He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else. ~Proverb

I Monkey here.

Did you know National Dog Day occurred on Aug. 26 (as it does every year)?

Bet not, right?

Did you celebrate with a furry friend or two?

No? I Monkey thought as much.

You all are as bad as Mama.

Now, I Monkey realize these “pretend holidays” that have been added to the calendar to give folks something to post to Instagram, Facebook, and the like aren’t as well-known as, say, Christmas or St. Patrick’s Day.

But I can’t give Mama a pass on neglecting this one. After all, I distinctly heard the Alexa thingamajig tell her that morning about the holiday. And I know her computer had promptings, too.

Did we celebrate? Did I get extra treats? Did I get to go on an adventure, maybe to the Petsmart to pick out a new toy?

No, no, and no.

Humph.

Now, in Mama’s defense, she did take me on a nice walk, and she did give me treats when we practiced my Puppy School commands. And she did hang around home most of the day, keeping me company, rather than taking off on a solo adventure.

But what about “just because” treats? I’ve been awfully good lately, so why didn’t I get them?

Well, Mama claims she can’t afford to give me fattening treats anymore because I’m turning into a “chunker.”

Humph. Fat-shaming, I say.

I mean, finally, I’m able to enjoy and keep my food down (because of the stomach problems I had when I was a little monkey), so a few extra pounds shouldn’t be looked at askance.

Mama says around here, every day is Dog Day. And don’t tell her, but she’s got a point. She did celebrate International Sheltie Day on June 1, after all.

But for those organized folks who’d like to celebrate National Dog Day next year, here are some suggestions to tuck into your planner:

Donate to your local animal shelter, stuff like towels, blankets, toys, or cashWalk a dog whose owner has trouble with that sort of thing (perhaps due to surgery or old age)Spend extra time with your own dog doing fun stuffDrive through the bank and get a pup treat for your dogPuppy massageSpend time brushing your dog (or take him to a spa)Bake puppy treats (recipes are online)