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.

  • Confessions of a Former Exotic Pet Owner

    When my friend Lisa Metzger at Metzger Associates in Boulder recently sent me some hedgehog links, I realized I’ve never written about Xena — the pygmy hedgehog in my past. She was an albino (to boot), so she was entirely white, with pink eyes and everything. I would never have an exotic pet again, and I would caution others against it, but it was an interesting experience. Granted, it’s not a freaky as the camel featured over at Days of Speed, but it’s a tad bit nuttier than the goat who runs …

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    Weekly Training Update (Jan 8)

    So far, it’s been a darn-cold winter around here. We’re not getting hammered with snow, like the mountain areas on the other side of the Continental Divide, but it’s been windy and c-o-l-d. I must be losing my tough, mountain girl barrier that usually protects me enough to go outside and play with the pups a few times a day. There was, however, one day of tolerable temps, so I performed an experiment with Lilly on our walk. …

  • Name That Livestock

    Any number of animals graze on the ranch behind us. Lilly enjoys sassing these large animals who regularly walk the fence-line route. For fear of her getting kicked in the head by horses, mules, and/or cattle, I try to divert her attention and often reward her for looking at the animals without rushing the fence or barking at them. Recently, however, it’s been harder to call her off. She ignores my faint LEAVE IT, followed by COME as if I did not exist. And, now we know why. A new critter has joined the grazing pack, and (it seems) Lilly …

  • Bossy is as Bossy Does

    Our big-picture trainer (Gigi Moss) often says that true pack-leader dogs seem completely normal. They don’t seem bossy or dominant or whatever term you use. They just appear like well-adjusted, normal dogs. If a dog does seem otherwise, then he or she is likely concerned about “status.” As Gigi likes to joke — It’s similar to people. All the posturing happens in middle management. In other words, most visible actions comes from a wanna-be, not the one with actual control. Lately, I’ve noticed some funny interactions between Ginko and Lilly that might shed light on things.
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    Weekly Training Update (Jan 2)

    We used our one remaining group class (advanced pet dog obedience) from a punch card purchased over the summer for an outing on New Year’s Eve. Typically, we pay $90 for 6 classes, and get one free. So, that comes to $12.86 per class instead of the $15 per class cash rate. To keep our training accounting tidy, I wanted to use up our last class I’d already purchased. Lucky for us that the weather was decent and the location was a spot where Lilly sometimes does well. Plus, the usual Wednesday classes are typically smaller than the Sunday classes …

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    Holiday Frittata

    I’ve added a new category called “Foodie Tangent” since it seems I’m in the mood more and more to give you insights into my food obsessions and cooking methods. Today’s entry is all about holiday breakfasts. Growing up, as I’ve mentioned, in a big Italian family, I learned early that food and holidays go hand in hand. So, for New Year’s Day, I present the holiday frittata that I ate every Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s and Easter as a kid. …