They had their cake and ate it, too...

So, yesterday being January 1, it was Bernice's and Dodger's birthday party. Bernice is 11 and Dodger is 8. In human years, that is. In dog years, that's anyone's guess, because different breeds have different lifespans, different co-morbidities, etc., that determine their lifespan.

Whatever. What matters is that every year, you give the dog the best you have to offer and treat him/her as you would like to be treated if you didn't have any way to communicate other than a raised paw, barking/growling, crying or running around like crazy. Oh yes, and one of the most important things, don't overfeed. That's especially cruel for older dogs who naturally have more difficulty getting around.

I learned the lesson on overfeeding at a very young and impressionable age from an aunt with a chihuahua named Trixie, whom she spoiled rotten. I suppose she thought that her spoiling was just puppy love, but Trixie was fed table scraps all the time. While she was well-behaved with company and food, it was only because she knew that my aunt was the one to go to for the food and not company. Trixie was so overweight that at 5, her hips started giving her problems, and by the time she was 7, she had such problems walking and breathing that she had to be put to sleep. Now that just isn't right. I never forgot that, and I always held that against my aunt. Jess is also extremely animal welfare-conscious and, as a result, we keep our dogs in excellent shape. The vet always compliments us on how trim they are. Table scraps are the exception rather than the rule, and they only eat dry foods, with biscuits for treats; no soft foods or treats that would cause dental problems.

But two times a year (on the birthdays), our dogs are spoiled. The doggie parties usually feature a peanut butter cake, and this year was no exception. The problem was that I gave them a little too much each. They attacked the bowls of cake and Bernice and Mandy managed to flop their cake out of the bowl and frosting-side down on the kitchen floor. It was a mess, but you've never seen happier dogs. Mandy was so enamored of it that she continued to go to everyone's bowl and see if she couldn't find some more crumbs.

Happy birthday, kids, and many more, okay? You're the closest thing we'll have to children and we hope we've given you great lives so far.