Dogs in General Archives - Page 16 of 25

The Difference Between Herding Dogs and Field Dogs

February 8, 2012 / Dogs in General / By Karen Shanley / 4 Comments

Kiera is 100% Australian Shepherd. She’s a herding dog through and through. All of her instincts are to stay close to her flock and protect, while looking for guidance and direction from her team-mate (me). I got Graidy from a Border Collie Rescue group. They thought he was a BC mix. He sure has the breed’s extremely high energy. But the only thing he herds are birds. Oh, and planes. And helicopters. In other words, anything moving up in the … Read More

Want to Talk with the Best Dog Book Authors — Join DogRead

January 22, 2012 / Dog Training, Dogs in General / By Karen Shanley / Leave a Comment

Even though my dogs are well trained, and I’m fairly comfortable with my dog rearing skills, there’s always more to learn and I like to stay on top of the latest thinking and exploration. I’m lucky enough to have direct access to the top dog trainers and researchers in the world. Yes, in the world! I can ask the greatest dog minds any question I can think of.

But it’s not because I’m special. Anyone can participate in this unparalleled … Read More

Is My Australian Shepherd Puppy’s Energy Level Normal?

January 8, 2012 / Dog Training, Dogs in General, The Mail Bag / By Karen Shanley / 6 Comments

From the Mailbag: Stacie writes: My daughter brought home a 2 month old Aussie pup. I had never had one or didn’t know anything about the breed. I have 2 dogs that got along great and just need affection and some backyard time and they are fine. I have some major medical challenges and am trying to make this work with the new pup. He ,as everyone says is super smart but I’m just not sure I can provide what … Read More

Dog Writers’ Oscars — The 2011 DWAA Awards

December 18, 2011 / Dogs in General, On Writing / By Karen Shanley / 7 Comments

I’ve just received the happy news that my blog post, What You Can Do to Avoid Getting Bitten By a Dog: 10 Common Mistakes People Make Greeting Dogs is in the running for a prestigious DWAA (Dog Writers Association of America) Award.

The last time I had the honor of being in the running was back in 2007, when my book Dogs of Dreamtime was a finalist in the general book category. It lost to a book about the Search … Read More

Here In This House

November 24, 2011 / Dogs in General, Life / By Karen Shanley / Leave a Comment

Though this poem was written with a dog in mind, I believe it speaks to the care we owe all living beings. In this season of thanks-giving, I am thankful for all the four-footeds who bring me so much joy “here in this house” of mine.

Wishing you and yours peace and blessings this Thanksgiving.

Here in this house…
I will never know the loneliness I hear in the barks of the other dogs ‘out there’.
I can sleep soundly,

Ticks, Ticks, and More Ticks

November 13, 2011 / Dogs in General, My Dogs and Me, The Mail Bag / By Karen Shanley / 1 Comment

From the mail bag: Deb asks, do you have any advice as to whether or not one should treat their dog with antibiotics if they find a tick on them? I found a tick on my GSD. He was treated with, I believe, doxycycline last year after I found six deer ticks on him. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Deb, the down and dirty answer is: While it’s not uncommon for a physician to prescribe a dose of … Read More

Dogs Have a Universal Language. Why Don’t Humans?

October 30, 2011 / Cait and Me, Dogs in General / By Karen Shanley / 8 Comments

Cait is going on a foreign exchange program soon. We’re in the countdown to liftoff, with its attendant flurry of activity. That means that along with going over packing checklists, we’re running through cultural and language checklists as well.

Having lived in other countries, I’m keenly aware of the fact that because all humans essentially look the same–two eyes, two ears, a mouth, etc–we tend to make assumptions that people everywhere else are pretty much like us. And therefore we … Read More

Reading the Doggy Gazette

October 9, 2011 / Dogs in General, My Dogs and Me / By Karen Shanley / 4 Comments

In a world that leaves us little time to stop and smell the roses anymore, it especially saddens me when I see owners jerking and pulling their dogs along behind them on a leash, never letting them pause to sniff the “news” left by other dogs who’ve gone before. And certainly not allowing time to let them update that news with their own “reply.”

Loosely, it’d be like you trying to catch up with your favorite bloggers, but every time … Read More