Category Archives: fitness

How to walk a “normal” dog

Things that have happened during my recent mellow meanderings with Mia: 1. A loose dog ran down the middle of a busy street toward us. We crossed the street to see if he had a tag on his collar, but he did not. We walked with him up a cul de sac where we foundContinue reading “How to walk a “normal” dog”

Exercising a Dog’s Mind

John Pilley uses old-school psychology to train his border collie in Chaser: Unlocking the Genius of the Dog Who Knows a Thousand Words, co-authored with Hilary Hinzmann. What a coincidence that the methods he uses, based on his experience as a professor of human psychology, look a lot like force-free dog training! With one exception: LikeContinue reading “Exercising a Dog’s Mind”

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?”

Separate Walks

Remember how eight months ago I vowed that I was going to conquer Leo’s bicycle reactivity? Well, I’ve finally started cracking down on that. All spring and summer, it felt like enough to let the dogs run around the backyard and take them for the occasional romp at the off-leash park. But as the weatherContinue reading “Separate Walks”

Taking Wonder with a twist of Danger

During a recent martial arts class, Rob asked his students whether they saw the world as a dangerous place with moments of wonder, or a wondrous place with moments of danger. Definitely a wondrous place, I thought. Then I considered my writing and realized that to move the action forward in my novel, I needContinue reading “Taking Wonder with a twist of Danger”

How to sabotage the Skinny Rules: Holiday Edition

Make excellent choices. Breakfast: Oatmeal with greek yogurt and flax seed. Lunch: Salad with grilled salmon Dinner: Grilled fish, salad, grilled zucchini Surprisingly, I found it easy enough to observe Bob Harper’s Skinny Rules at meals over the holidays. At the Fish Grill in Brentwood, I even opted for salad and zucchini instead of friesContinue reading “How to sabotage the Skinny Rules: Holiday Edition”

Beyond Oyster Dome

During the past few years, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m just not that outdoorsy. And that’s OK. Never mind that I live in the Northwest and that my friends and colleagues hike, kayak, climb rocks and sleep outside for fun. Sometimes I get to wade in rivers and brave the elementsContinue reading “Beyond Oyster Dome”