My service cats are my life line to mammal survival and joy

i talk to them like an idiot knowing they don't know the words though they know by way im talking its friendly and always give them pet names on top of there real names. eg humbug is bumslug and dougle is dougle mcdougle

I don't things ike birthdays for my Labradors (I have 3 now), but I do a lot of AKC sports (along with other registries) with them.

-I started off with a form of competition called "Obedience". You go into a ring and a judge tells you what to do with your dog. Heeling, stands, sits and downs, recalls.
-Later, the AKC started "Rally Obedience"; similar to obedience, but instead of the judge telling you what to do, you heel through a course and do what the signs on the course tell you.
-Tracking, where someone walks somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 mile, then you bring the dog to the track and the dog has to use her nose to follow the track that was laid.
-Scentwork, where certain oils (anise, birch, clove) are put onto q-tips and hidden. The dog has to find them with her nose.
-Hunting, where birds are placed into traps in a field and released, then shot, the the dog has to pick them and bring them to me.

Of all of these, I enjoy tracking the most. Different dogs I've had enjoy different sports, and I let them participate in the one(s) that each enjoys.

Chekc out the AKC website for more info on these...

I talk to mine, let them boss me around a bit. I do spend extra $$ making sure they have good fresh food. Last months spent close to a 5th of my annual income on vet work for my dog and delayed my own medical tratement. Our/my dog has a bed in almost room in the house and weatherproof bean bags outside, Kat has pretty much the same and her own outdoor retreat via a tunnel from my sons ensuite. Not that she ever hunts, I just keep cats and wildlife apart.Her pen is full of lizards, frogs and ocassionally birds, she is happy to let them be.