Fearful Dogs
Not All Working Dogs Have Job Titles
Jessie was scheduled for euthanasia as a “behavior problem”–a separation anxiety nutcase, a house destroyer, a crazy bag of bones abandoned. He came to me for behavioral rehab. His intelligence, sensitivity, and 100% reliability with all other animals and humans of all ages was almost missed–until he graciously showed me what he needed. I understood…
Read MoreSome Dogs
Some dogs don’t move you to poetry. Some dogs quietly, slowly, meld themselves into literature’s prose; not flowery, not romantic, not shiny. Jessie was a dog who grew slowly into a soul mate. He arrived frantic, anxious—a house destroyer, a wreck of rejection, an abandoned teenager who had lost everything he knew in a dog’s…
Read MoreBailey’s Hills
I almost made it to Bailey’s hills today. I had hip revision surgery six weeks ago and each day I challenge myself to walk farther, with longer strides and more challenging inclines. Just a week ago I was dependent on a friend’s walking sticks to keep my balance. The week before that, I walked with…
Read MoreBailey’s Disappearance
My fourteen-year-old Wheaten Terrier, Bailey, disappeared. Vanished. Melted into thin air. Somewhere in my own house. The panic that gurgled in the back of my brain wrestled with the logic that I knew she had fallen asleep on my bedroom floor last night. She was still there at 3:30 am when I roused for a…
Read MoreThe Story of Hurricane Katrina, The Disaster that Motivated the Book, “Hurricane Dog: A Tale of Betrayal, Redemption & Change”
In the early morning of August 29, 2005, Katrina struck New Orleans with the full force of a category five hurricane. The violent storm battered the city and the surrounding levee system, causing it to break within hours. Sea water poured onto the streets, flooding 80% of the city within two days. The hurricane was…
Read MoreWhy I Wrote “Hurricane Dog: A Tale of Betrayal, Redemption & Change”
Hurricane Dog: A Tale of Betrayal, Redemption & Change is a middle-grade fictional story about one boy and his dog. Being forced to leave his beloved dog Gator behind when he is rescued during a hurricane, the boy Gavin finds meaning in his own life as he comes of age. The boy’s personal struggle and…
Read MoreNew Ways to Save Fearful Dogs Through Technology!
Exciting News! Dog lovers can now learn how to work with timid dogs whether they read or listen to Beyond Flight or Fight: A Compassionate Guide for Working with Fearful Dogs. Sight-challenged folks can glean the same knowledge as the fully-sighted; busy commuters can learn as they sit in traffic; dyslexic students can relax in…
Read MoreBeyond Flight or Fight: A Compassionate Guide for Working with Fearful Dogs is now available as an Audio-book!
My book, Beyond Flight or Fight: A Compassionate Guide for Working with Fearful Dogs, is now an audio-book! Download it for free with an Amazon Audible trial! I felt this market is overlooked in dog behavior/relationship resources. Not all people who love dogs can or do read, either in book or ebook formats. I once…
Read MoreTen Years of Extra Life for Jessie
Jessie had never been inside a house. He had never been alone or confined in a small box. He felt growing claustrophobia and was unable to cope with the new sensation of isolation. He panicked in the crate. It took him most of the day, but he managed to chew a hole through the hard…
Read MoreJessie’s Dorsal Laminectomy—Part Nine: First Days at Home
Day One: I became a “helicopter parent” on Jessie’s first day home. Although he mostly slept, I hovered, hoping to answer his every need. I had taken the day off work, even though I work out of my house. I did not want any distraction for myself or noise for him. I turned off my…
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