"One's Nose is Never So Happy..." has nothing to do with dogs, except for the nose part. Here's the full quote: "It has been observed that one's nose is never so happy as when it is thrust into the affairs of another, from which some physiologists have drawn the inference that the nose is devoid of the sense of smell." – Ambrose Bierce Apologies for such a ridiculous diversion, but reading it made me spit out my tea while I was looking for interesting quotes about the sense of smell, so I opened with it. The sense of smell is indeed what this post is about, and whether some scents can act to calm or relax dogs who are in stressful situations. The bottom line is yes, according to a study done by Jonathon Binks et. al. (2018, The behavioural effects of olfactory stimulation on dogs at Read More

It's getting to be that time of the year when a lot of us travel. Sometimes our dogs go with us, other times, not. I thought it was a good time to repeat a post I wrote in 2010 about doing all I can to keep my dogs safe and happy when with a house sitter. ...Leaving one’s dog(s) is hard, and the only way I can do it myself without being a wreck is to have a system in which I feel like I’ve covered as many bases as I can. Here are some of my tips, I’d love to hear yours: 1. Put a big-lettered note by the phone that says YOU ARE HERE and give the address and phone number of your home. House sitters rarely can spit out your address in a crisis, and that’s when they need it the most. 2. Also by the phone, leave EMERGENCY phone numbers for your usual vet (who you’ve called to approve Read More

Ever wanted to be two places at once? I left Thursday for the Penn Vet Working Dog Conference in Philly and wanted to stay home. (Lambs. Flowers...) I spoke Friday to introduce the conference (speaking about resilience, blog on that to come in a few weeks), and wanted to stay all weekend. The line up of speakers was that inspiring. If I were you, I would seriously consider going next year, even if you don't have a dog who is officially a "working dog." Honestly, I promise, you'll learn bunches. It's an amazing conference. I was terrible about getting photographs at the conference. But I did take a photo of the Dogwise table, who generously sponsored the dinner and offered discounts to all participants. (Dogwise made the offer, not the table. I really should edit the sentence, but an Read More

I began meditating because of pain. I'd injured my shoulder and somehow managed to strain the connection between my collar bone and sternum. For over a year I was in the kind of pain that sucks the energy out of you, and makes it a victory to get through the day without collapsing into a limp pile of defeat. Extensive physical therapy and medications did not help. In desperation I joined a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program and discovered that acknowledging and describing the pain really did make it less aversive. My shoulder healed and I stopped meditating until I began the therapy I describe in The Education of Will. Since then, I've meditated off and on for years. I describe myself as a "lazy meditator"--my sessions often lasting no more 10-15 minutes, with plenty of days of Read More

I am officially hereby declaring today as "Thank Your Veterinarian Day". Here's why: It's not because a bevy of dedicated veterinarians saved Willie and will continue to partner with me to keep him healthy, although that's a great reason. It's not because my animal's primary veterinarians (more on them soon) are not just committed professionals but have all become good friends. Another good reason. And it's not because all of them never hesitate to move heaven and earth to be there for us if there is a crisis. Good reason number three. What actually motivated this post was a talk I had with one of our dog's primary vets, Dr. John Dally, about what it is like to be a veterinarian in 2018. It's not easy. For one thing the expectations of many animal owners are over the moon.  Read More