I have nothing witty or insightful to write. I’m just tired. Good Days and Bad Days Everyone who has ever worked with dogs will tell you progress isn’t linear. You have growth. You have setbacks. And yet every setback is a surprise. After several days of being less fearful on her walk, Chérie, our foster …
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Shark Week The Way I’d Like To See It
Animal Planet is a big, fat tease. Whenever I go somewhere that has television, I look forward to catching It’s Me Or The Dog or Dogs 101. But do I ever see them? No! Because it’s always Shark Week. Or else they’re airing 20 Creepy Crawlies You Wouldn’t Invite To Dinner, over and over again. …
7 Books I Wish Dog Trainers Would Write
My bookshelves are filled with books by dog experts. I rely on them often. But here are the books I really wish they would write: •Drool School: Five Days To Getting More Water In The Dog And Less Water On The Floor •How Not To Interrupt Outdoor Training Sessions – A Manual For …
3 Ways I’d Really Change Dog Adoptions
After recovering from being burned in effigy by readers offended by my Modest Puposal (BTW, if you found my post offensive, don’t read the Jonathan Swift piece that inspired it), I’d like to respond to the passionate comments. First off, every comment was made by a fabulous person who really cares about dogs and wants their …
The Puppiness Project – It Doesn’t Matter How You Learn; Just Learn
Gretchen Rubin wrote in The Happiness Project about the year she spent “test-driving the wisdom of the ages, the current scientific studies, and the lessons from popular culture about how to be happy.” The Puppiness Project is my attempt to learn the same from Honey, my Golden Retriever, and Chérie, our visiting Foster Pup. A Tale of Two Doggies …
A Modest Puposal
A Modest Puposal for Preventing Ignorant Dog Owners From Being a Burden on Animal Shelters, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Publick (with apologies to Jonathan Swift) The Problem: Obnoxious Little Dogs You’ve seen them. The little dogs on long leashes who garotte your ankles. The fashion accessories who take a nip when you reach …
I Could Do That! Jinx the Agility “Star”
I love seeing disastrous failures! No, it’s not schadenfreude. If I see someone being successful, it’s easy to come up with reasons I can’t duplicate their achievements: I’m not as smart. I’m too shy. I didn’t go to Harvard. I’m ugly and my mother dresses me funny. But I can always learn something from a …
The Guilt-Free Blog Award Edition
Earlier in the year, I mea culpaed all over the screen. Or rather, all over three screens in Pamela is a Bad, Bad Blogger, Making Amends Editions 1, 2&3, and 4. Well no more. No apologies. No self-deprecation. No calling myself a bad blogger. I’m proud of being an ingrate who failed to respond to …
How to Create Joy After the Loss of Your Pet
Grieving rituals are the first step in turning wrenching loss into acceptance, and ultimately, joyful memories. Meaningful rituals range from the sublime to the ridiculous. And are as varied as the relationships we have with the animals we’re blessed to share our lives with. The Memorial Garden Our friends at 24 Paws of Love shared …
The Puppiness Project – Everyone Gets Scared
Gretchen Rubin wrote in The Happiness Project about the year she spent “test-driving the wisdom of the ages, the current scientific studies, and the lessons from popular culture about how to be happy.” The Puppiness Project is my attempt to learn the same from Honey, my Golden Retriever, and Chérie, our visiting Foster Pup. When we brought Honey home, …