My idea of a pure, indulgent pleasure is to have a pedicure. For 40 minutes, I can close my eyes and have someone else make my abused feet look presentable again. I happily pay for this privilege. If I could afford it, I would do it weekly. As a kid, I would convince my Weimaraner Misty to sit patiently while I did her nails, usually with a holiday theme. This breed of dog has lovely clear nails that made applying nail polish especially rewarding to an 8-year-old budding aest

Five year old Beagle Carlos hates the dog next door. He can’t see Cockapoo Sheldon. An 8 foot stockade fence separates the two dogs. It doesn’t matter, though. The first thing Carlos does when he is let outside to do his business is to race the fence and skim the base of it with his nose, hunting for Sheldon. Then, let the barking begin. How the Carlos/Sheldon feud began is a mystery. Carlos’ owners moved into the neighborhood first. When Sheldon’s family arrived, it appeared

It’s the white elephant in the room whenever there is a Mastiff, St. Bernard or Bloodhound present. Owners of these breeds – and other loose-lipped dogs – typically carry a rag or handkerchief tucked into a pocket or purse for on-site damage control. The walls of their homes are coated with scrubbable paint. Their furniture is upholstered in forgiving fabrics. Their clothes are machine washable. I’m talking, of course, about Drool. There are two kinds of drool. The drop or t

I always ask my clients to let their dog greet me at the front door they way they would with any other guest. I like to see how a dog reacts to the arrival of a stranger on his home turf; it tells me a lot about the dog’s temperament and standing in the house. If I could describe the greetings I have received over the years in a poem, here then is an ode to the exuberance of dogs at the door: How do I greet thee? Let me count the ways. I greet thee by body-checking you at ful

It’s the existential question for humans and dogs: where is my place? If dogs could meditate, PLACE could be their mantra. PLACE…..PLACE…..PLACE…… if I had a PLACE, I could go there when…… Whoever is cooking in the kitchen doesn’t want me underfoot; When there are guests that don’t particularly like dogs; At mealtime, so I don’t beg at the table; I need a quiet place to go when I’m feeling overwhelmed; I’m really hungry and dinner isn’t ready yet; Before a walk, so I don’t go

Some dogs seem to regard bicycles, motorcycles and yes, skateboards as entrees on the run. Three-year-old Shepherd mix Simon enjoys napping on the sunny spot in the dining room, tossing his Wubba, and playing with his friends at the dog park. His favorite sport, however, is chasing anything that moves. Lately, this includes not only motorized vehicles, but also hapless joggers and even strollers. His owners suspect that an early run-in with a tricycle may have caused his obse

ONE dog can make a lot of noise. Is there an equation that measures the increase in decibel levels when TWO dogs see the garbage truck? I’m pretty terrible at math so I won’t even attempt this one. All I know is, a pomeranian mix and a Cairn terrier, fenced in and highly indignant that a vehicle should appear and STOP in front of THEIR house, are likely to wake up the neighborhood at the bracing time of 6 AM. Consider it a community service alarm clock. Another dog – a Blac

Or maybe it should be “Bite, interrupted.” Because some dogs will take the briefest of nips and back away so quickly that you’re not sure it really happened. Even the so-called victim might be unaware of the damage, if any, that may have occurred. Here is how such an incident might play out in a court of law. COOPER –VS-THE NEIGHBORHOOD CHILD SCENE: The setting is a courtroom. The plaintiffs are the parents of a 5-year-old girl. The defendant is Cooper, a neutered male 2 year

Dogs are a different species than us. I state this as a fact, because I am often asked to train dogs – or in some cases, untrain dogs – to do thing that are purely dog. There are many, many things that dogs CAN do, which may be why some owners think dogs are capable of not doing certain behaviors. Here are some examples of dog behavior that cannot be changed despite requests to do so… Most male dogs pee standing up, with leg lifted. It is not possible to train such a male dog

Chickie is a Spaniel mix, sweet-faced and sweet-natured. Her human companions had driven 3 hours in the pouring rain to pick her up. Yes,...

This morning, a neighborhood cat left a dead mouse next to my car. It was a thoughtful gesture of appreciation, since we set food out daily for Pat the Cat – our unisex name for him/her, and no, I’m not going to get personal with Pat to find out the answer to that question. The gift led me to think about cats, dogs, and presents. I know, you’re thinking – cats and dogs! Fertile subject matter for a blog! Sorry, this one is about gifts, because who doesn’t love to get a presen

The pandemic makes life challenging for us in so many ways, big and small. Its not just people who are attempting to live this new kind...

8 year old Murray is a well-behaved Bichon Frise. He lives with a retired couple who adore him and give him a very cushy life, with the...

Its a pandemic puzzle (or maybe a Corona conundrum?). We humans, at home for the foreseeable future, have lots of entertainment options:...

Edgar is a 2 year old Miniature Dachshund who has never known a day without his siblings Rottweiler Hannah and Pitbull mix J.P. All of...

Embry is a four year old Black Lab mix whose life revolves around mealtimes. In the evening, at about an hour or so before his owner...

“I don’t understand” exclaimed my client. “Mitzie’s tail was wagging when my guest came in, but then she bit him when he reached out to...

Airedale Mia wakes up each day a bit muddled. Her owner, you see, had a bad hair day on Wednesday. And last week, the car needed a $600...

As in, “think outside of.” Four year old Terrier mix Zac does not fit into the typical dog training box. Recently rehomed for the...

I confess I don’t always call my dogs, or my client’s dogs, by their given names. Buster, Bud, Buddy, Kins, Toddalicious, Mister, Mister...