Willie woke me up at 3 am this morning, as he did yesterday morning. I have no idea why-speculation is that he needed to potty, or he is waking up earlier and earlier to get the food in his morning Kong. I told him to "settle" and managed a restless doze until 5 am, when he pretty much threw himself at the bed, woke Lassie up from a log-like slumber, and careened me out of bed, still asleep and not at all pleased. I held my tongue, let the dogs out to potty, and then gave them their stuffed Kongs and went back upstairs. When I came back downstairs, about an hour later, one of the dogs had defecated all over the house, and I mean all over. In the dining room, on the rug in the living room, on the floor in the living room, in the study, in the kitchen . . . Isn't it amazing how much area Read More
Archives for January 2010
From Sunny (not) Florida
Not much time to write, sitting at Barnes and Noble to latch onto their wireless internet connection, but thought some of you might enjoy some of the photos we've taken of the wildlife here (around Naples, not at B & N!). It's pretty much bird heaven here, even though it is colder here than since the ice age. Between fund raising events for The Brody Project (both smashing successes, thanks to the organizers and to the generous people of the area), Jim and I have soaked up some of the animals in the mangrove swamps and the beaches. We've watched river otters playing in a mangrove swamp, dolphins arcing through the waves in the sea while we ate breakfast, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets (with feathery white plumes, black legs and yellow feet -- they look like Dr. Suess animals), White Ibis, Read More
Animal Assisted Therapy; Come say Hi in Naples, Fla!
I've loved our discussion about the "Right Stuff," and how every dog has its own talents. I think that is never more true than when asking a dog to do Animal Assisted Therapy. AAT is on my mind now, because I've just finished working on a speech I'll be doing in Naples, Florida to raise funds for a worthwhile cause, The Brody Project. I'll be dining with donors this Wednesday, Jan 6, and speaking on Thursday, Jan 7th on "The Power of Pets." The Brody Project does AAT at Moorings Park Continuing Care Retirement Community and if you are in the area, I'd love it if you came up and said hi. I also just finished a chapter for a new book by Audrey Fine, the silver-back of AAT, on what caretakers of assistance dogs need to know. And here's the bottom line: They need to know if their dog is Read More