Nobody’s perfect

So, just in case you think I’m trying to give the impression that Gus is perfect, I thought it was time to set things straight.  He is actually perfect; perfectly normal, as this little story will show. This morning we were out in the field as usual, and I recognized a familiar face in the [...]

Letting go

So, here we are in Cleveland.  We drove in Wednesday night after taking Gus across the street to stay with our good friend Wendi and her family.  It may be hard to believe, but in three and a half years, this is the first time the whole family has gone away together and left Gus [...]

A walk in the fresh air always makes everything better

You know how it goes.  Take a little basic stress, add in some normal family dynamics; sprinkle with a few messy teenage bedrooms and some laundry pile-ups; season with a pending departure for a few days out of town, and what do you have?  The recipe for a perfect batch of family squabbling! We are [...]

What goes around comes around

So, here’s the story: Several times over the last few months, Gus and I have encountered Fido (names have been changed to protect privacy) and his owner on our morning walks.  The first time we met, I asked Fido’s owner if he was friendly.  “Oh yes,”  she replied.  So Fido and Gus did the requisite [...]

Communication is much more than simply words

“Come!”  “Sit”  “Paw”  “Leave it!” A dog’s life is full of the commands that we use in order to convey important information, and to elicit the behaviour we want from them.  Like most new dog owners, we devoted countless hours to practicing these simple commands with Gus when he was a puppy.  He, in turn, [...]

Surround yourself with the things that make you happy

Gus loves balls.  It’s that simple.  Tennis balls, rubber balls, soccer balls; it really doesn’t matter.  He loves to carry them in his mouth when he walks.  He loves to run and fetch a ball if you’ll throw it for him.  He even loves to lie on the floor with a ball in his mouth [...]

Warm Fuzzies

True wisdom means knowing that, on some days, the right thing to do is to just stop thinking about everything,  and relax with something warm and cozy. This little video is my treat for you all.  (Josh made it and posted it on Youtube the week that Gus joined our family) Thank you so much [...]

Keep your eyes on the prize

Ok, I’ll admit it.  In the three and a half years that we’ve had Gus, I have failed to pick up his poop twice. As a dog owner and a neighbourhood dweller, I know that this is the ultimate sin.  No one wants to stumble upon a little treasure in the grass, and frankly, it’s [...]

Always travel with your own sunshine

Gus has the ability to light up any place.  His amazing disposition is a combination of unconditional love, puppy-like spontaneity and unbridled enthusiasm.  Of course he always makes us happy, but we’ve witnessed the effect he has on other people time and time again  (see “small moments can have big impact”).  If he’s sitting in [...]

It’s been one of those days. . .

Had a really long and exhausting day today.  Too tired to even go into it.  Gonna go crash now.

Respect warning signs

An unusual thing happened today when Gus and I were walking.  We headed up to the big field where I often let him off leash for a run.  I unclipped him and jogged down the hill onto the field as I do every morning.  When I looked back to see if he was following, I [...]

Eat locally

The trend to eat locally grown food is a hot one this year.  We have been supporting it in several ways.  We are taking part in a community supported agriculture program through a fabulous local organic farm called The Cutting Veg.  I also try, whenever possible, to buy food that is locally grown, whether at [...]

Small moments can have big impact

Last night we went to the Unionville Jazz Festival.  The night was beautiful and warm – the kind we just haven’t had enough of this year.  We debated about whether to bring Gus along.  Unionville is a very dog-friendly district, but we knew it would be crowded, and it’s sometimes hard to navigate with 82 [...]

Kids need to get off-leash too

Every day when Gus and I head out on our walk we follow pretty much the same routine.  I don’t put the leash on him at the beginning, because we are right beside a huge park.  Gus first checks to see if I’m behind him, and then he runs into the park to check out [...]

Sometimes you just have to choose

So here’s how it goes.  Most days when we walk, Gus brings a ball along.  There’s always at least some part of our journey when we are in an open field.  I throw and he fetches for a while, and for the rest of the time he loves to carry his ball in his mouth.  [...]

A big smile and a sloppy kiss can work magic

Today was kind of aggravating.  Now, I really love the work I do teaching, and usually I come home tired but energized – sort of like after a performance.  Somehow today was different.   For whatever reason, my lectures seemed to really drag and I felt like Jerry Seinfeld on a bad night at the improv.  [...]

Use Your Nose

Did you know that a mid-August morning smells different than a mid-July morning? Every day when Gus and I head out for our walk, the first thing he does is to stop on the porch, lift his nose up in the air, and SMELL.  He uses his whole body; deeply breathing in the air and [...]

Hello world!

Things happen for a reason. I’ve always believed that, but now I’m sure.  We just came in from seeing Julie and Julia – a fabulous feel-good movie.  On the surface it’s about the true story of a woman who cooks her way through Julia Child’s cookbook in a year and blogs about it.  In reality [...]