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
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
The Right Stuff: Every Dog Has Her Place
Pippy Tay didn't look much like a purebred Border Collie; I'd bet money that most shelters would have described her as a BC/Labrador cross. She was big, almost 60 pounds, as long as a table, and had a large, square head that had Labrador written all over it. But she was a Border Collie, the daughter of one of the top trial dogs in the country, and she had an outrun around sheep to break your heart. Early in her training I visited a handler's farm in Iowa, to get a lesson and work her in a new area. Unlike my little farm, the land was perfect for long outruns, where you could send your dog from the top of a rise, watch them run a semi-circle through a sweeping valley below, and gather the sheep from as far away as you wanted. We trudged to the top of the hill, and Doug said: "Go ahead, Read More
Holiday Wishes
May all of us savor what we have, and not let what we don't have interfere with our gratitude. May all of our dogs, cats, horses, birds, ferrets, rabbits, sheep, cows (etc) live the best life they can, secure in knowledge of how much we love them. May the people who abuse animals, whether through fear or ignorance, learn the joy of a relationship built on kindness and understanding. May the four pounds I've put on in the last few days melt away, somehow, magically, whilst I continue to savor the joys of consumption. Wishing you love, relaxation and oxytocin-filled contentment over the holidays. I'll be back posting next week. Here are a few scenes from the farm, inside and out: (anyone for a picnic on the picnic table?) xx Read More