Woo hoo! Fish on! Reel 'er in!
Posts Tagged ‘A Small dog’
Retractable Leashes
Monday, June 22nd, 2009Play Silly with a Small Dog
Tuesday, March 24th, 2009“People tend to forget that play is serious.”
David Hockney, British painter“The opposite of play is not work. It’s depression.”
Brian Sutton-Smith, American folklorist“Play energizes us and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It renews our natural sense of optimism and opens us up to new possibilities.”
Stuart Brown, M.D. psychiatrist
photo courtesy of Airbeagle @ Flickr.com
Puppies awaken the child in us. Watch a person play with a puppy and what do you see? You see a person acting silly. I mean that in only the very best and affectionate terms. The person will speak to the puppy in a high-pitched tone, often repeating nonsense words. There is usually some hand clapping; goo-goo eyes; a lot of smiling; and an impromptu game of chase or follow the leader or rolling around on the floor together. Silly stuff. It does wonders for the person’s spirit and the puppy benefits too. (more…)
Small Dog for a Day
Saturday, March 14th, 2009
You can still love a small dog without owning one. (Photo courtesy of solar ikon at Flickr.com)
We usually walk our small dogs, Royce and Kelsey, two times per day. The first walk is a long, fast-paced walk for exercise. The second walk, usually after dark, is shorter and at a more relaxed pace. Just before we depart for the second walk, we say to our dogs “Let’s go see ‘Mr. Cookie.’” Mr. Cookie is a friendly and warm-hearted retiree who hangs out in the evening in front of his house. If it is dark, you can sometimes spot the glow of his pipe before you see him standing on his driveway. He keeps a large box of dog treats in his garage. As the nightly parade of dogs passes, he dispenses cookies, belly rubs, and good humor. Although Mr. Cookie loves all the neighborhood dogs, he and his wife currently have no dog of their own, which leads me to the point of this story. (more…)
In Bed with A Small Dog
Thursday, February 19th, 2009
Sweet dreams. (Photo courtesy of ctaloi at Flickr.)
Getting a Small Dog from a Shelter—A Second Opinion
Friday, December 5th, 2008In a previous article I said there are some risks associated with getting your small dog from an animal shelter.
Our hearts go out to shelter dogs.
I have come across another opinion on the risks and rewards of adopting a small dog from an animal shelter. It comes from Dale Stavroff in his book Let the Dog Decide
The Little Dogs’ Activity Book–Fun and Games!
Monday, December 1st, 2008Normally I will read a book cover to cover before recommending it here, or dismissing it entirely. In this case, I am so excited about the book I am currently reading that I cannot wait to tell you. Shortly after I finish this article, I am going to send a letter of thanks to the author. The book is titled The Little Dogs’ Activity Book: Fun and Frolic for a Fit Four-legged Friend
Climbing Mt. Everest with a Small Dog(?)
Friday, November 28th, 2008When I was a lad, I imagined hiking the craggy ridgelines of the Rocky Mountains with my trusty Labrador Retriever at my side. The rugged beast would take to the task as a duck to water. Sure-footed and determined, my Lab would bound up the slopes, occasionally glancing back at me to make sure I was okay. I could visualize him standing on a high peak, his proud profile backlit by the sun. He would look at me as if to say “Job well done!”
Here is how my vision turned out. My mental picture of a Labrador has been replaced with the reality of a Schnauzer-Poodle mix (Schnoodle,) and a Miniature Pinscher (Min Pin.) The craggy ridgelines of the Rockies are actually the slopes and hills of North Georgia. My beasts are anything but rugged or sure-footed. The Min Pin has a penchant for getting stung by bees and the Schnoodle loves to roll in horse manure on the trail. (more…)
Let the Big Dog Eat. Let the Small Dog Nibble.
Monday, November 24th, 2008A dog is a dog is a dog is a dog, right? Wrong. Sure, all healthy dogs have four legs, a tail, a noggin’, and most have a furry body. The similarities end there. Of all of the animals on the planet, the species canis lupus familiaris, (the domestic dog,) has the widest variety of breeds. There are 159 dog breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC). The Kennel Club of the United Kingdom recognizes 210 breeds. Both of these clubs categorize dogs by function and type. For example, the AKC places dogs into one of seven groups: Sporting Group; Hound Group; Working Group; Terrier Group; Toy Group; Non-Sporting Group; and Herding Group. Here at asmalldog.com, we recognize two groups of dogs: Dogs that can knock you over and dogs that cannot. (more…)
Poodles Do It
Tuesday, November 11th, 2008And that’s why Poodles do it. Maltese do it. Even educated Havanese do it. Let’s do it. Let’s shed some fur. (With apologies to Cole Porter.)
In the previous article, I beat the daylights out of the subject of shedding. Before we bury that dead horse, I have three last words on the subject and then we will move on to something else in the same category. (Note: There will more words after those last three. Sorry.) Here are the three last words: All dogs shed. No, perish the thought! You brought that Poodle home on the premise that it is non-shedding. (more…)