About


I started Rubicon Days as a way to chronicle my experience with a challenging dog, and I have met so many incredible bloggers, pet parents and brand representatives along the way. Rubicon Days has become much more than a reactive dog diary, especially with the addition of my second dog, Boca, who has inspired me to learn more about street dogs and international rescue. I write here to curate memories of my two delightful girls, advocate for rescue and other dog-related causes I believe in wholeheartedly, connect with fellow animal lovers and to share information about positive, reward-based training, quality products and providing my dogs with a wonderful life through knowing better and doing better.

My mom named me Lara after the character in  Dr. Zhivago.  My middle name, Elizabeth - along with my love for animals - is a family legacy. My first dog was an Airedale mix named Poppy and as an only child she was a constant companion to me. I grew up with all sorts of pets, from hermit crabs to rabbits. I'm a Colorado native, having spent my childhood in the Four Corners area, my college years in Fort Collins, and the past sixteen years in Denver. I studied equine science in college and worked in the horse industry for several years. Dogs and writing have always been a huge part of my life, alongside horses, music and travel. My poetry has been published in literary journals and an anthology of horse poems. I am an advocate for animal welfare, rescue and adoption. Here are a few of my personal favorite posts:



 

Ruby Pearl is a seven-year-old little firecracker who was pulled from a high-kill shelter in Arkansas and transported to a small rescue group in Colorado, where she lived in a foster home for one week before I saw her irresistible mug shot on Petfinder in August of 2013.  I was captivated by her unique markings, her enormous ears and the trouble-making glint in her eye.

One of the first things I did was get her DNA-tested, which resulted in two breeds with a high confidence level (around 1/4 each): Border Collie and Jack Russell Terrier.  I then learned that the "Border Jack" is a deliberate hybrid, bred primarily for Flyball. Knowing the high energy and experience that these breeds demand, it is probably not a mix I would have selected on purpose, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I didn't know I could a dog as fiercely as I love Ruby. Her intelligence astounds me, and even when I am not actively training, she picks things up more quickly than I think possible. She is a challenge and a joy, and I'm so happy that she found her way to me. Here are some of my favorite posts about Ruby:





I adopted Boca (fka Lydia) officially in May of 2014 after she had been with me for three weeks. I had been intending to take in an American Eskimo to foster - in part because I did not want a small, fluffy, white dog - when Ruby's rescue group put out a plea for foster homes. They were hoping to bring back several Bahamian potcake dogs from a recent spay/neuter campaign in the islands. There were about a dozen dogs that were earmarked for the United States. Boca had been living at the Humane Society of Grand Bahamas for nearly a year after being trapped as an emaciated stray with a litter of puppies that were lost.  It was a good indication that I was setting myself up for "failure" when I picked one with the same ginger and white coloration as Ruby, mainly because she was smaller and I liked her smile.

After much deliberation and even trying to choose a name I didn't like too much, I decided to call her Boca because of the way her mouth is prominently highlighted in black and white and her tendency to be hilariously vocal. Initial shyness soon melted away and Boca quickly made herself an undeniable member of the family. I felt immediately blue when her ad went up on Petfinder and knew that she was already home. She is patient and motherly with Ruby and has a calm nature indicative of a laid-back island girl.  Having been a two-dog household for nearly a decade, I am delighted to once again be able to say "my girls." Here are some of my favorite posts about Boca:
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