Welcome to the Big Dog Blog! Yes, the “person in charge” from the home page is ready to start blogging on a regular basis about dogs and Dogville. In this post, I want to summarize in a few brief points what to expect and why you should consider reading on a regular basis.
1. I love dogs. No, I mean I really love them. That’s why I started Dogville in December of 2012 and why I spend my days (and nights) taking care of other people’s dogs and my own. Because I have a deep and abiding respect for these creatures, I am invested in helping them and their owners make good choices about their health and well-being. I plan to share information I’ve gleaned from the news, from my own experiences and things I’ve learned from the dogs themselves. I am not a trainer, nor do I play one on TV, so don’t expect training tips, but I think I can offer some veterinary perspectives here and there, some observations about behavior and sprinkle in a bit of humor along the way.
2. I own a pit bull terrier named Tanner O’Malley McNac. No, this will not be a pulpit to espouse the pros and cons of breed specific legislation or whether or not your three month old baby should be left with any dog unsupervised (NO, as in HELL, NO). But Tanner is….well, let’s just say he’s the reason I know about dog daycare and why I decided there had to be a better way to do dog boarding.
3. Senior dogs deserve better care. Period. The “dog of my life” was Hobo Taylor, a 33 pound blue heeler that lived to be 17 years old. As a veterinarian and a dog lover, I found myself woefully unprepared for the challenges of watching my beloved Hobo lose his joy, his memory and his ability to cope with the physical and mental limitations of aging. There were things I did right (mostly by accident)and things I did wrong (mostly by accident) that impacted his quality of life. I am determined to pass on what I’ve learned and am still learning about senior dogs in his memory.
That’s it! ALL FEEDBACK IS WELCOME, including passionate disagreement shared with respect. Thanks for reading — dtm
