This journal would probably be empty if I didn't have Topher to steal from

[potato_head]

Another meme from anobjectinspace :D

You know you're a dog-person when...
(Bold/underline those that apply to you now and/or that have applied to you in the past):

You have a kiddie wading pool in the yard, but no small children. (We've gotten rid of it now because Tripper just went into it to pee instead of enjoying it like a normal lab :P)

Lintwheels are on your shopping list every week.

You have baby gates permanently installed at strategic places around the house, but no babies.

The trash basket is more or less permanently installed in the kitchen sink, to keep the dog out of it while you're at work. (We actually did one better here...part of the kitchen remodel is two built-in trash bins in the island that look like a drawer; you have to pull them out to get to them, something Tripper luckily has not figured out yet xD)

You refer to yourselves as Mommy and Daddy. (Sort of. I'm Tripper's brother, mom and dad are his mommy and daddy :P)

Your dog sleeps with you. (He sleeps with mom and dad)

Poop has become a source of conversation for you and your significant other/friends/colleagues/etc.

You can't see out the passenger side of the windshield because there are nose-prints all over the inside. (Ditto for sliding glass door in the house...)

You have 32 different names for your dog. Most make no sense, but she understands. (My current favorite is 'snigs')

Your dog eats cat poop, but you still let her kiss you (but not immediately afterward, of course).

You like people who like your dog. You despise people who don't. (I was just telling Amanda the other day how I feel quite offended when people run away and act like Tripper is going to eat them, even though I know logically that that is a reasonable reaction to a medium-large dog running and barking at you)

You carry dog biscuits in your purse or pocket at all times. (Well, I have a coat pocket devoted to treats)

You talk about your dog the way other people talk about their kid.

You sign and send birthday/anniversary/Christmas cards from your dog.

You put an extra blanket on the bed so your dog can be comfortable.

You'd rather stay home on Saturday night and cuddle your dog than go out socially with people. (Not really cuddle, as that is something Tripper Does Not Stand For. He's too much of a big boy I guess P:)

You go to the pet supply store every Saturday because it's one of the very few places that lets you bring your dog inside, and your dog loves to go with you.

You open your purse, and that big bunch of baggies you use for pick-ups pops out. (We tie bags to the loop of the leash)

You get an extra-long hose on your shower-massage just so you can use it to wash your dog in the tub, without making the dog sit hip-deep in water. (?! I just get in the shower with him if I need to wash him)

You and the dog come down with something like flu on the same day. Your dog sees the vet while you settle for an over-the-counter remedy from the drugstore.

Your dog is getting old and arthritic, so you go buy lumber and build her a small staircase so she can climb onto the bed by herself.

Your license plate or license plate frame mentions your dog.

You don't think it's the least bit strange to stand in the back yard chirping "Meg, pee!" over and over again, while Meg tends to play and forget what she's out there for. (We haven't had to do this since Tripper was a puppy, luckily :P)

You match your furniture/carpet/clothes to your dog. ('Tripper-color' is an acceptable decor descriptor in our house, and was the theme when I redecorated my room)

You have your dog's picture on your office desk (but no one else's).

You lecture people on responsible dog ownership every chance you get.

You skip breakfast so you can walk your dog in the morning before work.

You are the only idiot walking in the pouring rain because your dog needs her walk. (Probably doesn't count, since I like the rain. I did however fully tolerate walking him the other day despite the very warm weather, which wouldn't seem like a problem except that brings all the bees out, and Tripper thinks the best place to pee is THE PLANTS ALL THE BEES ARE ON. I am not sure how he hasn't yet gotten stung in a very sensitive place)

You don't go to happy hours with co-workers any more because you need to go home and see your dog.

Your friend's dog acts as Best Dog at your wedding.

Your weekend activities are planned around your dog (both days). (lol I work all weekend ;A;)

You keep an extra water dish in your second-floor bedroom, in case your dog gets thirsty at night (after all, her other dish is way down on the first floor...).

Your freezer contains more dog bones than anything else. (That is, if we're talking about the upstairs freezer. We have a second, much larger one downstairs that Dad seems to be stocking with food as if our basement were a bunker)

You never completely finish a piece of steak or chicken (so your dog gets a taste, too). (Tripper just finished off my pasta and breaksticks :D)

You shovel a zigzag path in the back yard snow so your dog can reach all her favorite spots. (Tripper prefers to break the snow himself; we use his paths)

You avoid vacuuming the house as long as possible because your dog is afraid of the vacuum cleaner.

You keep eating even after finding a dog hair in your pasta.

You make popcorn just to play catch with your dog. (This is at least 50% of the reason any time I eat something small and easily tossable)

You carry pictures of your dog in your wallet instead of pictures of your parents, siblings, significant other, or anyone else remotely human.

Your dog is the star of your World Wide Web site! (...World Wide Web site? Hello, 90's! How nice to see you! No, I do not have a Geocities site for Tripper. xD)

Your parents refer to your pet as their granddog. (Sort of; see above)

You hang around the dog section of your local bookstore. (Not that I have a local bookstore any more...*STILL upset about Borders closing*)

Your jewelry box contains no jewels... just those fasteners from vari-kennels.

Every time you read the name Bob, you think the guy's first name is Best of Breed.

Your house isn't carpeted--the fuzzy furballs under your feet are soft enough...

Your hungry hubby comes home from work, lifts the cover of the pan on the stove and says, "Is this people food or dog food?"

Your hungry hubby once ate the dog food and asked for seconds.

You don't give a second thought to using the brush you just used on your dog to give a quick run through on your own hair.

At your dinner parties, you always double check the butter before putting it on the table. (To be fair, this is more because of Nikka than Tripper)

You put important papers in your latest issue of your breed magazine you know you will find them there.

You have dog hair stuck on tape on wrapped gifts.

You have dog toys and treats in your briefcase.

You have several albums filled with the 8 by 10 pictures of your dogs but you can't locate any pictures of your kids/friends/coworkers to send to other friends/relatives.

You show up at the car dealers with a ruler, to measure and see if your big dog crate will fit. Before the actual purchase you make the dealer cringe by insisting that you load both crates and dog into the shinny, new vehicle to make sure it works!

You can't get the groceries in the car because its
A) already full of dog food
B) you have that big old crate in there.

You visit relatives only if there is a dog show nearby.

You visit relatives only if you are allowed to bring the dog, too.

You remove all the seats from the van except the two in the front so you have room for crates, or you cover your backseats in semi-permanent dog bedding/blankets.

The passenger seat is full of dog stuff.

You cringe at the price of food in the grocery store but think nothing of the cost of dog food or treats.

You have six squeaky hedgehogs... but only 1 with a squeaky that works. (LOL Tripper likes to rip apart squeaky toys to get at the squeaker...for reasons we cannot fathom, maybe he thinks there's an animal trapped inside? :o)

You put popcorn in the clean dog dish for movie night. (no, I just feed it to him)

You pull out your credit card and little bits of liver are stuck to it.

When you get your latest roll of film and there isn't a single picture of a two-legged person in it.

People at work have stopped offering you their lint brushes; they realize it is a hopeless case.