I love holidays. I love celebrations. I especially love holidays that encourage me to celebrate people I love. But I hate Valentine’s Day. When I mention it at all, I wish people Happy VD. Why am I so curmudgeonly about a holiday everyone else seems to love? 2 Reasons to Hate Valentine’s Day I have two …
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What Should You Give the Person Who Just Got a Puppy?
Honey is four years old now. But her puppy months are burned into my brain. Because of her, I realized that I hate puppies. But with a little distance, I’ve learned that puppyhood wasn’t that awful. I was just poorly supplied. Here’s my list of things you should give the person who just got a …
Dog World Problem – Preferring the Foster
You’ve heard of first world problems. But your true suffering comes from Dog World Problems. Just a few words for new S’Waggers who don’t know the bike cart saga: We wanted Honey to learn how to ride in our bike cart so she could go more places with us. She hated the thing. We spent months working …
Do I Think About Dogs Too Much?
Time to get caught up on the news. After reading about the delay in implementing the Affordable Care Act and the death of Shirley Temple, I glance at the next story. It’s an ad for the ASPCA. I read a few more stories. And see a pet supply company advertising in the sidebar. I know …
We Can’t Fix Everything and We Shouldn’t Try – Good for the Dog; Good for You
Do you want to piss me off? Send me a woman’s magazine. There’s nothing I hate more than being told I’m a failure because of my poorly groomed brows, disorganized pantry, and lack of a thigh gap. Want to piss me off even more? Take that culture of self-improvement used to sell worthless products and make …
I Have a Big Furry Blind Spot. Do You?
Maybe it’s narcissism. But when I notice someone being particularly blind to their own faults, I immediately wonder what I’m hiding from myself. What are my blind spots? I suspect the biggest one weighs fifty pounds, sheds constantly, and loves liverwurst. Either Honey is my big furry blind spot. Or everyone else is ridiculous and …
Train Your Dog for Happiness?
We train our dogs for many reasons. Not the least of which is to keep her from being a nuisance. But I’ve found an even better reason. Training makes my dog happy. Training Lights Up My Dog People who meet Honey at the door mistakenly think she’s a very happy girl. She isn’t. It’s just …
How Do You Know When It’s Time To Get Another Dog
“I’ll never have another dog. It hurts too much to lose them.” I hear that sometimes from people I meet. But I don’t understand it. For me, any pain is worth suffering to enjoy the love of a dog. But that doesn’t mean it’s smart to rush out in your grief and adopt a new …
Even Superstars Have Bad Days – Good for the Dog; Good for You
Honey was abducted by aliens. That was the only explanation I could think of for her lack of focus on the day we took her Canine Good Citizen test. It was either that or her brain had fallen out and was hiding behind a dog hair tumbleweed in the bedroom. We still managed to eke out …
Train Your Dog Month Challenge 2014 – What I Learned
What a triumph! For Train Your Dog Month, I taught Honey to climb a steep companionway ladder, to jump from a moving boat onto a dock with a line in her mouth, and to tie a perfect cleat hitch. No, not really. Because the month that was supposed to be dedicated to training my dog …