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| Endless Possibilities for Barlow |
Barlow was bred and trained by Guide Dogs for the Blind in order to protect and serve a blind human, however, like a sizable percentage of their pups, he was “career changed” and became available for adoption as a pet. Guide Dogs probably thought “pet” was the last title he’d… |
Mollissima! |
10/01/09 |
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| Raider the pug, fabulous vacation companion |
I love when Raider, senior pug extraordinaire, comes to visit. He is such a sweet and mellow guy, appreciative of every pat on his head and walk we take in the hills, that I find myself slowing down and relaxing when he’s around. He’s the kind of dog that when… |
Mollissima! |
09/23/09 |
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| Looking for an Experienced East Bay Dog Walker |
About Doggy Lama Pet Care People like us. We were voted “Best High-Tech Doggie Care” by the East Bay Express in 2007. San Francisco magazine voted us one of the “Top 5 Places to Board Your Dog” in 2008. We have twenty 5-star reviews on Yelp.com and clients love our… |
Mollissima! |
09/23/09 |
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| A 6/10 of a Million Dollar Dog |
I saw this on SFGate today and found it a pretty interesting phenomenon. This big, drooling dog is worth more than your home: Probably a lot more, if your abode prices at the Bay Area median or lower. The woman, who gave her name only as Wang, bought the Tibetan… |
Mollissima! |
09/10/09 |
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| Foster, Rescued from an Animal Hoarder’s House, Inspires Me |
Foster, a German Shepherd mix, was rescued from an animal hoarder’s house in rural Virginia less than a year ago. At this house, where there were more than 200 animals, Foster stayed in a small pen with an aggressive dog. He learned quickly that he would be attacked by the… |
Mollissima! |
08/25/09 |
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| Posie, My Summer Dog |
When my friend and client, Diana, got laid off from her graphics designer job about 9 months ago, understandably she had to stop dog walks to make the most of her funds. I was surprised and excited for her, when, a couple months later, she told me she’d finally found… |
Mollissima! |
08/16/09 |
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| Cool Oakland and Berkeley Trails for Hot Weather |
Here are a few cool spots to walk dogs in hot weather. They’re also great because they don’t have tons of foxtails, which can be very dangerous to pets. Sausal Creek in Oakland: Go to El Centro between Benvenides and the entrance to the Dimond Recreation Center—look for the pedestrian… |
Mollissima! |
08/16/09 |
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| Silly Joke: “A Trip to Costco” |
(BTW, I definitely don’t advise you to buy the brand mentioned in this joke for your dog. I think there are much better foods out there.) Here’s the joke: A Trip to Costco Yesterday I was at my local COSTCO buying a large bag of Purina dog chow for my… |
Mollissima! |
07/24/09 |
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| Yikes—it’s foxail season again! |
We dog walkers talk a lot about foxtails—which trails have lots of them; where on a dog we found a foxtail and how we got it out, and occasionally we talk about a dog that went to the vet to a foxtail out of his eye or her vulva. (Ouch!)… |
Mollissima! |
06/17/09 |
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| Less than 14 Pounds and More than 14 Years of JR-Terrier Attitude! |
I didn’t know Chi Chi as a young pup. In fact, when she began boarding with us, she had already been in doggy AARP for many years, but “Cheech” still packs a wallop in Jack-Russellian stubbornness and ability to get the world to revolve around her as its axis. One… |
Mollissima! |
04/14/09 |
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| Stuart Is “Mr. Personality” |
Originally a Manhattanite, Stuart relocated to the Bay Area with much trepidation. I’ve heard he was afraid he’d “lose his edge.” (No chance.) Stuart is definitely one of our most entertaining charges. To start with, he hates feet. He will bark fiercely if a foot comes close to him, (never… |
Mollissima! |
02/12/09 |
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| Roxy Love |
Roxy, a senior lab and pit bull mix, had a rough start to her life. Animal Control pulled her from a home in which there was significant domestic abuse, and placed her in a shelter. Luckily, The Fates intervened three years ago, and Roxy was adopted by a lovely, gentle… |
Mollissima! |
02/03/09 |
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| If You Lose Your Dog— |
I hate to think about anyone ever losing their pet, but it happens all the time. If you ever do lose your dog, don’t just contact the shelter that’s closest to you. A panicked dog can cover dozens of miles in a couple days; a well-intentioned (or not) person can… |
Mollissima! |
01/29/09 |
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| Extreme Poodle Grooming |
Wow. Go here for poodle pictures that will blow your mind. Not necessarily in a good way. http://laweekly.blogs.com/joshuah_bearman/2008/12/get-ready-for-an-audiovisual-assault-on-your-mind-and-your-poodle-.html |
Mollissima! |
12/23/08 |
7 |
01/29/09 |
| Studies show dogs have sense of fairness |
I love this article, written by the Associated Press and seen by me in SFGate.com, the online San Francisco Chronicle, because I see this in action every day. If I call all the dogs in to me, (e.g., when a jogger or bicyclist goes by,) and I give treats to… |
Mollissima! |
12/16/08 |
103 |
01/28/09 |
| Saffy (a.k.a. Her Puggle Majesty) |
Saffy, an eight-year-old puggle from Chicago is known for being a Cubs fan, (she often sports a Cubs collar,) for striking majestic poses (that’s how she got her nickname,) and for accepting nothing less than the co-pilot seat in Jack’s dog-walking mobile. We like the fact that even though she… |
Mollissima! |
12/15/08 |
1 |
12/23/08 |
| Bug the Boston Terrier Puppy |
Bug the Boston Terrier stays at Sue’s house in Richmond when his professional artist mom has art openings elsewhere in the country. He’s a fabulous artist’s muse because he has dozens of funny and sweetly inspiring poses, although he mostly isn’t thinking about high art as he runs tirelessly after… |
Mollissima! |
12/08/08 |
1 |
12/23/08 |
| George the Tuxedo Cat |
This week’s Pet of the Week is our inaugural feline to receive the honor. Always impeccably dressed for any occasion, George the tuxedo cat is approximately 12.5 years old, and resides near Lake Merritt. George has been known to say under his breath, “Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.” George’s… |
Mollissima! |
12/01/08 |
1 |
12/23/08 |
| The Stick Mystery |
(This happened a couple years ago, but I was just remembering fun things from my career in dog boarding, and thought I’d share it.) I picked up the dog water bowl, filled it with water, and put it down on the floor. I looked at it a couple minutes later,… |
Mollissima! |
11/29/08 |
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| How I Got Over My Epic Cold |
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Mollissima! |
11/25/08 |
53 |
01/07/09 |
| Sydney the Senior BC Mix Is a Model Citizen |
15-year-old Sydney the border collie mix, a transplanted Brooklynite, isn’t just the party boy you’d think from the photo above. He’s a trained service dog who helped helped an autistic child in the past and now gives cheer and comfort to people in hospice settings. He’s a wonderful guy who… |
Mollissima! |
11/24/08 |
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| The Pug as Athlete: Beenie Breaks the Mold |
Beenie the pug was one of Doggy Lama’s first clients, and he’s still one of our favorites. Beenie isn’t the typical pug you might meet—despite his breed’s reputation and build, he is a true athlete who can keep up on a two-hour hike or race around a field with viszla… |
Mollissima! |
11/17/08 |
1 |
12/23/08 |
| Whole Lotta Love: Oscar the Beauvier |
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Mollissima! |
11/10/08 |
1 |
12/23/08 |
| Favorite Doggy Dancing Snapshots |
These are some of my favorite “doggy dancing” moments. Yankee and Banjo interpret the fight scene from “West Side Story.” Dunkler and Bailey lab recreate an emotionally-charged moment in early Martha Graham choreography. Banjo and Amelia dance at high speed. Beenie does a solo. Gracie and Oyster… |
Mollissima! |
11/08/08 |
152 |
01/29/09 |
| No to Hate. No to Prop 8. Yes to Love. |
This is what I’ve been passionately involved in lately: fighting the haters behind Proposition 8, which would end marriage equality for gays and lesbians. Victor Hugo said, “There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come.” We fought for women’s rights, rights for African-Americans, rights for disabled… |
Mollissima! |
11/05/08 |
159 |
01/29/09 |
| Inaugural Pet of the Week: Dashiell the Corgi |
Dashiell is a two-year-old Pembroke Welsh corgi who lives in Piedmont. A confident and well-behaved boy, Dashiell enjoys playing with other dogs at the park followed by afternoon naps with his humans on the bed. We love hanging out with Dashiell when he boards with us. |
Mollissima! |
11/04/08 |
2 |
12/23/08 |
| Experienced East Bay Dog Walkers Needed |
Here’s the ad we put up on Craigslist and sent to approximately 300 of our best friends. Please get in touch if you know someone looking for a job who would be a good fit. About Doggy Lama Pet Care People like us. We were voted “Best High-Tech Doggie Care”… |
Mollissima! |
10/18/08 |
165 |
01/16/09 |
| The Cat Training Revolution |
I had absolutely no idea this was possible. Very cool. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2008/09/30/petscol.DTL This is from the “Your Whole Pet” column by Christie Keith, on SFGate.com. |
Mollissima! |
10/17/08 |
110 |
01/29/09 |
| Winged Fury: Dog Sculpture |
This is “Winged Furry,” a bronze sculpture by Jean Van Keuren on the Davis, CA Greenway. There are three in the series, installed along the Davis Greenway. The other two don’t do much for me, but I love this one. It’s about 3.5 feet high. Dexter was pretty freaked when… |
Mollissima! |
10/14/08 |
113 |
01/29/09 |
| Not Impressed |
Dexter was not impressed that “Kitty was here.” He said, "Whatever." |
Mollissima! |
10/12/08 |
128 |
01/29/09 |
| Rest in peace, Dakota. |
I put my girl, Dakota, down on Sunday, September 28, 2008. Dakota had been having some bad days interspersed with OK days. She was 18+ years old—battling cancer and severe arthritis. That morning she sat in a pool of urine on the floor that was pink from blood—she didn’t have… |
Mollissima! |
10/03/08 |
106 |
01/29/09 |
| Rascals the Border Collie |
14-year-old border collie Rascals is one of the most eccentric dogs I know. For instance, when we’re on a walk and I start talking on the phone, she immediately drops to the ground and stays there—no matter where we are (even in the middle of the street!). When I sneeze,… |
Mollissima! |
08/10/08 |
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| Oakland Garage-Door Dog Art |
This building in Oakland’s Temescal neighborhood has very good garage-door dog art. Left garage door: Right garage door: |
Mollissima! |
06/20/08 |
123 |
01/29/09 |
| Not a Vicious Dog |
Tig the black lab mix frequently strikes fear into people’s hearts because of her intense "submissive smile." This is a wolf behavior that most dogs don’t exhibit, but many do. She is very submissive and this is one of the appeasing/puppy behaviors that wolves and dogs do to show that… |
Mollissima! |
04/05/08 |
181 |
01/29/09 |
| Bed-Head Fairy Visit |
My Bed-Head Fairy was in a groovy mood last night. I’m fresh outta bed here—human hands have not touched this hair sculpture, nor has caffeine penetrated my neural system. "As-is human" |
Mollissima! |
04/12/07 |
109 |
01/29/09 |
| Snapshots: Quest for Back Pain Relief |
After cupping, Dr. Kang gave me accupuncture with electrical stimulus. This was a pretty painful hour at my doctor’s (he practices traditional Chinese medicine). Acupuncture needles in my face hurt a lot, too. November 2008: My quest continues. I haven’t found anything so far that relieves back pain for… |
Mollissima! |
03/28/07 |
214 |
01/29/09 |
| Muzzles |
Muzzles are management tools and do not take the place of training. However, some people have dogs that are not safe out in the world without one and do not have the time (or skills) to train their dog themselves or the money to hire a trainer to do so.… |
Mollissima! |
02/17/07 |
197 |
01/16/09 |
| We live as we dream, alone. (Poem) |
You brought my stuff back last night Books, a belt, a pair of crutches You forgot my CD Stupidly, I asked you in You were so boyish in the front door light I wanted to brush your hair off your face Take your sweater off Push you back on the… |
Mollissima! |
02/16/07 |
863 |
01/29/09 |
| Inny (Poem) |
Lying on my bed Listening to my breath Playing with my breasts Daydreaming No radio on–no music–for once Almost midnight Feeling my buzz wind down Savoring sensations in a slightly drunken way Observing shadows on the wall Spider webs moving gently… with what breeze? Completely unproductive Contemplating my navel (an… |
Mollissima! |
02/08/07 |
1296 |
01/29/09 |
| The Whisker as Talisman |
Whenever I see a whisker on the floor or bed, I pick it up and put it in my jewelry box. I’ve never sent one to anyone before tonight. I had just written a letter to someone who is an “online friend” (we view and sometimes comment on each others’… |
Mollissima! |
12/22/06 |
389 |
01/29/09 |
| Dog Body Language Snapshot |
Odo the cattle-dog mix is trying to get Dakota (husky mix in middle) to play with him but he’s doing so using dominant body language: he follows her around and stands perpendicular to her—putting his head over her back. (He was just standing there doing so—of course he sat back… |
Mollissima! |
11/27/06 |
0 |
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| Pepe, Lola, and Predatory Drift |
Pepe and Lola know each other well (I have boarded them at the same time before) and he is very gentle. I let them down on the floor or yard together for short periods of time (only) while I am supervising them. At the Dog Walking Institute http://www.dogtec.org/schedule.php and through… |
Mollissima! |
08/25/06 |
0 |
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