My very first friend was a cat. Her name was Lilly. Lilly was not like a lot of cats, I think it was because she had lived with lots of large dogs, and she considered herself the alpha animal. The day I first met her she was sprawled out on Nancy’s friends’ living room floor…
The story of St. Patrick began when he was captured by Irish raiders at the age of sixteen and brought to Ireland as a slave where he herded and tended sheep for six long years while in captivity. He eventually fled captivity then years later and then he received a letter saying the Irish people…
I don’t understand and am deeply concerned by the behavior of some of our leaders today. My thoughts stem from the fact that I am a descendant of wolves and learned how to harmonize with humans in my Alert Dog training. I often live by similar rules. In my opinion, true leaders are clear, compassionate,…
I was trained to alert Nancy whenever her cortisol levels are low. This can happen whenever she encounters more stress than her system can anticipate or handle. What I have observed over the years of monitoring her is that just getting her to move away from stressful situations can improve her cortisol levels. Most people…
When I was a pup, I was like most puppies. I was full of energy and lots of mischief. When I discovered the toilet paper roll, I would sneak into the bathroom grab hold of the tissue and run through the house wagging my tail in delight. Then when I discovered the drip lines in…
I love kids, but not when they behave like entitled adults. Here is my story: It was a warm and sunny day. Nancy and I were on our patio. She was pruning plants and I was basking in the sun watching the neighborhood kids ride their bikes and shooting baskets. Then suddenly a girl, around…
I started my Alert Dog training when I was nine weeks old. I was first taught to respond to a lot of common commands like- sit, down and stay. Nancy added a hand motion for each word so if we were in a noisy place, I could follow her hands and she did not…
We were at a large conference where Nancy was scheduled to speak. As we waited Nancy reached down, stroked my chest and said, “You are with me”, making sure we were connected because she felt this was going to be a challenge for both of us. Then she slapped her knee and I slid my…
Nancy’s son played baseball, so he knew how to throw the ball hard and fast. I loved it. It was like a ‘dare’. He would fake throwing the ball with a grin on his face. Every time he would fake a throw my body would leap up into the air anticipating catching it while it…
The world seems crazier than usual these days, and people also seem more stressed than usual. Is this a chicken or egg situation? Do you feel like life is pushing in and compressing or depressing you? Do the events of your day make you want to recoil, retract, and pull away from life? Does the…