I am later than I intended to be with getting this blog up. I have written it three times so far and have such mixed feelings with what I am writing. The reason for this is Kera. She has been in kidney failure since sometime during Merlin’s cancer treatment so it’s been at least fourRead more..

Exercise: it’s addictive and a serotonin increaser. So why is it one of the first things that we cut back on when stress rears its ugly head? Go figure. This is exactly when we should make sure that we stay on the exercise track. Maintaining sanity has its benefits, both for people and dogs.
WhenRead more..

Old dogs, that is. Yes, I have old dogs. Well, older at least. There, I have said it. It’s a hard thing to admit. It forces one to confront mortality. We convince ourselves that ten is the new seven. In a way, it’s true. Dogs are living much longer these days than in the past.Read more..

This first Christmas without Merlin weighs heavy on me. I am not sure whether my dogs feel the same but I suspect that they share a bit of my melancholy. One can never be sure so I aim to make their holiday as similar to past ones as I can.
I confess that I almost didn’tRead more..

It has been requested that I update this blog more frequently but more succinctly. So here I go, as told. But my compromise on that suggestion will be to write lengthier prose approximately once a month or so. This is not that once. This is my shorter observational update. I have been wracking my brainRead more..

‘Tis the season for food in abundance and celebration en masse. Platters are laden; counters and tables hold feasts not seen on a daily basis. Temptations are great for both man/woman and beast alike. It’s hard enough for humans to not partake in excess. Yet many people expect their dogs to ignore such delights completelyRead more..

This blog is probably going to upset some people I like and respect a lot, but the information that it contains needs to be more widely understood. So I will hope that while some may disagree with me, they will keep an open mind. Behavior is behavior is behavior, I always like to say.
StrongRead more..

I did not yet expect to find myself in this position, though some would say that I should not be surprised. Merlin was, after all, about to turn thirteen years old and he had been battling the worst of cancers, hemangiosarmcoma for over seven months. He had been beating the odds so I got aRead more..

Manners. The word has less meaning these days it seems but in the multiple dog household, establishing manners can mean the difference between chaos and calmness. Manners do not come without training. Especially in the multiple dog household. Spending some time instilling manners among your crew will not be time ill spent.
Manners and politenessRead more..

Having a multiple dog household is a wonderfully entertaining and rewarding way to live your life. But taking more than one dog to any given place can make even a seasoned multiple dog parent sigh with stress. But it can be done and it can be fun! I kid you not!
Some activities simply cry outRead more..