Typically, I’m quiet while I write. When things go well, time recedes, and I find myself in a whole other mental world. I regain my senses hours later. When things go not so well, I
must do something different. I don’t detect it, but Lilly does. Maybe my breathing changes. Maybe my body posture shifts. I’m not sure, but she’ll seek me out in these moments and try to crawl in my
lap for some kissing and cuddling. …
I believe that in marriage everyone cuts their own deal. We agree to things. We put up with things. We accept things. That’s all part of love. I believe it’s true with all
relationships, really, including those with our dogs. That’s why when someone I “know” from another online community posted a note about a promise she made, I realized it was something I would not
do. …
One of our early trainers required at least one trick during the final exam for the course. He used it as a matrix, I believe, for handler’s commitment to their dogs. Plus, he joked,
“If you teach your dogs tricks, I KNOW you’ll want to show off. And, if I can get you to train your dog when company is over, then I’ve done my job.” …
The Denver Post Business Section ran a story January 18 about the marketing science of naming new drugs. The idea amused me, so here’s how it works and how it might apply to naming
dogs. …
Here in Colorado, we’re lucky to host the National Western Stock Show each January. Sunday was the final day of this year’s 2-week event, so we popped down to watch some stock dogs
work. A friend was competing with her dog, and I’d never seen a herding competition. All I have to say is HO-LY COW! …
If Lilly is reluctant to do something, if she believes she’s in trouble, if she’s feeling exponentially submissive, she writhes on the ground. The closer you try to get, the more she
wriggles away. We call it “hover-crafting” because she scoots across the ground as if my magic. Well, it turns out other people call it “worming,” and I’m told it can run in border collie genetic
lines. Hmm. …
I’m not sure how she does it, but Lilly can get her tongue way up my nose or deep in my ear in a flash during any of her many kissing fits. Out of the blue, she feels the need to
express her LOVE for me with a flurry of relentless kissing. I’m kind of a little person, so it’s not like my nose and ears are chasms, but she can still fire her tongue right in there.
Ready? Aim. Bloop! Recently, while watching her intently play with a narrow Kong that I’d stuffed with peanut butter and …
Last week, I found myself a bit in a wad after someone who doesn’t know dogs at all said Lilly is “hard to train.” She said it like it was a statement of fact, like she was simply
reiterating something I’ve said myself. I quickly clarified my point, which is this. The training work I’m doing with Lilly is hard. It’s hard for me to learn. It’s hard for me to stick to long-term.
It’s hard for me to understand entirely these very detailed (bordering on PhD-level) strategies. Lilly, however, is a breeze to train simply because she’s so smart. …
New Year’s Day hoopla bores me. All the hopes, all the resolutions, feel too much like a mate who acts like an @#$@# all year long and thinks flowers on Valentine’s Day or diamonds at
Xmas makes up for it. I don’t buy it. But, it’s not that I don’t believe in new beginnings or new goals. I simply think that every day is a fresh start … for that matter so is every hour, every
minute. …
I admit it. I’m frugal. I do enjoy shopping when I have the cash and the need, but I am not a fan of unnecessary monthly bills. So, I’m always looking for places to trim the budget,
either to make room for something else or to eek out a bit more savings. For 2008, I’m seriously considering dropping Lilly’s health insurance. It’s less than $20 per month, but the more I look at
our policy, the less useful it seems. …
