Information on living with, training, and loving Dogs
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.
… Read MoreHere in this house…
I will never know the loneliness I hear in the barks of the other dogs ‘out there’.
I can sleep soundly,
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
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
Kiera is the first dog I’ve lived with that has made it to twelve years old. Knock on wood–she’s going strong. I tell her I just want her to make it until fourteen. (I secretly hope she’ll make it past that, but I’ll take whatever I can get.)
As she gets older, she continues to teach me a lot about the things that matter and the things that don’t.
When she was younger, she wasn’t allowed on the furniture. Now … Read More
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
5:00 AM: Alarm goes off (read get woken up by wet dog noses). Hit snooze button (read push dogs off bed and bury self deep under covers). Alarm goes off again (read dogs dig under covers and stick cold noses in neck and ear). Get up and take three dogs—one 11 year old Australian Shepherd, one 8 year old Border Collie mix, one 3 year old King Charles Cavalier Spaniel—downstairs to greet the day.
5:30 AM: With everyone fed, watered, … Read More
I was on Craigslist recently, helping a friend who is looking for a dog for her daughter when I saw this post. Having had this exact same experience of picking up a stray dog off the street and trying to find its owner without luck, I can attest to how funny, sad, and true this is. Especially the part about wanting to find the owner if only to be able to kick his sorry a**! I say “his” rather than … Read More
You’ve wanted a dog since forever. You’ve wished, and researched, and compared, and dreamed, and looked and looked, and finally found your perfect 4-footed companion.
Since you’ve taken the time to educate yourself, you know how important establishing a good bond and training is for long-term mutual enjoyment. So you’ve planned to bring home your bundle of joy when you have the time to give it consistent attention for the best start.
Summertime, especially, is a great time to bring … Read More
