Jack has anxiety. He’s afraid of other dogs, which if I let it get to me, is sad. He is excluded from the raucous dog club. He doesn’t sniff butts or tangle leases with his friends. Instead, he is visibly distressed when he is around other dogs. After lots of work, he is better. He…
Jack caught a squirrel. He has been watching them tightrope across the back fence, fling themselves from tree to rooftop and back again since we arrived one August afternoon. Jack tracks his audacious furry obsession from the window of my office. He attempts to outsmart them with a quiet approach and a sneak attack, only…
If I were a dog walker, I would keep sprouted mung beans in my bag. Maybe some bits of cooked chicken too. And one of those collapsible water bowls, just in case people let us down. I would live in a big city. The city of my childhood so I’d know all the nooks and…
There are beings in this life that make the journey easier. They provide companionship and quiet comfort without strings. They push you, mess you up, and leave hair everywhere. They only want the basics and you, just as you are, are always enough. Good energy, hard work, patience. Jack will be ten months on Wednesday. Life is…
This morning’s hike was a gift. It’s starting to get warmer here in the desert. We are already into the 80s and the 90s are mere days away. It’s the trade off for our wonderful winter. Yucky hot summers. I’ve been anticipating, taking all things that can melt out to my car in preparation. Summer is…
There’s Wait and then there’s Stay. According to Jack’s trainer, these two commands are very different. Wait means, “Hang on a minute and then I will ask you to come to me. There’s a sense of anxiety with wait, an anticipation.” Stay means, “Stay where you are and when I’m ready, I will come for you.…
Jack usually picks up a stick on his walk. It started on the first or second walk and now he does it most of the time. He finds a stick and carries it in his mouth all the way home. Sometimes it’s a little twig, other times it’s big and covered in growth or dirt. We…