Monks Have Words to Live By: Pray, Sit, Stay, Heel

--The monks at the New Skete Monastery in Cambridge, N.Y., are truly a breed apart. In fact, they’re less known around the world for their prayers than for the German shepherds they raise and their book on canine obedience. Each day at dawn, Brother Marc and nine other monks feed litters of puppies that will sell for at least $500 apiece--before morning prayers. “We all love the shepherds,” Brother Marc, 43, said. “We love to sing, and we love the shepherds. That’s two important parts of our lives here. It’s better than working in a factory, or not having dogs and just raising cows. I think shepherds are more fun than cows.” Their book, “How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend,” is in its 12th printing and has sold more than 100,000 copies since it was published in 1978. The monks, members of the Orthodox Church in America, first tried to support themselves by farming but, as Brother Marc said: “What did we know about farming?” They soon turned to breeding shepherds and other dogs and eventually started an obedience course.

--Officials in Dallas have come up with a novel approach to the thick lagoon grass encircling a water works plant. They moved in seven Spanish goats to work the 67 fenced areas at the plant, which had required mowings twice a month by seven men. To Steve Lindley, spokesman for the East Side Purification Plant, it was a case of: “When the going gets tough, the tough get goats.” Charles Stringer, water plant director, said: “The first day, I went down there to see how they were doing. They were all sitting in the shade under the trees.” Since they arrived last month, he said, hunger has set in, and the goats have become top-notch groundskeepers.

--When the pastor asked Patrick Belanger, 36, if he would take Tatia Hickey, 20, for his wife, 25 seconds passed before Belanger’s “I do” was heard. When it came time to ask the bride, there was no answer at all. “Do you read me?” asked the pastor through his two-way radio. “I’ll repeat the question.” A shrill cry pierced the air, and the pastor said: “That’s a bark, and I’ll take that for an answer.” Thus, the diving enthusiasts from Vancouver, Canada, were married in the diving tank at Expo ’86 before an audience of thousands. “Our helmets started filling up with water,” said Belanger, a financial consultant. “I was trying to get the words out (but) the water was getting higher.”