• All
  • Awakening Inner Knowing
  • Awareness Tune Up Challenge
  • Cait and Me
  • Dog Training
  • Dogs in General
  • Finnegan the Coon Cat
  • Funnies
  • Just Dogs
  • Life
  • Life of Riley
  • My Dogs and Me
  • My Favorites
  • My Garden / Recipes
  • Nature
  • Nature's Grocery Store
  • On Writing
  • Podcasts
  • spirituality
  • Tech Tips & Product Reviews
  • The Mail Bag
  • Thought for the Day

Dogs in General

Info, Tips, Health

Two Essential Questions

A friend with dogs and kids sent me one of those “Been there, done that” emails. It read:

Life really boils down to two essential questions.

1. Should I get a dog? Or…
essential1

2. Should I have children?

essential2

I’d have to say on behalf of those of us who have “been there and done that,” having a dog first definitely helps to develop important skills you’ll need later as a parent.  At the very least, there’s a good likelihood your … Read More

10 Ways to Marry a Dog Lover

So you’re thinking you might want to throw in with a dog lover? Let me share a few helpful DO’s and DON’T’s to help smooth the way.

  1. Do marry thinking that your dog lover (DL) will want to share with you all the myriad ways in which DL’s dog is the most amazing, the most astounding, the most intelligent, the most funny, the most lovable thing since fill-in-the-blank.
  2. Don’t marry thinking that eventually you’ll be able to change DL’s behavior
Read More

Part 2: What You Can Do to Avoid Getting Bitten By a Dog — Learn How to Read a Dog’s Body Language

Continuing with Andrew’s question for The Mail Bag: In my last post, I talked about some of the different factors that could trigger a dog to bite when on its own property. It boiled down to roughly three categories: a dog protecting its turf (including people, objects, and food); a dog undersocialized and/or uncertain or afraid of novelty (whether processed through smell, sight, or hearing); a dog in pain.

More than 4.5 million people get bitten every year, in … Read More

Part 1: What You Can Do to Avoid Getting Bitten By a Dog –10 Common Mistakes People Make Greeting Dogs

From the mailbag: Andrew writes: “In just the last couple of months I’ve had two scary run-ins with dogs and wish I knew what the reason was. The first incident happened when I was visiting a client for the first time and the dog came out and bit me hard on the leg. This was chalked up to the family’s new baby as it must have been protecting the family. But then today – visiting another new client and an Read More

Providing for Your Dogs in Case of Delay or Death

Most of us have wills providing for our significant others and children in the event something happened to us. But what about our animals?

If you were in an accident, or delayed from getting home from a trip, or you suddenly died, what would happen to your animals? Do you have a plan in place? Do you have people lined up and willing to step in and help? Have you set aside the resources to pay for food, vet care, … Read More

Thinking of Adding a Dog With Young Children in the Home? Here’s an Important Check List.

dogkid1When is the right time to bring a new puppy or dog into the family?

Rarely is someone in the position of being in the perfect time/perfect place — home most of the time, big fenced yard, older or no children, significant dog experience, familiarity and experience with the intended breed, etc. But there are varying degrees of “the right time” based on the individual’s experience and life situation, which should include some combination of the aforementioned.

There are also … Read More

How to Choose and Introduce a New Dog to an Old Dog

From the Mail Bag: Renee asks: I have a mini Aussie a little over a year old. I’ve been thinking of getting another dog as a companion for her. I am home most of the time, so I have time for two. I play with Sierra a few times a day throwing Frisbee, etc. but she still badgers me to play at times when I’m busy. I thought having another dog may be good for her. My sister visits every Read More

Scroll to Top