Shannon Proudfoot of Canwest News Service reports that while plenty of people describe their pets as members of the family, a new study shows that for the most devoted dog owners, Fido outranks some two-legged loved ones.
Dog lovers report being as attached to their pooches on a series of standard relationship measures as they are to their mothers, siblings, best friends and significant others, and even closer to them than they are to their fathers. The most striking results came from those most attached to their pets, but even among a general sample of 111 college students living with dogs, people say they crave their dog’s company as much as some human family members. Continue reading Dog trumps dad in some families, study reveals→
The most important things in my life, not necessarily in order, are my family, my health, my work, my dog, my friends and my yoga. Yes, yoga. It keeps me in touch with my body and mind, slows down the aging process, and is just plain good for you. I heartily recommend it to everyone.
You may have noticed that I didn’t include the cat in my list. I guess he’s OK, but I’m afraid I’m just not a cat person. Or maybe it’s this cat. I dunno, but we just don’t see eye to eye. Nevertheless, I feed him twice a day, let him in when he wants in, let him out when he wants out, make sure his water dish is full, worry about him when there are coyotes around, and enjoy the absence of mice in the basement. So it goes.
Keep these 5 “P’s” in mind as you approach the job of housetraining your puppy… you’ll wonder why it used to be such a challenge.
Prediction: Learn to look for the signs… walking around with nose to the floor, just finished eating, just woke up, just finished playing, any other pattern you might notice.
Place: Pick a place where you want puppy to go and always take him/her there
Persistence: Do it regularly, without fail. Yes, it might be too hot, too cold, too windy, too wet, too early, too late… these are all LAME EXCUSES!
Patience: Wait until puppy has done her/his stuff… it may take a while. Relax, breathe some fresh air… it’ll do you some good.
Praise: When puppy has done her/his stuff, let puppy know s/he is the best puppy that ever lived… go a little crazy! Puppy won’t laugh at you for acting foolish, and it’ll really help puppy understand what you want. And remember, puppy’s great goal in life is to make you happy!
That’s it! 5 easy P’s! Prediction, Place, Persistence, Patience and Praise. And you’ll have a happy dog and a clean floor!
Are you really taking good care of your dog? Let’s not forget that they’re totally dependent on us for their food, shelter, health and well-being. We took them away from nature and made pets out of them, and in doing so, we let them forget how to survive on their own. Let’s never forget that a dog is like a little baby, needing us through their entire lives. Continue reading Best Friends→
About 25 years ago there was a wonderful series on public TV called All Creatures Great and Small based on the experiences of James Harriot, a country vet in the Yorkshire Dales in 1930’s England… a thoroughly enjoyable series of anecdotes of his relationships with his co-workers and his clients, a proud lot of very poor, extremely hard working farmers. I don’t recall anything on TV in years that can match it for genuine warmth and its testimony to how magnificent human nature can be.
I’ve been collecting dog quotations. Thought I’d share a few clever ones with you:
If dogs could talk it would take a lot of fun out of owning one. – Andy Rooney
You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, ‘My God, you’re right! I never would’ve thought of that!’ – Dave Barry
The great pleasure of a dog is that you make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, he will make a fool of himself too. – Samuel Butler
If you think dogs can’t count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then giving Fido only two of them. – Phil Pastoret
The more I see of men the more I like dogs. – Madame de Stael
Ever consider what dogs must think of us? I mean, here we come back from a grocery store with the most amazing haul — chicken, pork, half a cow. They must think we’re the greatest hunters on earth! – Anne Tyler
Don’t make the mistake of treating your dogs like humans, or they’ll treat you like dogs. – Martha Scott
There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. – Ben Williams
I’ve seen a look in dogs’ eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that dogs think humans are nuts. – John Steinbeck
All Dog, all the time! News, photos, reviews, guides and more.
Shannon Proudfoot of Canwest News Service reports that while plenty of people describe their pets as members of the family, a new study shows that for the most devoted dog owners, Fido outranks some two-legged loved ones.
I just love comic strips about dogs, don’t you?
