Dugan sez: I was chasing a strange cat yesterday, but I couldn't catch it. It was walking too fast!In almost all respects, Dugan is a mighty hound. But not when it comes to tolerating heat. When it comes to hot weather, Dugan is a wimp! Dugan always has access to the out of doors. But this time of year he spends most of the day laying on the cool kitchen floor. Except for going outside to do his business, the only time he spends any amount of time outside is in the early morning and late evening when it is not as hot outside.
Some people do not know where the expression about the "dog days of summer" originated, and mistakenly believe it is because dogs act lazy in the summer heat. The brightest star in our sky (after the sun) is called Sirius. You can see it close to the constellation Orion the Hunter, just a little to Orion’s right (your left if you are in the northern hemisphere) at his feet. Sirius is part of the constellation Canis Major which is “Big Dog” in English. An interesting thing about stars is that they rise about 4 minutes earlier every day, so after a months time any particular star will rise about 2 hours earlier. Consequently, while Sirius rises around sunset in the winter, it will be rising around sunrise in the summer. In the olden days people in the northern hemisphere knowing that Sirius was rising at dawn in the summer, believed this brightest star must account for the extra daytime heat they had to endure. Because Sirius is in the constellation Canis Major, they called the hot summer days the “dog days”. Just a little astronomy lesson for those who care, and useless drivel for those who don’t.
I am posting some fun pictures of the “Prince of Irish Wolfhounds”. Some show Dugan doing what he does best in the summer, laying around in the kitchen!
Dugan really appreciates a good chin rub.
"Hey Master, how many more days until its cool enough for a walk?"
Dugan demonstrates his skills at counter surfing.
Dugan really likes a rib rub, and gets a charge when you give his rear leg muscle a squeeze and exclaim "such big strong muscles!"
Dugan the Dog, The Prince of Irish Wolfhounds, our own resident "Canis Major" lays in magestic repose while waiting for cooler days.
"Dugan the Bed Headed dog.
