Tag: Life with Dogs
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Just Two: The New Reality for Empty Nest Couples
As an empty nest couple with no grandchildren, my husband and I are rediscovering the joy of being “just two” again. So when we agreed to watch our children’s dogs for the weekend while both sets of kids were out of town, I teased him that this would be low-key grandparent practice. Although all four…
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The Huge Boss, the Small Boss, and Dogs That Don’t Listen
Some days, I just want to be the huge boss Our family roles have been defined since my son’s preschool days. According to his 4-year-old reckoning, Dad is the huge boss and I am the small boss. Since this pronouncement happened over 20 years ago, I can only guess at the criteria my son…
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Becoming A Celebrity Canine Agent
Dog’s Stage Debut Makes Him a Canine Celebrity Our daughter’s dog Flame just made his stage debut in the fall musical at her college. At her request I brought him to the auditions, where he impressed the director and won the part. Since Flame lives at home while his mama resides in the dorm, it…
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The Dog Spoon
Don’t judge me by the utensils I use. The first time I met my prospective in-laws I really wanted to make a good impression. Instead, I scandalized them by using the wrong spoon. It wasn’t a breach of etiquette. I’m not some ditzy debutante who can’t navigate a formal place setting. I was helping prepare…
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Cat in a Dog Suit
Some dogs are cats in disguise There are definite differences between big dogs and little dogs. I have big dogs. They act like dogs. My sister has a small dog, Roxie, whom we met for the first time on a recent visit. She doesn’t act anything like my pooches. In fact, her personality is…
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Eighteen Kisses for the Dog
As a dog owner, I frequently find myself smooching my pooches. One of the best perks of dog ownership is the welcome that greets me when I get home. My dogs state their happiness in whines and wiggles as soon as I cross the threshold. They press close and rub against me, eyes bright…
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In Praise of the Squeaky Ball
Whoever invented the squeaky ball dog toy should either be revered or vilified; I haven’t determined which. Our dogs constantly inveigle us to play. They bring tug toys and rubber bones and set them in our laps, hoping to prompt a game of fetch. They crouch, bunch and wiggle to entice us to wrestle. And…
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Naughty Dog Deserves “I Told You So”
The Perils of Disobedience I do not ordinarily take pleasure in the misfortunes of others, nor do I gloat when I am proved right. With one exception. When a naughty dog of mine suffer the consequences of disobedience, I get to say, “I told you so.” Recently I supervised my dogs in an off-leash…
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Dog Breath and Coffee
What Gets You Up in the Morning? Dog breath and coffee. There cannot be two more dichotomous smells in the entire universe, and yet both have the ability to spring me from my bed each morning. In fact, they often work in tandem. Consider the scenario: the alarm clock rings and I reach for…