's A Dog's Life:

Most of our expressions that contain 'dog' are old enough to be based in times when dogs were not pampered, but were kept as watchdogs or hunting animals, not as pets. They were not often allowed in the house, but were kept in kennels, fed scraps, worked hard, and often died young. So going to the dogs, dog tired, to die like a dog, dog’s dinner, dogsbody, dog eat dog, and a dog’s life all refer to a state of affairs best avoided. Specifically, a dog’s life is first recorded in the sixteenth century and seems to have remained in the language with the sense of “a life of misery, or of miserable subservience” ever since.

Wanna bet????

Nestled into the lush forests of tall cedars in Gig Harbour Washington is a place that sleddogs only dream of. Malamute people for many years, recently JoAnn decided to embrace her forced retirement and open her home to retiring sleddogs whose names end with "Ross".

Last spring, when it became apparent that with early onset of arthritis in her back Mandy had to retire, the Solbergs decided that as they had a space in their hearts that needed a little Siberian person to fill, they would like her to come and live with them. It was a difficult decision for me, but as Mandy has issues with men, and was not going to be happy staying at home when I was out running the team, it was the very best decision for her.
The Solbergs went for their first dogsled ride,

and it was after that run that Mandy exchanged her red harness for a gold retirement harness and went home with Doug and JoAnn.

You have to be a very very special person to get a dog from me, and without a doubt, Doug and

JoAnn top that list.
But this story does not end with one Siberian......

At twelve this year, it was time for my dear boy Storm to also hang up his red harness exchanging it for a golden retirement one. He ran some short runs with the team early in the season, but it was quite obvious that this boy, who is a young man in his heart and head, has a senior sleddogs body. Try telling him that tho'! Storm has always lived to run, and has a bit of a track record for showing his disapproval when he doesn't get to run. Little things like a chewed wiring harness, chewed trailer wires, chewed brake lines, license plates torn off are Storm's way of reminding us that running in harness is all he wants to do. By the time I had left him at home for a few runs this season, Storm was getting very depressed, just moping around the house. When JoAnn and Doug heard about this they insisted that Storm come and "vacation" at the Solberg Retirement Spa for Sleddogs until spring thaw, keeping Mandy company, and getting used to the life of leisure that he deserves.

Life at the Solberg Spa offers daily car rides, bubble baths at the groomer, sleeping on the bed or couch, daily walks, a steady stream of visitors to exclaim how beautiful each dog is,

a big exercise yard to visit with one's buddies in,

and two people with hearts as big as Washington State to love a dog to bits.

A dogs life indeed!

Thank you dear Doug and JoAnn for loving my kids as your own.