forever friends

Welcoming Meadow

Welcoming Meadow:



Arriving home at 4am with the ghost weight of my dog gone flaccid in my arms after I said Yes to the needle, ending twelve hours of seizure, eleven years of companionship, just as I had said Yes to the nurse who removed the lone breathing tube keeping my mother alive, I drank myself to sleep, dreamed my dog crossed a meadow, smooth grassy stalks swaying lightly, seed heads anointing the ridge line of her back. In the sparkle of dawn, vague gray forms, her pack, rustled the underbrush around her.

The Benefits of Having Multiple Dogs

The Benefits of Having Multiple Dogs:



Having two dogs can be more than twice as much work as having one, and having three can require way more than three times as much effort. That pattern continues as the number of dogs increases. There’s no doubt that having a multi-dog household is a big undertaking, and yet many people can barely imagine having just one dog in their heart and home at the same time. They would miss scenes like the one to the left of an adorable dog pile.

Ultramarathon Pup Finally Comes Home

Ultramarathon Pup Finally Comes Home:



This summer, Australian ultramarathoner Dion Leonard was running through China's infamous Gobi desert when a stray pup started following him. The scruffy little dog turned out to be one tough cookie, joining Dion for four of the six day-long stages of the race, an astonishing 80 miles! Dion named the dog Gobi and they became inseparable. The pair slept together in camp and Dion started carrying Gobi over river crossings.

Paying it Forward

Paying it Forward:



Living in New York, I see a lot of homeless people on the streets with their pets. These animals play an important role in the lives of these marginalized men and women, providing a nonjudgemental relationship in a lonely world. You can imagine how devastating it would be to lose that bond. But that's exactly what happened to a man in Huntsville, Texas, who was fortunate to meet a woman willing to go the extra mile to help.

Here’s What Dogs See When They Watch Television

Here’s What Dogs See When They Watch Television:



Have you ever noticed your dog taking interest in something you are watching on the television? If so, you may have wondered what they might be thinking, or if they are even seeing the same things that we are, or in the same way that we are.

Art Exhibit For Dogs Encourages Owners To Play With Their Pups

Art Exhibit For Dogs Encourages Owners To Play With Their Pups:



 More Than insurance company commissioned British designer Dominic Wilcox to create a contemporary art exhibit for dogs. It is part of an ongoing effort by the company to improve the physical and mental health of dogs by encouraging people to play with them more.

8 Reasons It’s Better to Be a Dog Now than 25 Years Ago

8 Reasons It’s Better to Be a Dog Now than 25 Years Ago: Congratulate the canines in your household for showing up on earth at just the right time, because, compared to those who lived 25 years ago, today’s dogs have many advantages.

Dogs Help Us Be the Greatest Version of Ourselves

Dogs Help Us Be the Greatest Version of Ourselves:



Sometimes I feel like I’m falling short as a wife, a mother, a collaborator, a friend, a sister, a daughter or in any other role in my life. I’m not beating myself up over this because every day I fight the good fight and try very hard to do my best. I don’t live with constant guilt because I put in a solid effort, but I know in my heart that many times I don’t quite succeed to the degree that I want.

Bay Area Soldier Reunites With Puppy He Adopted In Iraq

Bay Area Soldier Reunites With Puppy He Adopted In Iraq:



A dog that comforted U.S. forces in Iraq arrived at San Francisco International Airport Thursday and reunited with his loyal Bay Area solider.

Mandatory Airport Potty Areas for Dogs

Mandatory Airport Potty Areas for Dogs:



Thanks to a federal regulation, all airports in the United States that service over 10,000 passengers per year will have a pet relief area in every terminal by this August. Many transportation hubs have added potty spaces in the last few years, but the looming deadline means many shiny new relief areas are popping up all over the country in 2016.

Swedish Restaurants Add Canine Menu

Swedish Restaurants Add Canine Menu:



Now that it's spring time in New York, I know I'll be seeing many dogs sitting by their families on outdoor restaurant patios. When I go with one of my pups, I'll give them a few bites from my dish or a roll from the bread basket. Many eateries welcome pets here, but only a few offer items specifically for them.

Dogs Take Over the Pilot Seat

Dogs Take Over the Pilot Seat:



Mark Vette, an animal behaviorist from New Zealand, who made a splash a few years back by training dogs to drive cars, has taken his skills to a new height and has now successfully trained dogs to not just co-pilot, but to actually pilot planes. As with his driving “dare” he has taken on this newest challenge to promote the talents and adoptability of shelter dogs, certainly a noble cause. You have to watch this video to see how successful, he and his team of trainers, were.

Disappearing Treats

Disappearing Treats:



Magician Jose Ahonen made treats disappear right in front of dogs’ noses. When I watched videos of his work, I saw dogs who understood that a treat had been there and that it MUST still be nearby. Their reactions made it clear that they knew the treat had gone missing.

Time Apart Can be Beneficial

Time Apart Can be Beneficial



 “I haven’t been more than 30 feet away from him in almost nine weeks!” That was my older son’s answer when I asked the kids why they were uncharacteristically cranky with each other. It was a fair answer because it was almost literally true. When we spent all of last summer in Europe, it was a lot of family time. Only my husband, whose work was the reason for our travels there, spent some time away from the rest of us.

The Health Benefits of Having a Dog

The Health Benefits of Having a Dog:



They are funny, uplifting and sometimes seem to understand us in a way no other human can. Science is continuing to prove that the animals in our lives offer us much more than companionship. Simply by sharing our homes, pets can help ease our distress and protect us from allergies. Specially trained dogs can even sniff out developing diseases and warn us away from foods we should not eat. Here is a list of ways in which having a dog around can affect your health for the better.

Coevolution of Humane-Dog Bonds- The Bark

Coevolution of Humane-Dog Bonds: How better to spend a chilly winter afternoon than gazing into a pair of warm canine eyes? As it turns out, there’s a perfectly rational reason to do so, one that also suggests how dogs became our “truest companions.”

Love Story by Patricia McConnell /The Bark

In 1992, I fell in love with a dog named Luke. I brought him home from a herding dog trial one chilly October evening, not sure whether I’d keep him, not sure I wanted another dog. A gangly adolescent, Luke had been a disappointment to his first owner, who reported that he wouldn’t come when called and had failed his first herding lessons. I’d had my eye on him ever since he was a pup, and had told the owner to let me know if she ever decided to sell him.

                                                        Love Story:

#JoinThePack: Rethinking the Big Bad Wolf.

 “‘Le loup retourne toujours au bois’—literally ‘The wolf always returns to the woods’—is an old French expression that means we always go back to our roots. At its most literal interpretation, the proverb pays tribute to decades of conservation efforts to reintroduce the wolf back to the American landscape.”  Ray Wan

#JoinThePack: Rethinking the Big Bad Wolf.: What better way to honor the wolf than with awesome, fun art? @Earthjustice @TheCreativeAct ask you to #JoinThePack!

amazing relationship

An Opossum Clung On To This Dog And Never Let Go. Wait Until Y...

An Opossum Clung On To This Dog And Never Let Go. Wait Until You See Them NOW!

Posted by Amazing on Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Household Additions The Bark

Household Additions: Maggie’s “Drop It” used to be perfect, making games of fetch effortless from the human side of things. However, today she was hesitant to let go of the tennis ball. Instead of putting it at my feet instantly, it look her anywhere from five to 30 seconds to release it, and sometimes she grabbed for it when she had just put it down. I wasn’t thrilled to see this change in her behavior, but neither was I surprised. A new puppy had just joined the family, and that can have all sorts of effects on other dogs’ behavior.

My Dog Is My : A Tribute To The Dogs We Love

Maternal Care of Puppies The Bark

Maternal Care of Puppies: “Tell me about your mother.” This phrases, so common in therapy, all but assumes that whatever is going on with someone can be traced back to the mother. Was she a good mother—attentive, patient, nurturing? Was she less than stellar—harsh, uncaring, neglectful? Whatever she does, you can bet her offspring’s behavior will be considered a result of her actions, and that doesn’t just mean in people. It’s old news that maternal care affects primates and rodents, but a new study investigated the phenomenon in dogs.

Cautious Canines The Bark

Great article

Cautious Canines The Bark

10 COMMANDMENTS FOR GUARDIANS OF FEARFUL DOGS

1. Be patient—it can take a long time for dogs to overcome their fears.

 2. Commit to helping your dog by putting in the time and effort to treat his fears.

 3. Don’t force your dog into situations that you know induce fear.

 4. Be open to the variety of techniques that may help your dog conquer his fears.

 5. Handle any relevant medical issues.

 6. Be gentle, positive and kind.

 7. Never use punishment.

 8. Protect your dog from scary situations.

 9. Accept that many fearful dogs never become gregarious, gowith- the-flow types.

 10. Love your dog for who he is.

Be Gentle: I know my dog is old | The Bark

Be Gentle: I know my dog is old | The Bark

VA needs to get with the program

VA Won't PA for PTSD Therapy Dogs

Conservation Dogs Sniff Out Endangered Species

Conservation Dogs Sniff Out Endangered Species | Sierra Club