Search Results for: blog happy lallyversary

Happy Lallyversary!

I don’t know my dogs’ birthdays, so I celebrate their anniversaries — the days they came to join my pack. Yesterday was my Lally’s third anniversary; I adopted this little boxer/shar-pei mix on September 13, 2003. We didn’t go too crazy with the celebrations. Her three favorite things in the world are: playing ball, chicken, and being with me. So yesterday involved all three. Lally and Moose got a little bit of roasted chicken mixed in with breakfast and dinner. Miss Lally Bee and I spent plenty of time playing ball in the yard. And when I did have to … Continue reading →

Wipey Feet

My dog Lally does a funny little dance after she goes to the bathroom. She scrapes her back feet against the grass: right, right, left, left. I call it “wipey feet” (as opposed to Happy Feet, I guess). The topic came up in one of the dog lover sites I frequent, and nobody had a definitive answer. Why do some dogs wipe their feet after they piddle or poop? No expert in wipe-ology came forward to solve the mystery. All we could do was make some educated guesses. Some folks thought it might be similar to a cat burying messes … Continue reading →

Teach Your Dog How to Dance

If your dog likes to jump up, you may find it easy to teach your dog how to dance! I’m currently working on this trick with my Lally — she is a boxer mix who lives up to the “boxer” part of her heritage. When someone comes to the door, she likes to jump up and “box” them in greeting. I’d love it if she only did that sort of thing on command! The advantage of dancing on command is that it becomes a replacement behavior for jumping up. Many dogs who learn to dance don’t end up putting as … Continue reading →

Six Reasons Why You’ll Never Regret Adopting a Dog

Photo by Bethan Hazell I happen to love my pound hound with my entire heart and soul. I know others, such as Aimee who rescued her Lally and Moose from shelters, also feel the same. Since October is Adopt-A-Shelter Dog Month, I thought I’d honor it by listing some reasons why adopting a dog will be the best decision you ever make. Reason #1: You’re Saving a Life Some shelters are no-kill, meaning the animals will stay there until the right home is found for them. But most shelters only have limited resources –space, food, and money. That forces them … Continue reading →

Lally’s Neck Sore And…

Here’s an update on Lally and her mysterious neck sore. It wasn’t a cut or puncture from her adventures in the bushes. It wasn’t a sore from collar friction, either. Our wonderful new vet checked Lally out and found… an ear infection. Both ears have a bacterial infection. The sore was either caused by too much scratching — trying to itch the ear and irritating the neck — or from wandering bacteria from the ear. Either way, Lally has a hot spot about the size of a quarter on her neck. The folks at the vet clinic shaved away all … Continue reading →

How To Be A Good Neighbor

Apartment living means we have to be a lot more considerate about our neighbors. Not that this is a big surprise to me; it’s just an adjustment. Moose, Lally, and I spent the last three years living in a house with a huge yard and now we’re living in an apartment with no yard and lots of people close by. So what makes a good neighbor? Friendliness, for sure — I’m in a totally new area and while I knew some people before I moved, I don’t know anybody here at the apartment complex. We’ve made friends with another dog … Continue reading →

Greeting Rituals

Pets are generally creatures of habit. Dogs and cats especially love routine. My girl dog Lally insists on a welcoming game of ball — regardless of where I’ve gone and how long I’ve been out. We absolutely must go into the yard and play ball, even if it’s just a few fetches. If I don’t go outside with her, she pesters me until I relent, or at least toss the ball down the hall a few times. My friend Marta’s dog Merlin (who you may remember from her unusual separation anxiety issues) runs off to find a favorite toy or … Continue reading →

Are You Not Your Pet’s Favorite Person?

Don’t take this the wrong way. I love my dogs and my dogs love me. But my girl dog Lally goes absolutely CRAZY when my father comes over. He shows up at the door and it’s like I’m invisible. She sniffs him all over and “boxes” him in joy. Hey, she’s half boxer after all! In Lally’s eyes, there’s nobody she’s happier to see than my dad. And I know it’s not that she doesn’t love me. She’s my baby girl! But sometimes there’s just That Special Person out there that your pet goes crazy for. I get to be … Continue reading →