Author Mom with Dogs

Nuf said. : )

Read Full Post »

I always find it interesting how life events cluster together.  Perhaps you’ve heard of this phenomenon known as “The Law of Threes.”
My little cluster at the moment has to do with healthcare. Within a few months of each other, my family doctor, dentist, and vet have retired. I’ve yet to find people to replace them. [...]

Read Full Post »

It never ceases to amaze me how little someone can know about dogs and still wind up with a decent dog. Really, think about it. What other animal, wild or domesticated, can so readily adapt to our crazy, inconsistent, often self-centered ways?
I can hear some of you suggest that cats fit in with us just [...]

Read Full Post »

Read Full Post »

Twas the Night Before Christmas and all through the house
All the creatures were stirring
One might even say conferring
On where all the goodies were hidden
Not realizing they were forbidden…

With the flurry of holiday preparations and all the comings and goings, it’s a time when we may be more distracted than normal. And therefore a time [...]

Read Full Post »

Over the years, many people have asked for help on how to pick the perfect dog. I’m always happy to assist when I can. I usually start by asking: How many dogs old are you?
Huh? you say.  Are you asking me how old in dog years I am?
No, it’s not a sneaky way to calculate [...]

Read Full Post »

Michelle O’Neil over at Full-Soul-Ahead! is someone I very much admire.  She knows I’m nuts about my dogs and sent this to me. I hadn’t seen it before. Maybe you haven’t either.
Though I’m not conventionally religious, something about the pureness of gospel singer  Wendy Francisco’s voice in this song just moves me. And the lyrics…, [...]

Read Full Post »

Cait’s little boy hasn’t been feeling so well. Feverish, tired and achy, all Wink wants to do is rest quietly. It’s sad to see this normally effervescent little guy so under the weather. (Though, in a day or so, he should be back to his normal self because he’s been started on Doxycycline, the antibiotic [...]

Read Full Post »

If you can start the day without caffeine,
If you can get going without pep pills,
If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,
If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,
If you can understand when your loved [...]

Read Full Post »

In my earlier post on Operant Conditioning: Part 1, I explained how it can be used with great success at motivating 2-leggeds and 4-leggeds. I shared the example of how, at Cait’s suggestion, I used +R (Positive Reinforcement) along with -P (Negative Punishment) to help motivate her to change an undesired behavior (chewing with mouth [...]

Read Full Post »

Maybe you’ve seen this ditty passed around in an email:
Ten Rules for Being Human
1.   You will receive a body.
2.   You will be presented with lessons.
3.   There are no mistakes, only lessons.
4.   Lessons are repeated until learned.
5.   Learning does not end.
6.   “There” is no better than “Here.”
7.   Others are only mirrors [...]

Read Full Post »

I picked up Kiera late yesterday afternoon and she had a tough night.  She’s doing much better this morning.
The vet thinks the growth was a result of an abscessed tooth, which she removed with a section of the gum just to be safe. It looks like we dodged a  bullet! Exhaling now…
While [...]

Read Full Post »

Having lived with and loved a rescue dog who came to me with aggression problems, and having been around the block with various training philosophies to find one that worked,  I’m happy to see that progress is being made in the understanding of what actually helps and what hurts.  While I know there are many [...]

Read Full Post »

Hey guys, want to make your smart dog famous?  I’m writing a book that will include stories about how dogs demonstrate their intelligence. I’d like to include a story about your Doggy Einstein if you’ve got a good one.
If you think for a moment, I’ll bet you can recall several stories.
To help jog your [...]

Read Full Post »

As I continue to collect amazing stories about dogs showing their smarts, I’d like to share the occasional one with you.  I’ve selected this story because it speaks volumes on so many levels.  See if you agree.
~This story came to me from Margo Seamus in Washington
The Ground Beneath Her Feet

I have two Keeshonds: Apollo, who [...]

Read Full Post »