When I was on my way to rescue Finn, all I knew was that he was a puppy living in the barn because all the other dogs were attacking him. And I had this Hollywood vision of myself, a beacon of light shining behind me as I opened the barn door to save the poor… View more
One of my favorite sounds in the entire world is the sound of Gavin snoring. When I’m packing orders, and he’s stretched out on my bed, his sigh-warble-snort reminds me why I love what I do so much. If I’m on my laptop or enjoying an extra cup of coffee, he’s curled up next to… View more
When I still lived in Chicago a few years ago, I attended a yoga class in February. The instructor started class by offering gratitude for being on our mats. Then, she gave thanks for the gray day we had, saying that rather than grumble about the wet, cold, dark day, to look at the dreary clouds… View more
When problems arise, my natural tendency is to will and grit my way through a resolution, but I’ve been trying to approach life with more ease and grace this year, stumbling along the way, of course. It’s taken some time to get into a groove in our new kitchen, so our production has been lower… View more
One of the things I miss about training dogs or attending in-person events is meeting people who adore their dogs. There’s something so beautiful about connecting with a human being who I know, by looking in their eyes, even after only chatted for a few moments, that they’d bend over backward to give their dog(s)… View more
Last Friday, Gavin had his big quarterly appointment with his oncologist. I know I’m lucky that he loves people so much. It makes it easier for him to spend the day with kind, animal-loving people who want the same thing I want, to keep him as healthy as possible, given he’s had three surgeries to remove multiple mast… View more
When Gavin first came home with me, there’s nothing that would wake him from sleep. It took some adjusting. My Finn was always ready to save me from whatever I tripped on or dropped. And, while I knew in my soul that I was ready to love another dog, the habits ingrained in my heart for… View more
There’s a guy at our rent-by-the-hour kitchen who abhors me and my air compressor. I get it. The air compressor is loud, like El train loud. I’ve bribed other renters for kindly accepting the 15 total minutes it runs in the course of a kitchen day. Thankfully everyone who shares the kitchen has dogs so, a… View more
When there’s too much change, even the good kind, Gavin gets a stressy belly and becomes a full-on grass-munching moo-cow. I can usually prevent it by proactively playing his favorite games, running through fun training exercises, or pulling something from his arsenal of anxiety-reducing stuff (all approved or recommended by our trusted veterinarians.) But, despite… View more
It’s fairly easy for me to be 100% focused on Gavin on our walks. I love watching him bebop along, especially since we’ve worked really hard on his confidence amidst random dogs, lawnmowers, helicopters, and other unpredictable, scary things (to him). And, there’s always this moment for me when we arrive at the park’s entrance… View more
