Sit. Stay. Read.
obsessed with dogs
I forget how to do this part. I forget how to move forward without a dog under my feet. I forget how to plan a day without accounting for letting him in, letting him out, filling his bowl, refilling his water, walking, cuddling, brushing, all the things. Our beloved Cooper passed away peacefully at home …
A few weeks ago, we prepared to say goodbye to Cooper. That Friday morning, he woke up, picked at his breakfast, and went outside. He seemed slow. Off. A bit disoriented. Then, over the course of the morning, he declined swiftly. He couldn’t walk well, and he wobbled and fell when he tried. He became …
Fall reading is, in my opinion, the best reading. While summer gets all the hype (I mean, sure, reading at the beach is lovely), with fall reading you get a crackling fire, a steaming mug of tea, warm blankets, fuzzy socks, and a pile of pets who want nothing more than to snuggle as you …
A note before I begin, dear friends: If you’re at all squeamish about loss of backyard wildlife or circle-of-life stories, this one’s not for you. Come back another time or peruse this old, old post about gratitude for my quirky old dog. Cooper turned 13 this summer. The girls threw him a party, complete with …
Have you ever questioned something your vet told you? Have you ever wondered if your vet was the right person to educate you on a particular topic? Have you ever considered talking to another vet–either at the same practice or at another–about your pet’s diagnosis? If so, you’re not alone. In fact, seeking a second …
A few weeks ago, while stuck in a scroll-spiral, I stumbled across a discussion about wearing shoes inside the house. It wasn’t even about shoes inside. It was about laundry. In the post, the woman folded massive piles of kids’ clothing on her living room floor, and her comments section BLEW UP about having clothing …
Life can be hard. That’s true on a daily basis–paying bills, standing in line at the post office, dealing with angry or unreasonable people, remembering to move the 3 million moving parts it takes to get through a week of work/appointments/school/activities, whatever–and it’s true in more acute moments when you’re faced with a particularly difficult …
Sun’s out, fun’s out! As the days heat up, nothing beats jumping into a cool pool to chill out. Many dogs enjoy a dip, too, but, did you know an estimated 5,000 pets drown in family pools each year? You take precautions to keep your human family safe in the water, but pool safety for …
This post meanders, y’all. Feel free to come back another day if you don’t want a string of thoughts about Google, AI, dog training, and blogging. 🙂 Unless you’re someone who works online, you might have missed this big piece of news from Google: Google is going to begin using AI to change how it …
Yesterday, we decided to take the girls to a nearby park that recently reopened after significant renovations. It’s a wonderful space alongside the river. Trails cross through the wooded sections with boardwalks spanning the swampier bits. A covered area includes picnic tables and benches, a couple grills, and a little free library. There are bathrooms, …
The daffodils are blooming, the birds are chirping, and the sun is shining (or, it would be if it weren’t for all these April showers)! All those signs point to one thing: It’s spring cleaning season! Spring cleaning for pet parents requires a special kind of thoroughness that those without pets probably can’t even imagine. …
Did you know: An elephant’s skin measures an inch or inch and a half thick. Despite its thickness, an elephant’s skin is so sensitive, it can feel a fly land on its back. What does that have to do with dogs? Well, nothing, really. But it has an awful lot to do with writing about …
Our dogs are more than “just pets.” They’re family. They bring joy, comfort, and unconditional love into our lives every day. Whether they’re wagging their tails, licking our faces, or snuggling next to us on the couch, their affection is pure and heartwarming. Of course, they have little (no?) control over their lives. We decide …
Ten years ago this week, I stuck my final chemo needle into my belly, depressed the plunger, and burst into tears. I shoved the needle in my sharps box, and danced around Emmett, Lucas, and Cooper screaming, “I’m finished!” They thought I’d lost my mind… Eleven years ago this week, a doc told me that …
One of our family’s core values includes getting outside. Long walks in a quiet forest. Playing in a field. Stomping in a stream. Exploring and exercising. Breathing fresh air. And our dogs have always been an integral part of that outdoor experience. Now, closing in on Cooper’s thirteenth birthday, we find ourselves making accommodations and …
Newt, my sweet black cat with sparkling green eyes, turns 11 this year. How the time flies… According to the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP), cats reach middle-age at 7, become seniors at 11, and geriatric from 15 on. As Newt prepares to transition from mid-life to her senior years, I’ve been focusing on …
Hello, friends! If you’re landing here for the first time, we likely haven’t yet met. And knowing who I am is important in the context of this post. (BTW, I’d love to meet YOU, too, if you’d like to intro yourself and your family in the comments!) I’m Maggie, mom to Violet, age 5; Astrid, …
Who determines the value of a life in a desperate situation? When it comes to cats and dogs, sadly, so many find themselves at the mercy of the over-crowded, under-funded, exhausted shelter system. Shelters do their very best; I believe this to be absolutely true. Unfortunately, for high-need animals–those with severe injuries or illness–there aren’t …
I have to be honest: Writing about degenerative myelopathy in dogs (DM) isn’t at the top of my “fun to write” list. It doesn’t even appear on that list. I wish I didn’t have to write this post, but here we are. And it’s important. Why DM? For one thing, it’s a scary and overwhelming …
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! * insert all the leaf emojis and PSLs! * The air feels crisp. Everything smells like apple and pumpkin and bonfire. School busses putter down the street picking up kiddos with fresh haircuts and still-clean shoes. Cooper loves his long walks in the crunchy leaves, and it …
It’s that time of year again! Time to curl up by a crackling fire. Pour yourself a warm cup of tea (or glass of wine). Pull a dog or cat onto your lap. And settle into a good book. Ahhh, I love fall reading! When I think of seasonal reading, summer is always for light …
Do you love a pup with chronic stress who gets worked up often, or a chill guy who only stresses when it’s truly warranted? Everyone experiences stress. Stress helped keep our human ancestors and our dogs’ wolf ancestors alive. In fact, stress simply is a part of being alive. For each of us and for …
This just in: Dogs don’t come hardwired for human living! Okay, okay. It’s not “just in.” We should know this, but it seems to surprise a lot of well-meaning folks. Dogs simply don’t come to us knowing that we don’t want them to eat from the trash can (but it smells so good!) or dash …
If you are looking for tips on how to give a dog a pill, chances are you have a pill ninja for a pup. Otherwise, you’d just lift your dog’s lip, open his jaw, drop the pill in, and move on, right? That’s how the vet tech demos giving your dog a pill. That’s how …
