Well, folks, it is another week of drought and searching for hay here. You know it is times of trial and tribulation that make it easy to twist off and give up. Easy to lower the bar and care a little less. Those are, however, the times when we should hold tighter to our code and carry on with strength and endurance instead. In the hurricane that is life it is best to have a solid anchor to hold onto; my Cowdog Code gives you extra grip. 
One of the foundations to living life with a standard, a code, is manners of course. No, saying please and thank you won’t necessarily fix things when the going gets tough, but being decent sure helps when everyone gets irritable, testy, fearful when the world falls apart.
It seems there is a decided lack of manners these days. When did it become OK to just be rude and mean? When I was a pup, I would’ve gotten a growl and a nip, at least, for acting poorly, and I think a lot of people could use a little “redirection” now. We were told “if you can’t say something nice , then say nothing at all!” – a good rule to follow for everyone. No one needs to be the target of a nasty, self-centered attitude.
Little Sprout is not yet 4 years old, but has learned to say please and thank you, holds the door for his mother and grandmother, helps carry in groceries. We dogs are able to greet each other with a smile and proper ‘good morning”, wag a tail, not interrupt, compliment, show some civility – shouldn’t people do the same? I learned to “Sit and stay” at a young age, and it seems like young humans should, too. 
But they start school and don’t even have “Sit and stay” down. Then teachers have to try to teach them basic manners before they are ready to learn. Maybe parents don’t know how, so get a manual like this: https://amzn.to/3fCqrcQ
Can we return to a place where adults have these skills? Everyone needs”please and thank you”, eye contact and a smile. “Excuse me or pardon me” are good phrases to know as well. Be engaged with a person, look ’em in the eye, put the phone away!
Listen. And watch your language. Words matter, quit being rude and stop cussing. Develop a better vocabulary, and notice that those around you , especially the young, may be influenced by you and what you say. Make it positive, make it count for good. Start sending greeting cards, and sincerely write [in cursive!] words of encouragement.
Always send a thank you note, right away! https://amzn.to/3AfSUNp 
Brush your teeth, comb your hair, look your best and wear clothes – PJ’s and slippers are NOT suitable attire in public! What happened to dressing in a nice and modest manner? Nobody wants to see your underwear or bad tattoo!
Of course, a tattoo like this is considered in excellent taste anywhere! 
Along with a Code to hang on the wall and follow, maybe a good book on etiquette would help people learn a few rules. Now I understand that parents need to teach a kid how to set a table and how to behave in a restaurant, but if that hasn’t been done, I think we all have a responsibility to learn elsewhere. So try this book for starters. It would be good to make this a more genteel place, even by little steps of order. https://amzn.to/3AkjuVs
Now I’m a country dog, and I don’t wear a collar unless I’m riding in the truck somewhere. A good collar, though, sure helps with learning manners and paying attention. It gives your humans security that a good dog won’t let lost or run away. It is important to learn how to wear it with pride and intelligence. I just got a new one that is tough, holds my tags and enhances the beautiful Heeler colors around it. It’s a Carhartt to match dad’s ranch coat! https://amzn.to/2VmIxJ1
I don’t go for the really fancy ones,
but you can find all kinds here, and make a fashion statement while you display your Heeler manners.
Some like a harness instead, I never did. Although I think I do rock the old school harness, don’t you?
I do love this rugged one, and look – I could carry treats and other gear! https://amzn.to/3ClfV3p
So, teach your pup. And your kids. Be kind to everyone.
Care enough to guide, teach manners, give a few tools to make life organized and to manage the storms. Sometimes it is good to just sit and stay.
