A story about birds, a dog, bread, and chance encounters with strangers. The gentleman set down an intricately patterned carry bag and proceeded to eat his lunch. Eating my own meal at the other end of the banquette, I noticed how carefully the weaver had planned the pattern and chosen…

Animals | Free Dogs | Dog Breeders | Dog Rescues The Best Puppy Search — Start with Breeders or Rescues? A dog may show up on your doorstep as our family’s first dog did. Your search for the perfect canine companion will likely start with a list of reputable breeders or rescues. Of the seven dogs that have shared my…

Animals| Dog Rescue | Relationship Wait! Before You Rescue That Pup… Here are five questions to ask before you get emotionally attached to a cute face. There’s no guaranteed way to choose the perfect dog as a companion for the next decade or so of your life. Puppies are easy to love. Curious, cuddly, and brimming…

Osborne the cat went out for a stroll one evening 25 years ago that changed the course of his person’s musical career. — Recording artist Janet Marlow let her 15-year-old cat Osborn out for his usual walkabout in her backyard Connecticut woods. He didn’t return. After a two-day search, she found him badly injured and rushed him to her veterinarian. Marlow spent the next five days returning to the hospital’s ICU unit to…

Animal communication is not about the words you say. Learn to communicate “horse logically” — or change horse to dog, cat, or whatever critter you fancy. — One of my most satisfying writing gigs was a long-term collaboration with equine educator Ron Meredith on marketing articles for Meredith Manor International Equestrian Centre. Ron had a folksy way of describing horse training techniques step-by-step that editors loved and their readers ate up.

Are you really with your dog when you go for a walk? Or is your mind busy elsewhere? — Dog walkers love our road. It’s wide, about a quiet mile between two of its intersections, and the roadsides are wooded and wild, not manicured and mown. Dogs can exercise their muscles while blissfully stimulating the millions of scent receptors in their noses. Its broad span also means there’s ample…

Unambiguous body language puts animal communication on steroids. Can you hear your animal now? Do they hear you? — Animal training requires communication and communication always involves a sender and a receiver. Good communication flows back and forth between the two. When communication alternates back and forth as the sender and the receiver repeatedly take turns as equal participants in their dialog, that creates opportunities for deep learning on…

Yet more surefire G.O.A.L.S. to create a great relationship with your new — or old — dog. Pop quiz. How do you want your new puppy to relate to you as training begins? As boss? A buddy? Or something else? Modern puppy training methods build communication between humans and canines…

If animals had a theme song, a Sting classic might do nicely. Animals often seem to know what we are thinking, even when we don’t say a word. How do they do that? Let’s do some detective work on a few scenarios: The dog walk. Your dog bounds to the…