I am an indifferent cook; and as a result, I prepare indifferent meals. Although I can remember the smell of fresh baked Parker House rolls straight out of the oven, and my mouth waters as I recall how they tasted slathered all over with butter, I cannot replicate that memory in real life. My mother was a gifted cook who seemed able to whip up supper from scratch after she got home from teaching school all day. My oldest brother was interested in cooking, and he convinced the cooking teacher at high school that boys needed to learn to cook...
0301/2022January 3, 2022
Why Cooked Bones are Unsafe for Dogs
Don't even attempt a raw food diet until you have educated yourself thoroughly
or you will have disastrous results!
2712/2021December 29, 2021
Decisions to Make when Buying a Dog
There are many articles on-line giving advice on the do’s and don’ts of buying a puppy. I wonder how many people actually read these articles before buying a dog. Some of them can be found here, here, here and here. Buying a dog is the beginning of an investment in time, money, commitment, and relationship. It is as easy and convenient as going to the pet store and picking out the cutest puppy or reading the newspaper ads and picking the cheapest. But is this the best way to buy an animal who may live with you for the next...
1912/2021December 19, 2021
At a Dog Show: What does Conformation Mean and How is it Judged?
Going to a dog show can be fun. It can also be confusing. Just what is going on in the ring? Why does the judge make the dogs run around the ring? Why does the judge make the dog run back and forth to and from the judge? Why does the judge run his hands over each dog, open its mouth (to see if the dog has all its teeth) and check for temperament? (Temperament testing in this case is a simple method of noticing whether a dog backs away, bares it’s teeth, cringes, lays back its ears, snarls, growls...
1512/2021December 15, 2021
What to Expect at a Dog Show: A Beginners Guide
Dog shows are a good place to go on the weekend. It’s an inexpensive family outing without violence or nudity. It has all the hustle and bustle of a circus; and like a circus there is a lot going on all at the same time. Also, like a circus, each day is a completely new show. A dog show can last from one to three days usually over a weekend.The umbrella term “dog show” refers to the entire weekend event consisting of one complete dog show per day beginning with class dogs and ending with best in show at the...
1112/2021December 11, 2021
A Tribute to my Friend, Doris Rossini
A tribute to a kind and generous woman. Doris Rossini. May she rest in peace.
0212/2021December 2, 2021
Poor Santa’s Dilemma
The following poem is a guest post by Barbara Sheerin ‘Twas the night before Christmas, Santa’s a wreck; Living in a world – politically correct . . . No longer calling his employees — his “Elves” “Vertically challenged” they are stocking his shelves. Equal opportunity, it’s perfectly clear, He had to stop using “just” tiny reindeer. Dasher, Dancer, Comet, sweet little Cupid Replaced by four pigs (which really looked stupid) Half his reindeer now gone – – along with his wife Who had quite enough of his strange little life. She joined a self-help group, caught on...
1211/2021November 12, 2021
The Difference between Punishment and Correction in Dog Training
Dogs learn in much the same way humans learn. They respond to praise and encouragement much more readily than they do to punishment. Punishing a dog The basic idea of punishment is to inflict pain to try to get a dog to do what you want it to do. Punishing a dog, like punishing a child, is more of a reflection of the person doing the punishing. It also reflects an underlying belief that pain is the best way to change behavior. It is based on a strong desire to control and provides an emotional outlet for irritation, frustration and...
0911/2021November 9, 2021
How to teach your dog to walk backward
Teaching a dog to walk backward is important for competing in the Rally Excellent obedience trials. One station requires the pair to walk three steps backward with the dog off-leash in the heel position. Since Rally Excellent exercises are based upon all the exercises learned in Rally Novice and Rally Advanced, the handler and dog should now work as a team. Walking backward, off-leash, with a dog, is not as difficult as it sounds. At this point in obedience training, the dog has learned the heel position and will stay on the left side. All it takes is to let...
0311/2021November 3, 2021
What is the difference between storytelling and writing?
What is the difference between storytelling and writing? Libraries often host a story hour for children which features an adult reading a story from a book. Story hours focus on reading and hearing, not on the writing. In the same way, audiobooks focus on the story being read. They do not involve the listener with how the book looks–either in the inside or the outside-and do not care about punctuation or spacing. All the listener cares about is the story as told by the narrator. The writer and the reader have entirely different issues. Readers of books and articles don’t...