Mollie The Sunflower

Amy Dietrich / October 31, 2019

Do You Dress Your Dog?

Growing up, I always had a dog. My childhood dog, Missy, was a miniature schnauzer. Missy led to Bridgette, led to Max, led to Samantha, led to Ace, led to Max Jr, and finally led to Mollie. All miniature schnauzers.

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Smiling Dog

Amy Dietrich / September 25, 2019

Is My Dog Smiling?

If we were to ask our friends and family if they think their dog smiles, I’m sure every dog lover would say, “Yes, of course dogs smile.” Perhaps they have even seen their dog do so. As an owner of a beautiful, white Siberian Husky, Echota, I’d say that there are times where she seems to be gleaming with happiness from ear to ear during our walks, and when I come home from work; she must be smiling! But do dogs really smile?

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Training your puppy

Amy Dietrich / July 12, 2019

When Should You Start Training Your Puppy?

Different dogs have different intelligence levels. Just like humans. Some dogs are a bit, ahem, ‘sharper’ in their earlier months. Some are simply the opposite. But generally, I find that six months old is about the time average puppies start to respond to conditional training. That is, training that uses a repeated reward system to build upon their memory.

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Dog Running Away

Amy Dietrich / May 21, 2019

My dog is missing, what do I do?

My dog ran away. What do I do? Where do I start looking? Could he have been hit by a car? Will he be scared and bite? So many questions, and such little time to panic. You need to be smart in this stressful situation.

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Do dogs remember their owners?

Amy Dietrich / February 20, 2019

Do Adopted Dogs Remember Their Previous Owners?

Years ago, I recall sitting in the car with my parents and recently adopted Yellow Labrador, Reilly, at our local drive-in. We all enjoyed a burger and fries (Reilly, with his own treats). It was a warm Summer day, and we had the windows to the car open. People were coming and going, and occasionally families or those venturing solo walked by the car as we ate. Even though Reilly was fairly new to our family – for about a year or so – he never showed any signs of aggression towards us, nor any strangers for that matter. Like many dogs, he loved attention and enjoyed the company of people. The Animal Rescue League, where we had adopted him from, didn’t provide much information at the time of adoption, other than he was six months old and had previously belonged to a Mennonite family. We felt proud to have stumbled upon such a magnificent dog.

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max

Amy Dietrich / January 27, 2019

Living vs Existing

Max is my 14-year-old craigslist miniature schnauzer. When he entered my life, he was 7 years old. The story that the “free to go home” family gave me was that their teenage daughter had a baby and having a dog was too much for them. However, they also had a giant schnauzer and a golden retriever.

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Amy Dietrich / December 13, 2018

What Can You Give A Small Puppy To Chew On?

The idea of a new puppy warms your heart. But when the new puppy arrives, you’re quickly reminded just how much work these teething little dogs really are. They can’t be left alone or you’ll have puppy teeth marks in all sorts of random household objects.

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