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

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

On any given day, Pretzel is both a sweetheart and the terror of the neighborhood. Pretzel is a Cockapoo with two owners. One of Pretzel’s owners – let’s call her Debbie – adores Pretzel. The dog is in her lap whenever she sits down. Pretzel follows her throughout the house, even when she is in the bathroom. Debbie swears that she and Pretzel have a very special bond, that they communicate with each other without words, that they are soulmates. Pretzel’s other owner – Dave –

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

After spending some time recently at my local dog park, I have decided that there are lessons to be learned there. For example, contrast the arrival of a newcomer to a high school in any teen movie, say, Mean Girls, with the appearance of a newly arrived dog at the dog park. The new girl in school is usually scrutinized, avoided, and gossiped about. She is made into a pariah unless another teen, one who had been treated just as shabbily as she in the past, takes pity on her

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

Does your dog love going to the veterinarian, or dread it? For some dogs, the obligatory annual appointment is the equivalent of a stint of water boarding. Three-year-old Pointer mix Annabelle recognizes the veterinary clinic parking lot immediately. She engages the brake pads in her paws; her owner half-carries her to the door. Once inside, her nervous trembling causes her short hair to shed and drift throughout the waiting room. Her face is wide-eyed and terrified as she aw

Households with two or more dogs are more common than you think. Here’s the scenario I hear over and over: “We went to the breeder and there were only two puppies left. We had only planned to get one, and we picked out the one we wanted, but then the other one looked so sad to be left behind, so we took that one, too.” Uh-oh… This occurs so often that I’m beginning to wonder if breeders put two puppies in the pen and remove the other littermates to some other place while ther

Teddy, an eight-year-old Border Collie, has his owner well trained. When Teddy’s owner was between jobs, each morning the two would take a ride in the family pickup truck into town to get a coffee and a newspaper at the local Stewart’s shop. Now that Teddy’s owner has a job again, Teddy insists on the morning trip regardless of his owner’s new responsibilities. Here is the script for TEDDY: THE MOVIE: Cue light orchestral music that gradually swells with the appearance of the

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

There are two kinds of retiring dog owner. The first kind has an older dog that they adore. But they know that, when he passes, they have...

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...

I saw a car go by today with a woman driving, a small dog on her lap, his head out the open window. Dangerous and misguided as that may...

I’m at a lesson to help with a common dog problem. For demonstration purposes, one of the family members goes to the door and selects a...

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

JoJo is a Black Labrador puppy with enormous paws and disarmingly soft eyes. She also has the look of a canine about to burst into the...

The first thing you notice – if you are a dog person, of course – if you travel to any European city, is the exceedingly polite behavior...

Eleanor is a 5 year old German Shorthaired Pointer. Among her litany of unwanted behaviors – she’s an escape artist, a counter cruiser, a...

Everyone who has two dogs, raise your hand. Everyone who has two dogs AND walks each dog separately because one or both are terrible on...