Just Dogs Archives - Page 40 of 44

Front and Center

February 16, 2007 / My Dogs and Me / By Karen Shanley / 12 Comments

Is this a perfect Sit in Front, or what?! Boning up on a little obedience and the girl’s still got it! Yeah!… Read More

How Smart?

February 15, 2007 / Dogs in General / By Karen Shanley / 7 Comments

I live with a dog who is brilliant. Really. Kiera’s reasoning powers are on display everyday. (Graidy’s smart but doesn’t quite have the same wattage.) So when I come across articles that imply our animals might actually have consciousness and be able to think, I’m inclined to roll my eyes and think, Where have you been all your life–certainly not around animals. Because if you were around animals, you’d already know this.

A recent article of this ilk, What … Read More

Band on the Run

February 6, 2007 / Finnegan the Coon Cat, My Dogs and Me / By Karen Shanley / 6 Comments

Cait and I come home from grocery shopping for the dinner I’m making for my bookgroup. As I put the bags on the counter, I notice Andrew is having a glass of wine (meant for my soon-to-be-arriving guests).

Andrew isn’t much of a drinker and he knows the wine is for my friends. I look around for clues, but all looks perfectly fine. Nothing is out of place. The dogs and cat are lounging around the kitchen waiting to be … Read More

Wanderings–Live Science

February 4, 2007 / Dogs in General / By Karen Shanley / 1 Comment

Live Science: Animal Domain is a site full of amazing animal stories and scientific research.… Read More

How is it that…

February 2, 2007 / Finnegan the Coon Cat, My Dogs and Me / By Karen Shanley / 3 Comments

… one dog can be outside lying at the far end of the field, the other dog can be sleeping on the bed upstairs at the other end of the house, and the cat is nowhere to be found.

Until I open the refrigerator door.

And all three magically appear.… Read More

Kiera Died from a Gunshot Wound

February 1, 2007 / Cait and Me, My Dogs and Me / By Karen Shanley / 6 Comments

No, no, it’s not what you think. My Kiera is alive and well, and right here happily dozing on my feet. It’s the Kiera from The Oregon Trail.

Cait and I have been playing this computer game she got for Christmas. It’s designed to teach children about the realities of 19th century pioneer life on the trail.

The Learning Company explains: The game helps kids build real-life decision-making and problem-solving skills; they have to choose their wagon party, manage … Read More

Note to Self…

January 30, 2007 / My Dogs and Me, On Writing / By Karen Shanley / 13 Comments

…Make sure, with all future book contracts, to specify that if I write a book about my dogs, and the publisher is going to put a picture of a dog on the cover, then it’s my dog’s picture that will be used. Not a generic stock photo of a dog that not only is not one of the breeds I’m writing about, but has absolutely no connection to the story.

Dogs of Dreamtime is coming out in paperback in April. … Read More

Molly, Then and Now

January 24, 2007 / My Dogs and Me / By Karen Shanley / 6 Comments

For those who’ve read Dogs of Dreamtime, you remember Molly, my deaf Aussie and Kiera’s sister. You probably also remember that I had to rehome Molly because of a deadly sibling rivalry. It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make for one of my dogs.

I hope you also remember that, with diligence, I was able to find the perfect home for her. Her new owner (of several years now) is legally deaf, and has … Read More