Giving Support After Giving Thanks
Last week I savored your responses to my Giving Thanks post. No matter how big or how small, it's good for us, and those around us, to let gratitude soothe our souls. Today, I'm focusing on giving thanks through the "Giving" part. It's Giving Tuesday, and although, like me, you mighty be feeling a tad overwhelmed with all the requests, I still love the idea of a day that counters the Spend Money on Things forces that flow like lava around us. There are so many good causes out there that need money and/or resources; here's what I'm contributing to this holiday season: FOR COMPANION ANIMALS: LOCAL: My local shelter is the Dane County Humane Society, and I plan to donate a big box of Read More
Thanks Giving, 2022
The downhill holiday slide has begun: Cook everything you can think of for Thanksgiving dinner! Get an early start on Christmas cards to get them on sale! Order Christmas presents that have to be mailed soon! Decide what to give to everyone else, including the dogs! Start Christmas cooking! Work on future blogs about good Christmas books for dog lovers, and avoiding canine stress over the holidays! Be joyous and full of cheer! Or, the only important thing: Give thanks. Be thankful. Celebrate Thanks Giving. That's my focus today, and I'll keep the warm light of gratitude shining within me throughout the end of the year. I hope you'll join me to celebrate the true and beautiful spirit of Read More
Don’t Bark Back! (How to Get Your Dog to Stop Barking.)
Last week's post on teaching dogs "Enough," when you are tired of being a petting machine, elicited a request from reader Nana-Mary: "Speaking of our two dogs, I would love some tips on controlling the BARKING! I know that we don’t want to discourage ALL barking, but sometimes it gets way out of control. It’s like a game. They seem to bark to get the other one riled up. I would love to hear how to make them STOP!!" Whaaa? Barking? Dogs? In my first month of working as an applied animal behaviorist, I literally asked a potential client--who was calling about a barking problem--to repeat herself because I couldn't hear her. Because--you know where I'm going here--my dogs were Read More