Author: Roxanne Hawn

Trained as a traditional journalist and based in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, USA, I'm a full-time freelance writer for magazines, websites, and private clients. My areas of specialty include everything in the lifestyles arena, including health and home, personal finance and other consumer interests, relationships and trends, people and business profiles ... and, of course, all things pet related. I don't just love dogs. I need them in my life. Seriously.

Dog Gripe | Musings

A sad (probably not true) realization

Last Thursday was a long day. I worked all day, drove 2+ hours in the head up to CSU, met with our behaviorist for 2 hours, then drove home (another 2 hours). My head was reeling from her insights about Lilly’s behavior, especially about all the kissing being an anxiety outburst (just like snarking or hiding). And, here I thought she just LOVED ME a lot. One question, among the countless asked, echoed in my head as I drove home. My iPod battery pooped out, so I had regular radio and my own thoughts to keep me company during the …

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Dog Gripe | Dogs on Drugs

Oh, I’m ranting

It’s not like clomipramine comes from Mars or is some new-fangled drug. It isn’t. It’s a pretty common medication for dogs with anxiety. Why, then, is it so @#$@# hard to get it where I live? And, why is the dog version SO MUCH MORE expensive than the human version? Talk about screwing the pooch, or at least the girl who loves her!!! …

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Dog Training Update | Dogs on Drugs | Hot News

The New Training Plan, The Basics

Lilly’s new behavior modification plan is 26 pages long. On Saturday, I read through the entire thing, and I went back through the initial stages in detail. Then, I emailed a bunch of additional information to our behaviorist, along with a slew of questions. Here is the basic outline of the plan.
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Dog Training Update | Dogs on Drugs

Weekly Training Update (July 11) – A New Era

Lilly and I braved painful rush-hour traffic in ridiculous heat to drive 2+ hours (each way) to a consultation last night with a behaviorist at the Colorado State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Fort Collins, CO. The full written diagnosis, new drug and dosage selection, and detailed behavior modification plan is pending. And, I’m still obsessively processing (while madly cleaning my entire house) everything we talked about during our nearly 2 hour consult. BUT, here are a couple things I’m sorting through and trying to understand based on what I managed to …

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Dog Photo | Dog Training Update | Dogs on Drugs

Some Hiking News and Photos

Behind the scenes at Champion of My Heart, I get private advice from some readers. They simply feel more comfortable emailing me directly with ideas, input, support. And, that’s totally fine. One such idea from a friend was to take Lilly on different hikes this summer to keep her out and working, even though we’re taking a break from classes until we figure out the anxiety medicine stuff. So, here are a few updates on recent outings: …

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Dog Gripe | Hot News

Add Windows to the List

Replacing the worst of our old windows (since we can’t afford to do them all this year) is a part of our home improvement work this summer. Sadly, Lilly has decided that the new windows are scary. …

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Info-Share

Canine Noise Fears: A Cautionary Tale

Yesterday through our neighborhood email list, I received a note about a lost dog. For some reason, I didn’t receive the plea for help from the dog’s owners, but another neighbor realized the oversight and forwarded it to me. She knows I adore dogs. (That’s putting it mildly.) She knows I frequent the roads and trails nearby. Today, I found the lost dog while on my morning walk with Lilly. I was excited to be the hero, until I realized he was dead. …

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Dog Photo | Musings

She’s a Helper

Summer 2008 is full of home projects aimed at bolstering the energy efficiency of our house, which was built in 1978. I mostly fill the role of snack provider, beverage purveyor, and clean-up crew. Lilly? Well, she has decided dropping sticks at Tom’s feet (no matter how high off the ground they are) is a HUGE help. …

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Dog Photo

Find Lilly, A Photo Game

Sometimes I sit outside to work when the weather allows. The dogs move from shade to sun, from grass to sidewalk, from under my feet to out in the pasture. It’s a good way to spend a long workday. I could not resist this photo of Ginko sacked out in the sun. He gets very brown from all the UV here at 8,000 feet. Can you find Lilly? …

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Dog Photo | Musings

Freedom, Freedom, Freedom

Happy Independence Day! It’s a big holiday at our house since Tom loves fireworks so much. So, rather than proffer our usual Friday Training Update, we’re taking a holiday to celebrate freedom. In Lilly’s case, it’s sometimes the freedom to NOT do what I ask. Still, nobody looks cuter with a flag! …

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