Dog Life

  • Thump

    Our big dog, Ginko, loves Tom’s mom. L-O-V-E-S her. If we tell him she’s coming to visit, he’ll sit by the front door and wait. When she arrives, he mills around with excitement. As soon
    as she sits down, he tries to kiss her. Not in a crazy way, but a sweet, deliberate smooch. At bedtime, we let her get settled, when we ask Ginko if he wants to “snuggle with Grandma,” and he blasts
    upstairs to join her in bed. He’s very careful and very gentle. So, when Grandma comes, Lilly sleeps with us. …

  • Stage mom?

    I know that my non-agility friends don’t get it. I’m quite convinced they are quite convinced that I’m a total stage mom. Those of you with performance dogs (not pets) understand the distinction. We know and love our dogs in ways others likely do not understand. That said, don’t you ever look at your furry star and think, “Man! She ought to be in pictures …”?

  • Lap of luxury

    I allow my dogs up on the furniture. I know some people don’t, but
    I do. Strategies for preventing too much dogification include
    putting comforters bought at garage sales on the sofas and using
    extra flat sheets as a top sheet over the duvet on the bed. Still,
    I buy dog beds. I cannot help myself. …

  • Ground control to …

    Now that the wild meadow grasses have gone to seed, it’s time to trim the pastures. It’s both a fire mitigation as well as a see-the-snakes-better tactic. This year, Tom decided to do reverse crop circles. The strategy lets us keep areas natural with wildflowers and so that the wildlife have a place to bed down come winter. But, it’s apparently causing quite a stir in our rural valley. …

  • Loose dog rant

    I’ve given up taking Lilly for long walks in our rural neighborhood. It’s a safety issue, and I simply cannot take it anymore. Too many unsocialized, untrained, territorial dogs wander unsupervised from nearby homes. Then again, there’s wandering and pursuing. …

  • The ever-worsening recall

    A few weeks ago, Lilly rolled in some foul smelling something or other. Her neck and shoulders were completely encrusted. A bath was beyond necessary. Lilly has never been a big fan of baths, but this one … for some reason … caused a total panic attack. Unfortunately, for me, the experience has ruined her recall at home. …

  • Puppy in chief

    Lilly now has her own business cards to help promote the blog. The plan is to hand them out to people we meet on the street to help build readership. My husband says people will (and do) think I’m nuts, but I think it’s kind of cute. And, I think it will help people remember our blog. Here’s what they look like: