Jim and I were born on the same day of the same year. (Honest. Our marriage license application caused all kinds of trouble because they were sure we had made a mistake.) We celebrated our 70th birthday last week--feels like a big one. We are so lucky to be still here, and still relatively healthy. Lucky, lucky us. And lucky, lucky me to have found Jim. Love you, babe. Best thing that ever happened to me. Sorry for the fuzzy photo, was very dark in the restaurant. (But fuzzy might be a good thing really. . . Sort of like vaseline on the lens?) Read More
Archives for 2018
You Want Me To Pee Where?
Wait, you want me to pee outside? In the cold? On the gravel? Even if it's raining? Whaaaaaaa? So might say Tootsie, who was rescued by the good people at Lucky Star Cavalier Rescue, thanks to an amazing woman who pulled her, and a multitude of other dogs, from a northern Wisconsin puppy mill. Through a wonderful moment of serendipity, I've just learned the details of Tootsie's past. She was taken from a puppy mill with large numbers of dogs living in "horrendous conditions". Most of the dogs lived in a disgustingly filthy barn, but Tootsie was one of a group of Cavaliers who lived on the equally disgusting concrete pad of an old silo, pumping out puppies in spite of serious health concerns. She had to have 21 teeth extracted after she was rescued, because her mouth was a Read More
Lost in Translation? Facebook Livestream Thursday 6:30 CST
In For the Love of a Dog I wrote about how Luke's daughter and I grieved for him after his death for almost a year. Finally--- "Last night Lassie and I played her favorite game together. Again and again, I tossed her favorite toy across the rug. Each time she leaped after it, then came back to me with her face glowing, her eyes soft and luminous. Her neat little body seemed unable to contain her joy and her love of play. At some point in the middle of our game, I realized I was beaming, a huge smile plastered across my face. For that moment, I was truly and completely happy. In some ways, it's really that simple, isn't it? At their best, that is what dogs do: they make us happy. At our best, we make them happy, too. That can only be true because we share so very much with them, and Read More
Oh Those Scary Camera Lenses
I was just going to get some casual shots of the BCs lying in the sun, when I noticed a trend. Here's the first photo: Followed by the next two: Can't miss it, can you? No matter what I did, clicking or smooching or waving my fingers, Maggie would not look at the camera lens. And no wonder. Here I was, down on my knees at eye level, with this huge, round, black eye staring straight at her. She's much softer than Willie, and easily intimidated, and that flat, black eye-like shape was just too much for her. I've seen this repeatedly over the years, and always assumed it related to dogs perceiving camera lenses as the black, dilated pupils of another animal. Dilated pupils are signs of arousal, and we all know that direct stares can be intimidating. Dogs don't have to Read More
“Non-Traditional” Cue Update
What's in your dog's repertoire? We all know the standard cues we use with our dogs--Sit, Stay, Lie Down, Come. (Some of our dogs actually do too.) But cruising through old blogs led me to this post from 2012 about "non-traditional" cues that some of us use. I was gobsmacked at how many responses it got (182), and also motivated to think about what cues I still use most often. I do indeed ask my dogs to sit, lie down and come when called often, but much more often I ask the dogs to Wait, (One of the commenters called it a 'Soft Stay". Love that.), Get Back (are you listening Mr Willie?), Enough (several folks use All Done) and Settle Down, which means please go somewhere else and chill out. Also Hup for jump, Go Around, Enough, Here (sloppy heel). There are so many other great ideas Read More
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