Woof to all my dog friends. Grrrs to cats. As to Katz, I am not sure. Fellow dogs, this is a primer on how to understand your master and/or mistress. (These are terms I resent. In fact the Katzes, in addressing me, call themselves Daddy and Mommy.) Two hints first: You should know that wagging your tail gets you a lot further than growling. Apparently tail wagging is thought by humans to mean that a dog is glad to see them. It may or may not be the case, but if you are angling for a bone or some other treat, it certainly helps. (Tilting your head to look good also helps.) Similarly, licking …

I am not a talking dog, but I am a writing dog. Off the page I communicate by a series of woofs, barks, growls and gestures. For example, when I need to use the (outdoor) facilities, I stand by the door and paw it, if necessary, to get somebody's attention. If a deer dares to darken our property, I growl. And if  a fisherman or other stranger so much as steps on our land I zoom out to attack the offender, although the electric fence prevents me from even getting close to the creek. Learning to write on a computer was not difficult. This is not my first venture into the field. I have written …