Kiera, Graidy, Wink and Me
… 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
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
…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
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
Some dogs lend themselves to nicknames. Graidy is such a dog. He goes by The Graidster, Graidy-Gru (Cait came up with that one), Happy Boy, Circus Dog, Clown Boy, Barky Boy, Monkey Mon, Licky Boy, Dagger Paws (for as light as he is on his feet, when he stands on you, you’d think he weighs a ton), Funny Boy (he’s the funniest dog I’ve ever had)– and Frog Man, which is aptly descriptive, don’t you think?
Kiera, on the other … Read More
The integration of Finnegan, Cait’s kitten, into our home as gone better than my wildest dreams. Both Kiera and Graidy have pretty high prey drives, so there was no guarantee that it would work out, never mind work out smoothly.
Now, wherever you find one, you’ll find the other two. They’ve become inseparable.
The usual bedtime at the Shanley’s.… Read More
New Year’s Resolutions are part and parcel of starting out the new year. As friends were talking about their lists, I started wondering what our pets’ New Year’s Resolutions might be.
Here’s a guess at my three fur balls’ resolutions:
Kiera, my Australian Shepherd’s resolution might be: “I will resolve to stop herding my people when they suddenly move too fast and make those herky-jerky motions. On second thought… Nah. Someone’s got to keep the order around here.”
Graidy, my … Read More
As I open the back door to let Graidy (my Border Collie mix) in out of the rain, I fail to notice that Finnegan (our Maine Coon cat) has snuck up behind me. As Graidy comes scooting in, Finnegan goes shooting out.
After a few choice words (why does this only happen when the weather is crummy, and my shoes are nowhere to be found), I dash outside in stocking feet with no coat. I call Kiera (my Australian Shepherd) … Read More
