Years ago when we were taking both Cheyenne and Jetson to Sit Means Sit here in Austin, we were told by one of the instructors that dogs have two ways to sit. One is the straight-forward one leg on either side position that most dogs do, while the other is more relaxed, where the dog has both hind legs to one side and is leaning essentially on their hip. The relaxation distinction was important...
Since Jetson’s passing, Cheyenne has been reasserting herself as the unequivocal Alpha of the Verastiqui Pack. She demands table scraps. She shoves her ball in our faces. She sleeps at the head of our bed. If she were still a pup, we’d probably take steps to correct this behavior, but she’s getting on in years and already has a couple of good cancers (emphasis the vet’s...
We think we're special because we're humans. We think we can linger on after our death. I doubt that, and for that reason, I don't believe in spirits or phantoms or ghosts. Now, dog ghosts, on the other hand...
I've sometimes referred to Jetson as my writing partner, but it's not in a cutesy way in which I imply he puts his paws on the keyboard and smashes out a few sentences. Whether it was the early morning or late at night, Jetson was always by my side when I was writing. If I hit a wall, I'd turn and pet him for a while. I'd bounce ideas off him. And when I finished a chapter, he would be there to...