John and I are spending some time cleaning the leaves from the outside plants that are now living in our living room for the colder months. I take a cloth with some water and I wipe off some white residue that stubbornly returns to the leaves even after we have sprayed them with some benign…
We can all agree that taking a walk or a stroll with our dog is one of the healthiest ways of spending some quality time with our four-legged friend. Not only do walks increase our health by keeping us on the move but, it can also have a very positive impact on managing stress. I,…
I am at my client’s and we are talking about how her tiny Chihuahua pup loves chewing on deer antlers – the ones made especially for dogs. “Good, good, I tell her, it is great that Katie enjoys these so much! The point I am trying to make is that giving dogs something to chew…
I am exercising the dogs this morning and I notice that Rio is sort of inspecting the whippet (toy) instead of playing. We had to change toys because the last one basically tore away from the whippet. Now instead of playing by chasing the toy she is smelling and looking at it – perhaps making…
Giving the dogs food-dispensing toys early in the mornings is a nice way to get in some needed mental stimulation. Deuce thinks that every cool toy has his name written on it – actually carved onto it. He can express his preference for certain toys, like the wobbling pin for example, by chiming in with…
I hear the trainer telling attendees about his concept of “Horsenality” on a recent TV program that I am watching. He is referring to “Horsenality” as in the horse having a personality. I get it. Anyone that has spent time with an animal can attest to the fact that they are indeed individuals. However, what…
Deuce is almost flying as he’s catching the Frisbee that I throw for him while Rio takes the ‘Hound’ approach. She is strolling around the area where we are just sniffing the ground in high hopes of finding a forgotten treat from a past session. I decide to ignore her and just concentrate on Deuce…
The dogs and I are playing our usual soccer game in the morning. I see Rio turn towards Deuce, as they both are trying to get to the orange ball, and she playfully grabs his tail in her mouth and gives it a tug. Deuce’s focus is on the ball and potentially landing so he’s…
I am reading a trade journal where I am learning about Brambell’s Five Freedoms, a program that originated in Great Britain to assess the welfare of livestock raised in factory farms. Later, the British government established the Farm Animal Welfare Council to define the “freedoms”. The freedoms addressed are: Wow! Imagine if we actually treated…
