When I was a kid, I had a lot of fun dressing up our family dog.  I’ve got pictures of her in my brothers pajamas complete with winter jacket and hat.  I also remember how she would do the slow-motion high-step when I’d put socks on her paws, acting like she was walking through syrup.  Of course this was followed by tons of hugs and praise for her patience!  I’m sure a lot of you have memories of doing the same thing or have seen your kids attempting the same feat.  Read the rest of the story...

As I mentioned in Part I to this post, our decision to get a dog turned out to me more complicated than we thought, but it was a lot of fun. We drove out in the country to a great breeder we had researched, and there he was (much to my Rooster’s chagrin): Dancer, the tiny toy poodle. My Rooster immediately started humming the Elton John song Tiny Dancer in his head, while the chicks nervously but joyously said hello. Dancer was excited, cute and irresistible, so of course we committed to taking him home. This started Phase 2 of the great dog commitment. We didn’t have ANY supplies yet, so when we got back to town, we hit the local pet superstore to gear up and go home to get Dancer settled in. Here are the top five things we learned from the experience:  Read the rest of the story...

Almost every child’s holiday wish list includes a cute little puppy. Who doesn’t love the image of a cute puppy popping out of a box with a big bow on its head? If you are considering getting a family dog, take some time to plan and prepare.  Read the rest of the story...

If you’ve ever heard the words “Mom, I won a goldfish!” while at a party, you know that this will end badly. If you’ve never had the experience, be warned- should your child say this, you should suddenly remember Dad’s terrible allergy to all things aquatic. I heard those words at a party this summer, and actually had the naivete to think it could be fun! Little did I know….  Read the rest of the story...