My shadow now comes in the form of a black Labrador Retriever. The intensity of Adi’s shadowing changes about an hour before her dinner-time. At this point, nothing deters her from following me step for step. Each time I look at her, she gives me a look that says, “Remember me. I need fed.” Regardless …
At two years of age, my southern pup had limited experience with snow. As Adi explored our property the morning after her first big winter storm, she saw the familiar coated in the unfamiliar. Her nose had to dig under seven inches of snow to find everyday smells. The wood pile that once seemed a …
Continue reading Snow, Squirrels, and a Southern Pup: A Lesson on Understanding
Several January’s ago, our region sank into a deep freeze that lasted two weeks. All outdoor activity came to a halt as temperatures stayed well below freezing. With that went our young Lab’s morning walks and long runs in the backyard with the kids and neighbor dog. Our one year-old pup who usually spent her …
“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” - Luke 5:16 We could each probably name a place that is peaceful and beautiful to our mind’s eye. A place we leave feeling refreshed and renewed. For some it's a garden, a porch, a favorite chair in front of a bay window. For others it’s …
On this day in 2016 a litter of Labrador Retriever puppies was born- one yellow male and three black females. One of those females (Adi) came to live with us, while another (Nova) went to live with my brother’s family, and the third (Maxine) stayed with our friend. Adi and Nova live close and play …
For many dog owners the arrival of a squirrel plays out like a scene in a Dick and Jane book. See squirrel. See squirrel run.Look, look Father.See dog run. At least that is what it was like growing up with Brittany Spaniels. For Adi’s first months with us, the squirrels kept to themselves, staying in …
When your dog’s breed contains the word “retriever,” you anticipate that your pup will love a good game of fetch. What I didn’t realize was how much my retriever would also enjoy carrying things around in her mouth. On any given day you’ll find her carrying various shoes, socks, stuffed animals, rope toys, gloves, balls …
Our Lab isn’t much of a talker. As a puppy, days would pass between barks. Early on I thought we might have a pup like the main character Gyp in James Herriot’s children’s book “Only One Woof.” Gradually, Adi developed her voice. Only she uses it sparingly. She much prefers to communicate with her eyes, …
Summer. The season of swimming, cook-outs, vacations and . . . shedding. The warmer temperatures trigger my lab and every other dog with a double coat to begin blowing their protective undercoat. Basically, that means copious amounts of fur are coming off these dogs daily for a period of several weeks. Coat blowing time arrives …
A Coat of Forgiveness- One of my memories of our Brittany Spaniel is of the burrs that would entangle themselves in her coat after a hunt with my father and brothers. Eventually, one of us would need to sit down and painstakingly work these burrs out of her long red and white fur. The first …
