Dog's Are Awesome

The tenacity of these animals is amazing! Hope it gives you a little motivation in the New Year! ...and of course, some good laughs. The weightless dog is hilarious! Enjoy!

Going to the Dogs

For my dog lover followers, here's another clever video from the group Ok Go—the guys who brought us the choreographed treadmill video. Here they are in their new video with their rescue dog friends performing White Knuckles.







Look at this! Amazon is already advertising The Dog Next Door. You can pre-buy the book. Release date is June 1, 2011. Make sure you get your copy so you can read my story inside.

Cheese Dogs

Thursday we flew into Portland, Oregon in advance of my niece's wedding in Corvallis on Saturday. We toured the Willamette Valley, tasting wines and taking in the bucolic landscape of the region. For a change of pace, a visit to the Willamette Valley Cheese Company seemed fitting. We passed the milking shed as we drove down the access road to the tasting room. Once out of the car, a trio of dogs—two labs and an australian shepherd—greeted us.

While others tasted cheese, I talked to the dogs... obviously needing my dog fix. I called them Chocolate, Licorice and Salt & Pepper. Chocolate looked remarkably like our Brandy. What is it about chocolate labs? They all seem to look and act alike. Gave him a pet on the head and he muzzled into my crotch wanting more.

Now Licorice was friendly, but she seemed to be distracted. She sat facing the road with a longing look. Perhaps her master was away and she waited for his return.

Then there was Salt and Pepper. Being the herder in the group, she bounced around from person to person, grabbed a toy, dropped the toy, competed for attention or simply rolled on her back as if to beg for a tummy rub.

As our group headed back to the car, a cow stuck her head through the milking shed fence and barked like a dog. It caused us to pause and look while she did it again. We laughed as we puzzled over why she would do such a strange thing ...or how she would make such a strange sound? Maybe she thought she was just another cheese dog.

It's Summertime Fun

Its summertime! Who wants to go to the beach? This dog day at the beach should get you going. Enjoy! ...and tell me you aren't exhausted with all that fun at the beach.

A Picture Book: The Story of Nubs

While doing research for my first picture book, I became engrossed by stories of dogs in the military. Yeah... I know. What do stories of military dogs, called war dogs, have to do with a little boy and his dog? Plenty! You have a dog, a human whom the dog loves, loyalty, bravery and never a complaint. Okay?

In my reading about war dogs, I stumbled across the wonderful story about Nubs—A mutt in Iraq that had been cruelly treated even to having his ears cut off (hence the name). Major Brian Dennis first encountered Nubs running with a pack of desert dogs during a patrol of the border between Iraq and Syria. Dennis, a dog lover, worked his charm on the aloof dog and soon Nubs would show up each time Dennis and his unit returned to the border area. You can read the endearing story I first read at ABC News. And now children can read about Nubs in a picture book out this month—Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine and a Miracle.

GoD and DoG

I hope you enjoy this video ditty that expresses some of the parallels between God and a dog like my picture book The Tail of Chessie--The Heart of God. Have a look...

Up For The Job

If you have a dog then you know that every dog has a job. Some dogs pull a sled and other dogs sniff out certain material (e.g., drugs). Then there are dogs that herd sheep and others that rat out rodents. Dogs live to do the jobs they have been bred to do and no doubt you've seen how happy they are at their job.

We have always had retrievers and as you might guess (duh), their job is to retrieve.  Now... retrievers are not particular about what they retrieve--just give them something that they can call their own to get and they will get it.

Our dogs have used sticks, frisbees and balls as their item to retrieve. Brandy, the current occupier of the dog bed/throne in our home, looovves to fetch her ball. The midair catch is her speciality.

I came across this video of a smart pooch doing her job.  She loves to get her ball and figures out how to get it even though she hates to swim...or perhaps swim in a yucky pool.  I'd say she is up for the job.

Merry Christmas & Welcome

Merry Christmas and welcome to my Blog.  I will be posting sundry stuff from time to time hoping to keep you all interested in what I have to "say."  Since I love dogs and have written a yet unpublished children's picture book about a particular dog, I will try to dish you some dog stuff.  So for my first post, enjoy this little Christmas ditty.