Dog Writings General!

Dear Santa

I often just look at Ray, especially when he is sleeping, and feel very content with having him here. He has found a home where he is loved and he reciprocates so readily. When he is out walking, his gait is generally very light and his tail is held up high (even though his nose is down!). Continue reading →

Rainy days ‘n’ Sundays

The other Sunday, all three of us went on a walk downtown with (unbeknown to Ray) a specific store in mind that was not going to be too receptive to having him inside as it sold lots of specialty consumables usually of U.K. origin. We arrived there at 9:55am and noticed that they were not going to open until 10:00am so decided to wander around just to kill those few minutes. Continue reading →

Devious Dog.

Ray absolutely loves peanuts, and he also loves bread, so you can imagine what he is like when I have peanut butter on toast! Continue reading →

Cats & Dog.

Having lived with Ray (my first dog) for just over 18 months now, and after having had 5 cats as pets over the course of many years (Tim-Tim, Skeeta, Friday, Scooter & Robinson), I guess it was inevitable that I would start to draw comparisons. I have often heard both cat and dog owners aggressively defending their particular choice of pet so, while not wishing to start a war of words, here goes! Continue reading →

Oops…….Poops?

Ray occasionally has this unfortunate habit of (well there is no delicate way of describing this) pooping in unusual situations! Continue reading →

Ray …Fetch!

Fetch! How difficult can it be? I have tried two different ways of teaching Ray to Fetch with a tennis ball. The first way is probably simply the intuitive way. You throw the ball and when your dog grabs it, he gets a reward. Eventually he will learn that bringing it back to you will get him the reward a little faster. The theory is great! Continue reading →

The Lululemon Touch

One significant issue that we are continually working on is Ray’s obvious discomfort around people he does not know. If somebody “invaded” his space, or made a move towards him, or reached out to touch him, he was likely to bark and lunge towards that person. Clearly this is an undesirable response so we have been slowly introducing him to the concept that good things can happen around people he does not know. Continue reading →

High five, Shake a paw etc.

For anybody who is not familiar with a “hand bump” (also referred to as “fist bump”), it is simply a greeting gesture very similar to a handshake or a “high five” except that a closed fist is offered. Acceptance is a simple reciprocal movement so the knuckles of both parties touch. Continue reading →

Happy Birthday!

It was on Nov 20, 2012 that Ray was picked up by the Oakville & Milton Humane Society and, based on the condition of his teeth, he was estimated to be around 2 yrs old.
Continue reading →

Separation Anxiety and Hardwood Floors

When Ray came home with us in March 2013, and upon entering our house, it became very clear that smooth hardwood floors were an unknown commodity to him. Continue reading →