For the Love of Dog

Have you ever heard the words ‘good job’ after you’ve done something particularly well? Two one-syllable words—not hard to pronounce nor to understand their meaning, yet they pack a powerful punch. Good job. That simple phrase is capable of inciting esteem, good will...

The Colfax Marathon is an annual event that encompasses many races and every imaginable level of fitness. The event I participated in a couple weeks ago was the 5K—my first—where most participants walked, including yours truly. This 5K event follows a 3.1-mile loop...

With Memorial Day coming up on the 27th, I’d like to point out how important dogs are to every branch of military service. Even if a specific canine doesn’t have an official role in the military (although some do), one home video of a human reuniting with his or her...

If you give a dog a cookie, it is unlikely to end there. The dog doesn’t just give you a ‘thank you’ look and trot away, at least not for good. Chances are, he’ll want another, and he’ll pester you for more. You might have the willpower to resist those begging eyes,...

If you’re a sports fan, you know that March Madness refers to college basketball, but it always brings to my mind the shaking off of deep winter and looking ahead to springtime. There could be a mania to that state of mind—an eagerness to get on with it that results...

You know how exciting it is when you have a new place to live? First, there’s all the anticipation of finding just the right spot; then there’s the logistics of packing—much in the way of discarding things that won’t do in the new place. Your soundtrack is the sound...

Imagine you’re a dog. Humor me on this for a moment or two. Shed your human traits and reimagine yourself as a dog—any breed or size you wish. Maybe you picture yourself as a small, fluffy, pampered Pomeranian-type, or a lumbering Saint Bernard, big as a sofa. Now,...

It’s an undisputed fact that the holiday season is a busy time of year. All the decorating and making merry results in a household chaos that seems to change daily, which begs the question: What does the family dog think of all this? In my house, as the Christmas tree...

Amidst the hubbub of meal prep for Thanksgiving, aka food coma day, you may temporarily overlook the value of having a family dog, being busy and all. They like to be in the middle of all the action, so they are guaranteed to be underfoot, causing repeated shooing and...

I can’t get enough of dog videos and I’m sure I’m not alone. Nothing reduces me to a goofy grin quite like seeing a pup having the time of its life. I especially love the ones that show dogs commandeering human toys. Skateboards, surfboards, trampolines—none are off...