Champion of My HeartA real-time memoir about life with a fearful border collie, by Roxanne Hawn

In about a month, Ginko will be 12. He recently had a thorough exam, senior blood work, and vaccinations (3-year rabies, 1-year lepto). And, this week … he went in to have his teeth “done.” While he was conked out, they went ahead and took off two bothersome lumps — one on an eyelid and one his head.

Ginko did great, but he still isn’t feeling entirely like himself … yet.

Read the rest of this entry »

Today is my 20th wedding anniversary. Indulge me — won’t you — as I wax a little nostalgic? This girl needs to celebrate every tiny thing. And, a big one now and then too.

Read the rest of this entry »

Nearly 2 months into this adverse vaccine reaction with Lilly, I’m still a wreck. At least once a day, Lilly and I have a conversation — brain to brain, heart to heart — that goes something like this.

Read the rest of this entry »

As of 12:30 pm or so mountain time, Saturday, February 4, 2012, Lilly had been seizure free since around 4:30 pm Friday (2/3). I’m happy to report a few other pieces of good news … finally. The post includes the latest video of Lilly’s recovery from vaccine-induced meningoencephalomyelitis.

Read the rest of this entry »

A massive snowstorm kept us pinned on the mountain Friday. We had about 20 inches of snow when we awoke, and the local weather folks are saying we might get another 20 inches of snow before this storm is over Saturday morning. As much as it broke my heart, we did not risk making the drive down the canyon and over to the veterinary hospital. So, this update comes from phone chats with her neurology team. Not great news.

Read the rest of this entry »

Lilly and I apologize for the sudden, unexplained absence from blogging these last two weeks. Due to a new and difficult stage in our eldercare responsibilities, we cannot promise it won’t happen again, but we’ll do our best to keep afloat and provide some entertainment.

If you’ve not yet LIKE’d our Champion of My Heart Facebook Fan Page, where we sometimes report on such life events, we’ll catch you up on the backstory behind our absence:

Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve censored the following, in protest of a bill that gives any corporation and the US government the power to censor the internet–a bill that could pass THIS WEEK. To see the uncensored text, and to stop internet censorship, visit: http://americancensorship.org/posts/38861/uncensor

███████████ █████ ██████ I ████ has ████ ████████ by █████████ ████████████ at ████ █████. For ███████, a ██████ of █████ ago a ███████ in the ███████ █████████ ████ a ████████ ███████ I █████, █████ in ████ █████ ███████, and ██████ my ████ on her ████. She did ████ me ███████████, but she did not ask nor did she PAY me for the use of my ████. I was ██████. I █████████ her. She ████ the ████ ████.

In ███████ ████████, ████ guy in the ██████ ███████ was ████████ █████ ██████ ████ ████ ████████ of My █████ and ███████ ██████████ on his ████ █████ █████████ ██████ █████. It’s ██████ ████ ████████, and it █████. ████ █████, I █████████ him and ████ a big █████. As far as I ████, he ███████ ████████ our ███████ … in ████ ███████ I ███████ █████ a ████ RSS ████.

████ ████, you’d █████ I ███████ the ████ ████ in the U.S. ██████ or the ████ ████ in the U.S. █████ of ███████████████, but I don’t. The ████████ ████ are █████ ██████, and ████ █████ ██████ ██████ in █████ █████ ████ ████ █████ ██████████ ████ ████ by ████ ████████ █████ … ██████ on the █████ of █████████ ███████████. The █████████ for █████ of █████ is ████.

So, █████, we ████ ██████ in █████ ████ in ███████.

████ █████ █████ ████ ██████.

Longtime syndicated columnist and dog writer Steve Dale recently published a new eBook through Tribune Media Services — Good Dog. Since I don’t have a Kindle, I’ve not had the chance to read it. However, when I asked Dale about the history of dog training — going back to before I was born — he shared some interesting insights.

You see, I knew that the dominance / punishment style of dog training that I loathe really took hold back in the 1960s. What I did NOT know is that positive reinforcement practitioners were also on the scene back then.

Read the rest of this entry »

I could use some help establishing expectations about Lilly’s ongoing struggle with anxiety. Living with a fearful dog can be a day-to-day, minute-by-minute thing, and I’m used to that. However, I’m trying to get a grip on what I can and cannot expect going forward as well as what shifts in dog behavior matter at this point.

Come May, Lilly will be 8 years old. That means we’re 7 1/2 years into her fearful dog reality as a member of our family and a good 5 years since we saw a major shift in her fearful behavior as she reached social maturity (around age 2 – 2 1/2).

In summer 2008, 8ur dog behavior modification work (combined with dog anxiety medications) got underway in earnest (after a couple of years of trying herbal and other scent-based remedies). This includes the Dog Relaxation Protocol MP3 files for which we are now famous for recording and providing FREE downloads.

Read the rest of this entry »

Living in a relatively remote area and working from home (13 years now) means I enjoy the luxury of being with my dogs nearly 24/7. That doesn’t mean I’m mentally present for them all the time, but I am around for them. I do get to say, “Hey, buddy.” or “Who wants a snack?” throughout the day.

Granted, my questions could just as easily include:

• What’s that noise / smell / commotion?
• Do you really need to go out AGAIN?
• How do you expect me to think when you keep interrupting me?

Often, the dogs aren’t at all subtle when making their needs known.

Read the rest of this entry »

As Lilly and I began our holiday time off, we issued a challenge to our readers and fans via Facebook to spend one solid day (24 straight hours) with their dogs. Yes, in many cases, that means sleeping or cuddling a lot, but we’d love to know what else you did on your dog day.

Our dog days vary depending upon weather. For example, over the holidays a boatload of snow fell in our valley. The storms included cold temps and wind. We did indeed sled a lot one day, Alas, when the temps finally warmed up after xmas, the winds went wild with, seriously, 100 mile-per-hour gusts for several days.

We’re hearty girls around here, but not that hearty.

Read the rest of this entry »

After our one and only dog training class in public this year (over Thanksgiving), Amy from GoPetFriendly.com, pet travel made easy, asked an important question: “As long as we can navigate our daily lives without outbursts, I don’t really need to push [Buster's] boundaries. Have I just lost my motivation or gotten lazy? Have you ever felt the same way about Lilly?”

Read the rest of this entry »

For about 6 weeks now, Lilly’s chlomipramine dose has been just 75 mg ONCE a day (in the morning). We’ve dropped the nighttime dose. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, but some new behaviors have cropped up. Now, I’m having doubts about the dog behavior meds decision.

Read the rest of this entry »

Taking a week “off” is relative, of course, meaning mostly not owing drafts to clients. Other demands of life continue. HOWEVER, Lilly and I ventured to Boulder for dog training class with our dog trainer Gigi Moss … for the first time this year. I’ll tell you how it went tomorrow. Today? A video showing just how much Lilly loves her dog trainer.

Read the rest of this entry »

It took four years and innumerable tries before we FINALLY got a new avatar photo of me and Lilly. I cannot tell you how many attempts to replace our favorite photo from December 2007 resulted in me sobbing. I’m not the most photogenic person, and I take bad photos personally. Here, then, is our new favorite picture … along with a few outtakes … because I really did NOT want to be that girl who uses a terribly outdated photo online.

Read the rest of this entry »