Bedroom Eyes

Her life was okay. Sometimes she wished she were sleeping with the right man instead of with her dog, but she never felt she was sleeping with the wrong dog.

~

 Judith Collas, from Change of Life

On Dogs, Dating and Heartbreak

Because they have always been an integral part of my life, dogs have always inhabited the spaces around, in between, and in the absence of relationships. My decision to foster fail with Boca was in no small part because my long term relationship ended shortly after she arrived from her tropical island, and I couldn't bear another goodbye. In those days she spent a lot of time laying directly on my chest - a balm to my heartache - something she rarely does anymore. Make of that what you will...

A Walk in the Woods

Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.

~

Rachel Carson 

Grasstronauts

A blade of grass is the journeywork of the stars.

~

Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass

A Kid Needs to Pet a Strange Dog Like a Reactive Dog Needs a Bicycle

Last week I had the funniest incident to date involving a child wishing to pet my dogs but it also brings up something serious: dog bite prevention. Kids are cute, dogs are cute, together they are cuteness squared, but that temptation to capture the perfect picture or upload the next viral video often overrides good judgment. Children are the most at risk of dog bites, and it is up to us as responsible owners to mitigate that risk. One of the easiest ways to do so is not to allow random kids to pet our dogs if we have the slightest hesitation about how they might handle it. 

Sugar and Spice

I know there is strength in the differences between us. I know there is comfort, where we overlap.
~

Ani DiFranco

I loved being on the road with Boca, but I was so happy to be reunited with Ruby, the wild to her calm, the snap to her ginger, the other half of my heart. These two are the perfect balance of tart and sweet and by the way, did you know they have their own signature tea, with 5% of sales donated to Paws on the Ground Colorado? 

Positive Reinforcement at BlogPaws

I have so many stories and pictures to share from BlogPaws, which was fun, educational, exhausting and amazing all at once. My trip was generously sponsored by Open Farm, and Boca and I even got to meet our wonderful contact, Amy, in Phoenix. For this week's Positive Pet Training Blog Hop, I wanted to illuminate how positive reinforcement helped make Boca's first big event in a strange, chaotic place a success.