We've got company

Meet Scout, a true to her breed, feisty, alert, peppy, fearless, high energy Schipperke. No, she is not a new addition (Ben cheers), but rather a frequent guest. Long considered a member of our extended pack, Scout will soon be relocating North to Massachusetts. After this stay, we’re not sure when we’ll see Scout again, so we are sure to take advantage while she is here!

Travels with dogs

My dogs are 10 years old this year. I hate to admit it, but it was only in the last several years that I have come to know the joys of going on vacation and bringing my dogs with me. I know, I know, what took me so long? Let's not dwell in the past! We've been making some getaway plans for Summer and Fall and I'm all amped to get outta the office and take the pups.

Are you like me... Do you have your dog stuff all packed and ready to go before you tend to your own stuff?

Molly is a great car traveler, mostly awake, but relaxed. Ben on the otherhand, sits upright and is super anxious, panting heavily and drooling for the entire journey... it could be for 5 minutes or 5 hours. I made the mistake of tucking my sleeping bag once behind the drivers seat to extend the bench in the backseat for the dogs. Upon unloading, I discovered a wet sleeping bag. It worked great as a slobber soaker upper! I've tried herbal calming pills and sprays on Ben to no avail. Long walks and vigorous activity before employing the troops to the truck doesn't make a difference with Ben. I take them with me all the time on errands, the local parks, visiting friends, etc. so it's not as if the only time Ben gets in the car is to go to the vet.

To test it's effects, I did give an herbal pill to Molly... it worked on her great! She was practically comatose for 4 hours! Sorry Molly!

I'm all about positive thinking and employing good energetics with my dogs, but his car travel anxiety is something I have yet to work with him successfully on. I guess for him, it's not about the journey ("Are we THERE yet?"), it's all about the destination.

Ah, the destinations. Private stretches of beaches. Serpentine trails. Open meadows. The countryside, the quiet. Bubbling creeks and that most wonderful smell when you are deep into the woods. And the dogs freakin love every second of it. They don't walk where they are going, they trot, they gallop, hell they are practically skipping. You try and skip and see if you can keep a negative thought in your mind. Impossible, yes? Those dogs, they got the right idea! For me, they are the ideal travel buddies!

Office Dogs

Office dogs are great aren’t they? At my first job, Molly charmed the heck out of my co-workers. I had just adopted her a few days before and wanted everyone to meet her. From that day on, every workday for 3 years at this company, Molly came to work with me. In fact, she came to work even when I didn’t! If I was out sick or had doc appointments, a coworker would offer to come by and pick Molly up so she could still come to work. We were all dog people. And Molly was a great office dog.

In case you were wondering, Ben used to come to the office a lot as a youngster, pre- Molly. Ben was… let’s say… higher maintenance. He was welcome to visit on Fridays during yappy hour!

At my second job, Molly too soon became the office dog. Fast forward to today, my 4th job… I still have an office dog, in fact, I have two. I run my own business, and work from an office at home. Ben and Molly are with me everyday.

What better way to relieve some stress than to go outside and play… with dogs! Or go for a walk with dogs, always so eager, tail waggin, head high, happy “to be”… it can’t help but rub off on ya. Or just petting a dog... seriously... petting a dog! Studies show petting a dog can reduce stress and anxiety. Don’t quote me on that, but I know I did read that from a source with credibility.

Not too long ago, I had my appointment with my accountant to do the tax thing. I really like my tax lady but you can’t help but be nervous at these things! To my surprise, what greeted me at the door? A lovely black lab named Petey! Good lookin' Petey! In the end, my appointment did go really well, my paperwork was organized, my quarterly tax payments were in check, I was getting the $ from the stimulus rebate program and I didn’t end up owing gazillions of dollars to the IRS and… AND did I tell you? There was this cool black dog curled up next to me, with his chin in my lap the whole time.

Office dogs are great.