In January this year, I began my application with the Guide Dog Foundation for my next guide dog. While Tom was still doing just fine, I noticed he wasn’t as keen as he’d usually been about winter. So I decided…
11 years young
I’m kind of in awe. He’s 11. In all the years I’ve lived with dogs, I’ve never had an “old” dog. So today, Tom is 11 years young! He’s getting to spend the weekend doing his favorite things. Going for…
Walk the Plank
As Tom is getting up there in years, I’ve been considering a ramp of some sorts for our car. He’s still well able to jump in and out of the backseat where he usually rides, but seeing as he’ll be…
40 minute meals
Keeping Tom and Zora entertained is taking a bit of creativity. We walk, we train, and then they dejectedly lie around the office while the humans work. As a consolation for their humans being on the computer for so long,…
Pavlov’s Dogs
The lack of external cues has been throwing our household for a loop. While I’m generally rather good at creating routine, none of us realized just how much the dog’s feeding routine and cues were based on external triggers. Like…
Routine
As with the rest of the world, these past few weeks have required adjustment. We are now past the 2 week mark and with my spouse working from home for at min the next month we’ve learned somethings about our…
Elevated Dog Feeding Stand v. 2
A few years back I repurposed an old tray table into an elevated feeding stand for Tom. It well served its purpose, but recently it came to my attention it needed replacing. Can’t have splinters after all! This weekend included…
Happy 10 to Tom!
I don’t know about you but I find it both very heart warming and very nerve wrecking when a dog reaches double digits. Tom has now officially hit the big 1 0 and as the vet mentioned at his last…
What’s It Like to be a Service Dog?
Many times when people think about the job of a service dog, their focus is, understandably, on the needs of the person with disability. What many folks don’t consider, initially, is what it’s like for a dog to be a…
What Does Your Dog Do for Fun?
What does your dog do for fun? When left to their own devices, what activities or behaviors does your dog initiate for enjoyment, relaxation, silliness, fun? Why does it matter? I think it matters what our dogs do for fun…