“Do I really have to go to that party? I won’t know anyone and I’ll feel so awkward.” “She just rubs me the wrong way. If she wasn’t my sister-in-law, I’d never talk to her.” “I know the store is only 2 miles away. But riding my bike on the road scares me. What if …
Learning From Dogs
Don’t Overwork Your Self-Control – Good for the Dog; Good for You
If you read a typical woman’s magazine, you’d think we have an endless supply of self-control. Lose weight. Exercise more. Get ahead at work. Raise your kids to be superstars. Treat your spouse better. If you work hard enough, you’ll soon be perfect. Or will you end up even worse? Dog Self-Control at the Vet …
Doing vs Being – Good for the Dog; Good for You
Puppy “To Do” List When there’s a puppy in the house, I get nothing done. Well, that’s not quite true. I vacuum to promote socialization. But it’s hard to clean a whole room when you’re throwing treats around the whole time. I did have a conference call the other day. But I had to leave …
Don’t Let Anyone Judge You as a Bad Dog Owner – Good for the Dog; Good for You
We’ve all been embarrassed by our dogs. Some of us know the pain of our dog running off as we impotently call his name. Others suffer dismay from having our courageous canine,with teeth flashing, protecting the house from the UPS driver. Maybe your dog has pulled you across the street to “tell off” the neighbor’s dog …
Celebrate Earth Day Like a Dog
Earth Day is a time for us to appreciate the earth’s gifts and take action to reverse the damage we’ve done to her. Would we take better care of our planet if we acted more like our dogs? Care for the Earth; Act Like a Dog Maybe we’ll appreciate Earth more if we experience it …
Accept Others For Who They Are – Good for the Dog; Good for You
Words often formed in my head: “Why does he always do that? Doesn’t he know how crazy it makes me?” But Honey has learned to accept the quirks of others. I need to learn from her. Visitor Dog Saturday night I got a message. A friend’s grandmother had died and she needed someone to watch …
Go. Play. Now. – Good for the Dog; Good for You
When the foster dog arrived, I put all the dog toys away. Luckily, Honey knows how to make her own. Dog Comes Home; Toys Go Away Before we bring a new foster dog home, I round up all the dog toys and put them away. Why? We don’t know if the new dog will be …
Don’t Compare Yourselves to Others – Good for the Dog; Good for You
You might think I’m the last person to worry about bucking society’s standards. I’m car-free in the country that worships the automobile. I don’t own a television, cell phone, or iPod. I don’t pluck my eyebrows, shave my legs, or color my hair. I spend hours each day writing about dogs without getting paid for …
Stop Asking If Your Dog Loves You – Good for the Dog; Good for You
As Honey sleeps at my feet, I ask myself far too many questions: is she happy living here? does she know how much I love her? does she love me back? what would make her happier? am I giving her a good life? Luckily she just keeps on sleeping. But I’m making myself nuts. The …
Every Day Self-Sufficiency – Good for the Dog; Good for You
Sometimes, on a long car trip, I’ll look at the surrounding landscape and ask myself, “If there were no cars around, could I survive here? And for how long? I look for the warmest, driest shelters. I consider what materials are available. I wonder what I could find to eat. If I had to, could …