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One of my favorite things about dogs is their ears—the fur on them is so silky and soft that they’re a go-to place for my fingers. Buddy’s ears are no exception and offer lots of petting real estate. He’s got a huge blocky head and large ears to match. I’ve heard that rubbing a dog’s ears is calming for them. I’m not sure it’s true because if it were, my dogs would be limp with relaxation with the amount of ear rubbing they get from me.If it isn’t calming for them, it’s certainly calming for me. As a little girl,...

WHAT WERE WE THINKING?! Sometimes I wonder what in the HELL we were thinking, adopting a 3rd dog and a rescue at that. He’s a bit of a sweet disaster. His separation anxiety is desperate to the point he watches Adam work or plants himself directly between Adam and the path to the truck to make sure he doesn’t get left behind. Lately he’s been sitting or sleeping in the back of the car in the driveway. For hours. When we do leave him at home uncrated, he creates a small mess each time. He started out by hauling Adam’s...

Brody sleeps in a crate at home - happily. He goes in ahead of the 6 bits of string cheese that he gets every night at bedtime. Murphy sleeps at home  on the floor beside his mama.All dogs that come to stay with me have full furniture privileges. When Brody’s folks went on vacation and Brody came to stay with me, I tried to coax him onto the bed, but he soon hopped off and wandered the house. Not great for my night’s sleep, so I returned him to his crate. When Murphy’s mama went on vacation, he immediately accepted...

“They’re really good friends, aren’t they?,” my mom asks. She could be asking about my kids and the answer would have be the same. She is watching Sugarplum and Buddy wrestle in the living room, having their nightly tussle.Sugarplum usually starts it by nipping at Buddy’s heels or gnawing on one of his big, black, silky ears or pawing at his head. Sisterly please-play-with-me requests. Sometimes it takes him a while to engage, especially if he’s busy chewing on a toy.But she’s nothing if not persistent. His lack of interest does not bother or deter her one bit. Buddy has...

We weren’t looking to adopt another dog. We already had two. But. In a dual error of planning neither were Labs. We’ve had Labs in our lives for twenty-six years until a year and a half ago when Janie, our black English Lab died at age fourteen. We branched out, curious to explore other breeds. Queso, a shepherd mix is whip smart and a bit stubborn. Sugarplum is a mix, breeds unknown, from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. She’s full of energy, always interested in playing. It’s been fun and interesting to see what other breeds are like...