I’m not John Steinbeck. And Frankie isn’t Charley. Probably the only thing we have in common is that I’m a writer, Frankie is a dog, and we’re heading out in a car together. Nor am I Jack Kerouac. And Frankie definitely isn’t Dean Moriarty. I’m a stressed-out middle-aged woman with a small frightened dog and…
Friday Focus: Five Car Safety Tips
I’ve been focusing lately on what to do about dogs who are anxious in automobiles, and of course it’s an important topic. Car stress makes a ride unpleasant for the driver as well as for the canine passenger. Not securing your dog properly? That can make a ride far more unpleasant. As in deadly. The…
Calming Your Car-Crazed Canine, Part 2
I discussed carsickness and its possible impact on a dog’s fear of car rides in the first part of my Friday Focus story. As promised, I’m now going to discuss fear that doesn’t necessarily relate to a specific physical cause and offer some possibilities for eliminating it. Many of these car phobia remedies can be…
Training Tuesday: Suck it Up!
As those who have been keeping up with my Training Tuesday series know, I have been working with trainer Crystal Saling to get Frankie over his fear of the noisy outdoors. The ultimate goal: to get him to my car, parked in the driveway of my house which fronts a busy street, without stress. Methods…
Yo, San Diegans! Win a copy of Am I Boring My Dog?
I’m hoping a lot of people will come to the book signing for Am I Boring My Dog at San Diego’s Hotel Indigo on Tuesday, June 15, from 5 to 9p.m. It’s going to be a great event, kicking off the hotel’s dog-friendly Canine Cocktail Hour series, and it’ll be at the 9th floor Phi…
Friday Focus: Car Safety for Canines
In keeping with the travel theme that I’ve been pursuing as I prepare to take Frankie on a car trip, I’m going to highlight the question: What’s the best method of keeping your dog safe in the car? Seatbelts, harnesses, crates, hammock-type sheets attached to the front seat — if you’ve tried a safety device…
Auto Anxiety, Part 1: Canine Carsickness
This week’s Friday Focus question is: What are the best methods of calming your dog during a car trip? It’s not just Frankie who’s afflicted with car stress. Images of carefree dogs jumping joyously into cars notwithstanding, lots of dogs shake, drool, whine, and otherwise evince signs of misery as soon as they hear the…
A Sentimental Journey
I’m very much looking forward to my upcoming trip to San Diego and Santa Barbara, two of my favorite cities and home to many of my favorite people. And many of my favorite dogs. But visiting my best friend, Clare, and her dog, Archie, will be bittersweet. It’s almost certainly the last time that Frankie…
Training Tuesday: Are You Sabotaging Your Dog’s Training Without Knowing It?
This week I’m turning my blog over to Crystal Saling, a font of wisdom about the dog training process in general, and first-hand observer of how Frankie and I are dealing with it in particular. We inspired her to wonder: Are you inadvertently sabotaging your dog’s training? It happens so frequently that even professional dog…
Friday Focus: Calming Your Dog in the Car
In two weeks I’ll be driving to San Diego with Frankie to do a signing for Am I Boring My Dog? I’m no longer worried about my book’s title question; Frankie is plenty entertained (and plenty entertaining). But when it comes to car trips, the question arises: Am I stressing my dog? Frankie loves being…