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.

Hot News | Musings

Lilly’s first off-leash hike

Lilly and I often hike alone on the trails near our house. Due traffic of hikers with dogs, mountain bikers with a need for speed, and the preponderance of horse riders, I keep Lilly on
leash. Even when we don’t see another person or dog, there’s always a chance of coming across a rattle snake, a coyote, a fox, a herd of deer or elk, or the dreaded mountain lion. So, I personally
prefer to keep Lilly close. Plus … frankly, it’s park rules to do so. However, there are spots on private land owned by neighbors where traffic and …

Read More Lilly’s first off-leash hike
Dog Brag

Happy Blog-a-versary to Us!

One year ago yesterday, Lilly and I began our blogging career. Many thanks to all of you loyal visitors and subscribers (including the oodles of you who read but do not comment). I can
see through my stats that our page views are growing … sometimes well over 200 a day (across the blog, not just that day’s entries). I think that’s pretty good for a young blog. I really hope to
see that continue to increase this year. …

Read More Happy Blog-a-versary to Us!
Dog Training Update | Dogs on Drugs

Weekly Training Update (April 11)

I’m beginning to wonder if Lilly’s current incarnation of shutdown, which is a slow response, is a true shutdown. …

Read More Weekly Training Update (April 11)
Dog Brag

Rude Dogs Article Gets Attention

My latest piece for HealthyPet magazine is getting noticed. How fun is that? In addition to the 3 million people who will see it in first run, we got a request last week from the
Papillon Club of America to reprint it in their newsletter. Plus, I got permission from the publisher for my big-picture trainer (Gigi) to give copies to her puppy K and beginning obedience students.
…

Read More Rude Dogs Article Gets Attention
Musings

Honey, how much does plywood cost?

Oh, how I wish I could buy “real” agility contact equipment. Even the stuff from “affordable” places, however, is pretty pricey. So, I’m starting to plot for some do-it-myself options.
OK. That really means Tom doing it himself, but you get the idea. …

Read More Honey, how much does plywood cost?
Info-Share

More on Calming Music for Dogs

So, we’ve had our CD of special dog-calming music (Through a Dog’s Ear: Music to Calm Your Canine Companion) for a couple weeks now. It’s about an hour long, and I often put it on
repeat while I work and the dogs hang out. I think it’s found a happy home in their brains because I can turn it on and see nearly instant results. …

Read More More on Calming Music for Dogs
Hot News | Musings

When cereal bags attack

During these not-yet warm, spring-still-winter days, I open the back of my car so that Lilly has access to her crate, if she prefers. It gives her a dry spot, out of the wind, to survey
the valley for a bit while I’m hard at work inside. Until last week, I always thought it was a nice, safe thing to do. …

Read More When cereal bags attack
Dog Training Update | Dogs on Drugs

Weekly Training Update (April 4)

I have a HUGE play training break-through to report. Last Saturday, Lilly’s new friend Katie (a baby Borzoi) came over to play. It’s only their second meeting, but Lilly actually played
and was SUPER sweet to Katie, with only the tiniest hint of the usual border-collie bossy thing. It felt like a miracle. …

Read More Weekly Training Update (April 4)
Dog Training Update | Musings

One for Lilly, One for Ginko

I experimented this week with Lilly’s play training. As I’ve mentioned, she usually does not play in front of other dogs, including Ginko at times. She has, however, learned that some
things simply do not interest him. And, in those cases, she’ll play fetch (or whatever) in front of Ginko. Sticks, for example, allude him. He does not get the point, so if he steals the ball, which
he often does, then Lilly finds a stick to play with instead. To see if I could combine a toy in which Ginko heretofore hasn’t shown interest with Give Me a Break …

Read More One for Lilly, One for Ginko
Dog Brag | Dog Photo

Resource guarding revisited

Last week, I lamented about Lilly’s penchant for turning into a mean, rotten girl when other dogs get close to her darling daddy. There are certain toys that might cause a similar
reaction in the wrong circumstances, especially if they involve food — like a rawhide or a stuffed kong. But, the other day, Lilly and Ginko enjoyed a bit of chewing fun practically side by side.
Take a look. …

Read More Resource guarding revisited

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