Friendship

Tug of War: Jolene and I Ponder Our Options.

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I have a too-cute collection of plush dog toys Jolene thinks are silly and beneath her. I understand; I didn’t play with dolls when I was little. Most of my dogs don’t play ball either. They know it’s a game that always ends the same way. Where is the fun in that? Call it splitting … Read more

Jolene Has Lacey Bloomers

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Jolene is changing faster than the fall colors. It isn’t just that she’s grown lacey bloomers on her backside. Sometimes she’s elegant, alert, and just sizzling smart. Then she’s full-on tug-monster and bitey-face queen. Almost mature, with peaceful lap-sitting moments that exude Zen-like wisdom, and the next moment she’s running past you with the toilet … Read more

Not the Job I Want for Jolene

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Jolene tilts her head when she listens. Like Nipper, the phonograph-listening RCA dog, she focuses with intense concentration, adjusting her pointy ears like antennas. Jolene is so tuned into her environment that it’s the farthest thing from a game. Maybe it’s a girl-dog thing. Mister, bless his heart, has slept through Texas tornadoes, but nothing … Read more

Building Confidence: Scentwork With Jolene, Acknowledgment for Mister

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I don’t recognize this young dog of mine. She doesn’t care, except that I’m such an old fart. Here’s the catch-up: Two weeks ago, Jolene and I went to her first scentwork class. She listened to the instructor. The scent went into a steel bowl set in the middle of a space. She found it, … Read more

My Turn at the ER, Drs. Jolene and Mister Attending

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I’m fine. Two weeks ago, Jolene was in the emergency room, and this week it was my turn. But this is the deal. I’m not looking for sympathy. It’s Thursday, and I just want to tell a story. I’m a horse trainer who spent fifteen years writing about horses every Thursday night. Check my website … Read more

Reactive Dogs and Affirmative Peer Pressure

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    Ruby lives with my friend, Lara. We both have reactive dogs who exploded our lives around the same time. But do not feel one crumb of sympathy for us. We gazed at our dogs, besotted. Even though, and let’s be honest, they were not easy for normal people to love. Lara says, “I … Read more