A miscellany of thoughts about dogs, cats, writing, life in the Ozarks, & occasional book reviews
Our neighborhood has some serious Halloween fans and the yard decorations get bigger (and some might say scarier) every year. During our first year together, I discovered that Sasha was no fan of skeletons rising from the ground or ghostly wraiths swinging in the trees. She muttered past the tombstones propped in flower beds, skittered …
Continue reading Trick or Treat, Canine Style!
From flat-buckle to martingale collars and beyond to harnesses of all sorts--choosing the right equipment for your dog can be a real challenge! Before you go shopping, it's a good idea to know that the dog's breed, temperament, and strength (think "pull power") should influence your decision. You'll find an ongoing debate in the dog …
Continue reading The Collar Challenge
We've been working on our own version of the 'engage-disengage' game. (If you want the longer explanation with examples of the engage-disengage game, read my post titled Look at her now! ) Today, Sasha added her own twist. Once Sasha disengages from barking at an approaching dog, I verbally "click" and treat. Ironically, we haven't encountered many …
Continue reading Outsmarted by a Sheltie
When Sasha first came to us last year, she was terrified of loud noises (clickers at obedience class frightened her senseless), anxious around strangers (men in particular), had no leash skills to speak of, and tended to be very vocal around other dogs. And judging from the condition of her coat and skin, grooming was an unknown …
Continue reading Look at her now!
Like Deadly Ties, the first in the Waterside Kennels mystery series, there are multiple scenes in Dangerous Deeds (book 2) that were inspired by real events. One of those, previously described in the post There Came Along A Kitty, is the scene in which Maggie Porter’s dog Sweet Pea rescues an injured stray kitten she finds beneath the …
Continue reading For the love of a cat