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Saddle Up & Move ‘Em Out
Each morning before our walk I get Willie into a harness. I do this so I can attach his lead to the harness rings between his shoulder blades – an alternative to attaching it to his collar, which would put stress on his neck. We’ve been through a few different harnesses; he hated the one
Category: Dog
Bad Dog
We came home tonight after our Ulster County Beekeepers Association meeting to find the kitchen floor around Willie’s crate completely surrounded by fluffy green poly-fil. He had ripped open the base of his gray fleece-covered doggie bed, pulled out all the stuffing, then somehow managed to push all the stuffing out through the bars of
Category: Dog
Puppy Love
Everyone loves puppies. They’re fuzzy and adorable little babies, and their size and vulnerability and cuteness prompt powerful instincts to protect and care for them. And to get out of bed in the middle of the night because they’re whining. And to cover our floors with wee-wee pads and clean up their accidents. And to
Category: Dog
Turkeys In The Straw
A flock of wild turkeys regularly makes its way across the west side of our property, traveling south each morning through the trees toward Saddleback Ridge, then, casting long shadows in the glow of the late afternoon light, they travel back again, heading north into our neighbor Jody’s yard and beyond. When I step outside
Category: Dog
Doggie Doctor
Willie has hiccups. He seems slightly alarmed and confused about this; each little urp makes his ears flop, and each time he hiccups he spins his head around to look at me. Did you do that? This happens to be the morning of our first trip to our local vet; Willie’s getting his first exam
Category: Dog
Lions and Tigers and Bears!
Yesterday Richard and I brought Willie along on a site visit to the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck in preparation for the upcoming Country Living Fair. Streams of melt water from the remaining piles of snow ran toward the drains as Andy, the site manager, led us and the rest of the show production team
Category: Dog
A World of Turds
I never noticed before just how many turds cover the face of the earth, but my dog Willie seeks out every one. By some mysterious criteria known only to Willie, the turds divide themselves into three categories: turds to sniff, turds to roll in, or turds to eat. On our twice-daily walks I have now
Category: Dog
GQ Doggie
Chad, the fit and burly owner of my gym has not stopped ribbing me about Willie’s size — a running joke that I have sacrificed or somehow compromised my masculinity by choosing a small dog. And since it’s actually Chad’s job to challenge me, it seems natural that our conversations during my training sessions sometimes
Category: Dog
New Routine
The sun is coming up, and though I’m am early riser, it is not my habit to leave the house at this hour – especially when it’s 27 degrees. Still, here I am lacing up my shoes to go for another brisk, 30-minute pre-breakfast walk with my new dog. That brown-eyed, ten-pound creature
Category: Dog
Anticipation
After nearly two weeks on the road – some of it work, some of it pleasure – this morning Richard and I are departing Savannah and heading for home. Bubbles began his journey home today, too; I check my watch and imagine that by now Rescue Road Trips has picked up from Keri, his “foster
Category: Dog