The Dog Blog

The other night for supper my husband cooked us some french toast and bacon. (MMmm it was good.) We noticed part way through his cooking that Jenny, our pug, was acting weird. Her tail was down and she was in the hallway sitting, looking towards the stove. She would not be called back into the living room area that is next to the kitchen. Then we remembered, she always acts scared when we cook bacon on the stove. Since we don't cook it that frequently it isn't something we automaticly think of as a trigger for her. She doesn't seem to have the same reaction to the kind we microwave, just when it's cooked on the stovetop. I'm thinking it is about the sound possibly coupled with the smell. She sure has no problem eating some of it if offered. (she is a huge chow hound, a typical pug trait)

My last and dearest wolf, Phantom, passed away last week. But rather than making this piece yet another eulogy, I’d like to share with you a bit of what it’s like to live with wolves.

Before I begin, you’re probably wondering why anyone would live with wolves—or have wolves living with them—in the first place. Some people get wolves as “pets” because they want a piece of the wild, or feel connected to wolves on a spiritual level. Some simply love them and want to share their lives with them. In my case, I had been working with a wolf and wolfdog (wolf hybrid) rescue for many years, and I fell in love with a big, black, green-eyed wolf named Phantom.

Your eyes said take me home that day, your tail wagged just for me
It was love at first sight, you know, and everyone could see
I loved your funny ears and face, and so right from the start
You nosed your way into my world and took hold of my heart.

Perfection on four paws you are, without you I’d be blue
But there’s one thing that I wonder, and I’d like to ask of you
And though I know you are my one complete and saving grace
I wonder what it was you licked just now, before you kissed my face.

I wonder what it was you licked before, the thought is killing me
Was it road kill on the street, or some dog’s urine on a tree?
Or before your tongue was on my face, had you just cleaned up your private place?
Please tell me what it was you licked just now, before you kissed my face.

I don’t know where I’d ever find a friend as true as you

“We’re Off and Running,” was the theme for the 15th annual APDT conference held in Louisville, Kentucky last week -- and what a conference it was!!

The conference opened with a parade of adorable puppies from Kentucky Humane and was followed by a most memorable keynote address by Robert M. Miller, DVM, on “The Revolution in Horsemanship.” Miller’s video footage showed the remarkable progress made in horse training over the past thirty years, clearly demonstrating the benefits of a gentle and patient approach in achieving a long-term relationship of trust with the horse. This training approach was especially poignant in his footage of working with wild mustangs. Miller impressed upon us that in past decades, millions of horses had given their lives to protect our country and that a kinder approach to training was the least we could do for them in honor of their service and sacrifice.