bringing your dog to work

Temple of the Dog

I recently had Lasik surgery.* Contact lenses had become really uncomfortable, so I preferred wearing glasses, but they interfered with my ability to take pictures using a DSLR. (Not to mention they got rained on and fogged up all the time.**) That’s one of the reasons I’ve been slacking on taking pics of my pups.Continue reading “Temple of the Dog”

6 ways to beat the winter blues

Last week I started experiencing some pretty textbook symptoms of the winter blues. After cheering myself up by buying not one but two new winter coats, I shared Mental Health Tip #1: Retail Therapy. The next day, I decided that watching Making a Murderer is doing nothing to help anyone’s Seasonal Affective Disorder, so thatContinue reading “6 ways to beat the winter blues”

E is for Every Day

Today’s post is doing double duty as part of the A to Z Challenge and the Positive Pet Training Blog Hop. E is for Every Day, which is how often we work with Leo on his leash reactivity. It’s quite easy, actually. We just take him for a walk. Even with the best of intentions,Continue reading “E is for Every Day”

Two shepherds in a hatchback

Could Isis have been a flying disc contender?

In the prologue for my book, Bark and Lunge, I describe Isis spinning and flipping while catching a soccer ball. She was partial to soccer balls, but reading Wallace: The Underdog Who Conquered a Sport, Saved a Marriage, and Championed Pit Bulls — One Flying Disc at a Time made me wonder if I couldContinue reading “Could Isis have been a flying disc contender?”

Packing for BarkWorld. What to wear?

I am queen of the convention circuit this year. Whether for fun (Emerald City ComiCon, Power-Con), work (Tribal Habitat Conference), enhancing my craft (Wild Mountain Memoir Retreat), or a blend of market-strategizing and craft-enhancing (PNWA). Next up is the social petworking conference BarkWorld! Sadly, Mia and Leo will not be joining us, but based onContinue reading “Packing for BarkWorld. What to wear?”

My “normal” dog

The magic of Mia is that I can take her anywhere. Truly. She doesn’t even need a leash; she sticks right by me. Even on a leash, she doesn’t bark and lunge at any of the usual suspects. My original plan for the Festival of the River was to take Mia with me both days,Continue reading “My “normal” dog”

Leo wants to do fun things, too

I have a T-shirt from Dog is Good that reads: “To my dog, this I promise you: I will love you unconditionally; for who you are, not who I’d like you to be. I will protect you and keep you safe. Always.” I love this sentiment so much that I bought the shirt despite theContinue reading “Leo wants to do fun things, too”

In the background: A freeway falls into the river

For the Weekly Photo Challenge: In the Background, I give you Interstate 5 collapsed into the Skagit River. Allow me to zoom out so you can see how close my old office used to be to this freeway. This bridge has been in the background of my life for the past 10 years. From late 2006Continue reading “In the background: A freeway falls into the river”

The Accidental Teacher Dog

Mia and I helped socialize an 11-month-old Great Dane today. Back when Leo was a puppy and needed lots of stimulation, I sometimes took him to a large ball field at lunchtime hoping to find like-minded dog parents with suitable playmates for him. We also took him to doggie socials on weekends, but since heContinue reading “The Accidental Teacher Dog”