dogs – Maddie's Mom Writes

Orange Kitty: An Update

I wrote about the stray cat we adopted in a post titled, “Orange Kitty.” He’s been our cat for a while now and we are all getting along fine … for the most part. Our dog, Maddie, is still not one hundred percent comfortable with OK. He makes her a bit nervous now and then.Continue reading “Orange Kitty: An Update”

Cats vs. Dogs: Boredom

Ignore your dog for too long and this happens: “Hey. I’m kind of bored. Could we do something? See, I brought you a toy. It’s my favorite toy. I’d like to play with this toy. Very much. I mean, you can see that right? No? Well, not right now, I guess. I’ll just lie hereContinue reading “Cats vs. Dogs: Boredom”

Cats vs. Dogs: Treats

Offer a dog and treat and this happens: “Hey! That smells great. I want that. I want that now. Really! Are you hearing me? I NEED that right now (shifts weight rapidly from one foot to the other). What part of now don’t you understand? Look at me. I’m hopping up and down. Now I’mContinue reading “Cats vs. Dogs: Treats”

Cats vs. Dogs: New Stuff

Change something in a dog’s environment and this happens: “Whoa! Wait a minute. What’s that? That’s never been there before. I don’t think I like it. I’ll just creep up on it and get a closer look. Whoa! Still don’t know what it is. Maybe I need to smell it. Gotta get a little closer.Continue reading “Cats vs. Dogs: New Stuff”

Maddie

She is a small dog with enough scrappy for a mutt five times her size. Brown, she is, with a black stripe down the middle of her back that reaches to the tip of her short tail. That tail is always wagging in its funny back and forth way. Hampered from a real good wagContinue reading “Maddie”

In Lieu of the Vet

My hope was that I could make this amusing. I’m not sure it’s really possible. Maybe once we’ve done it there will be something funny to say about it. Although, upon reflection, that might be a stretch. The thing is, Maddie is showing all the signs that she needs to have her anal glands expressed.Continue reading “In Lieu of the Vet”

Adjusting to Being Home

I’ve been a stay-at-home wife and humom to a dog (the eponymous Maddie) and cat (Bonfire) for a few years now. I’ve got the routine down. I know the rules of the house as dictated by the dog and the cat. My husband, Bernd, just this morning got the word that his place of employmentContinue reading “Adjusting to Being Home”

The Other End of the Leash: a Book Review

I have had cause to re-read a book I read several years ago. It’s written by Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D., and it really impressed me the first time I read it. This second time around I’ve gotten even more out of it. McConnell is an adjunct assistant professor of zoology at the University of Wisconsin-MadisonContinue reading “The Other End of the Leash: a Book Review”