This Won’t Be A Post About Clicker Training. It Will be a Post About Sunbathing. And Dogs.

May 17, 2013 By 5 Comments
"white female whippet laying in grassy back yard in the sun"

This won't be a post about clicker training with my three dogs: the one out of the three that doesn't need it because she's 14 years old with a grade 3 heart murmur which means that she gets a treat for watching the antics of the other two, the one that kinda, sorta, does need it but because she's been with us for four years, she's already grasped the benefits of reward-based training behavior and the one that is enrolled in a "manners" class out at Lollypop Farm for the next six weeks, the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Adoption And Rescue, Tessa The Wonder Dog, Women And Dogs Tagged With: , , ,

Lost And Found Is More Than a Dog Running Loose

May 1, 2013 By 1 Comment
"Washington Grove, Cobbs Hill Park"

Lost and found: dogs on the street, dragging leashes or running naked (no collar, no ID tags, no under-the-skin microchip). No way out unless they are somehow corralled by a caring person who steps outside of their box to be one of those quiet heroes we all seem to want to celebrate on Facebook which instantly creates a viral campaign that anonymous fingers busily tap into cyberspace; part of that sea of humanity that should be doing job-related tasks as they sit, chained to computers, or so … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Life Lessons, Women And Dogs

April: Gardens And a Very Special Birthday

April 24, 2013 By 2 Comments
"view from my neighbor's side yard"

April's almost over. Finally, we're seeing signs of spring.  Yesterday afternoon, I cleaned up the shade garden on the far said of the garage. It's one of the more gratifying things to do because the garden is small, so not a lot to do. Thinking that (finally) this spring, we'll contact the guy who fenced our yard to ask if he can fence the one open side that I lovingly call my "white trash fence line," - the small section of rolled out wire fence that's better suited for a  more rural … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Life Lessons, Women And Dogs Tagged With: , , , ,

When is a Pit Bull Terrier Or an Amstaff Just a Dog?

April 22, 2013 By Leave a Comment
"books about bully breeds"

It never fails: each time we add a new dog, I rethink what I've learned over the years. I thought that all we'd have to do this time, when we added Gracie, a young Pit Bull Terrier, into the mix,  was to help her get used to living in a  home after almost four months of shelter life.  She's slowly coming along. Each day, we add something new to the things that she knows for sure. What she knows for sure: 1.  There's a consistent routine to follow. Early mornings have an order to them … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Adoption And Rescue, Life Lessons, Women And Dogs Tagged With: , , ,

Gracie Ate A Leather Leash. Really.

April 11, 2013 By 2 Comments
"female put bull terrier in wire crate"

"Gracie ate a leather slip leash last night," I explained to the woman on the other end of the phone. "... all of it except for the brass ring." Following a moment of silence, the two of us worked our way through what turned into a 15 minute conversation. Having no idea that she was at the center of our lively but concerned chat, Gracie lay calmly in her crate looking up at me. Happily, for my immediate peace of mind, she looked none the worse for having eaten that leash, the feasting chewing of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Adoption And Rescue, Life Lessons, Women And Dogs Tagged With: , , ,