Maggie vs. Bunny

HIgh Diving Giraffes

Some YouTube clips need to be viewed repeatedly for amusement and smiles. This is one of them. Watch as needed.

Consult with your doctor to see if this clip is right for you.

Cats and Vacuums

Listen up kitties, don't try this at home.

The Case of the Herding Bunny

How can you resist a herding bunny rabbit on a Friday morning? You can read the AP news article here if you'd like a little background information on this particular leporid.

My long lost brother

Well that was unexpected. On the way into the office this morning I was engaged in my usual shenanigans: I found an enormous branch and was crossing the street in Central Square while holding said stick in my mouth.  The below video is just a simulation of this morning. The actual stick was three times larger (no joking!).

Anyway, as I was crossing the street I noticed two young women eyeing me up. Perhaps they were jealous of my fabulous stick? When I got closer (and the human warned me not to knock them out with said stick) they approached and asked about me. 

"What kind of dog is she? My sister has a dog that looks just like her!"

They humans discussed a little more. Then they discovered the most amazing thing. The young woman's sister was in a horse show in Kentucky two and a half years ago. While there she discovered a large litter of ten puppies who had been abandoned. Somehow she managed to sneak Goose away when he was just a couple of weeks old. The remaining nine puppies and mother were taken to New Hampshire and fostered by Peace and Paws.I was one of those nine puppies. If you want to hear more about my story check out this link.

Goose moved to New Jersey and has been leading a very happy life. He's my brother. Who would have thought that walking down the street in Cambridge I would meet a woman who has a sister who lives in New Jersey that saved my brother Goose.

Unconditional Positive Regard: It's Not Just for the Dogs

"The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change."
-- Carl Rogers

Recently Debbie Jacobs, founder of Fearful Dogs and a follower on Twitter, shared the following interchange with the human:

fearfuldogs debbie jacobs 

i don't expect my dogs 2 love me unconditionally. they know as well as any1 when I'm being a jerk

22 hours ago Favorite Retweet Reply

jaypsyd Jason Mihalko 

Now now there is room in unconditional love for jerks mt@fearfuldogs don't expect dogs 2 love me unconditionally. they know when I'm a jerk

10 hours ago Favorite Reply Delete

fearfuldogs debbie jacobs 

@ 

@jaypsyd whew. good 2 know there's hope 4 me & other jerks

7 Jan Favorite Retweet Reply

This got me thinking about unconditional positive regard. This is part three of an occasional series of blog posts about my therapy dog view of different psychological theories. For parts one and two, check out An Ecological Approach to Life: Urie Bronfenbrenner and Erik Erickson: A Therapy Dog's View.

Let's  meet Dr. Rogers. The human never actually got to meet him. He did, however, spend some time studying with one of Carl Roger's doctoral students, Marshall Rosenberg. If you are interested, by the way, there is a long documentary of Carl Rogers doing group therapy. Click here to watch the documentary called "Journey Into Self."

Maggie and the Cow Ear

Maggie and the Marrow Bone

No Dogs Were Hurt in the Filming of This Video

You know how some humans can't seem to walk and chew gum at the same time? Below you will find some video evidence of what happens when those same humans attempt to use video and throw a ball at the same time. It's a good thing I'm a therapy dog with a good nature!



He tried again and paid a little more attention. This was much more fun.

No pet store puppies

If a pet store sells puppies, I won't buy anything there. Join me, and make a different for puppies and dogs everywhere. No Pet Store Puppies.

Therapy Dog Round Up: Dancing Dogs, Cruelty, and a Lawsuit

• Therapy dog troupe in Chicago puts on a production of the Nutcracker.

• George Mason's School of Law brings in a pack of puppy cuteness to help students manage end-of-semester exam stress.
• Marcus Luttrell, the only survivor of a SEAL operation in Afghanistan, talks about the brutal slaying of his therapy dog DASY. "She was like a daughter to me."
• In other sad news, Scooby, a doberman pinscher in training to be a therapy dog, was shot and killed in his owner's front yard by a cyclist carrying a gun.
• David Frei, founder of Angel on a Leash, talks about what therapy dogs can do.
• Justice Department files a housing discrimination lawsuit against the University of Nebraska at Kearney, alleging the campus denied a student the chance to keep a therapy dog in her apartment to cope with depression and anxiety.
• Army Cpl. Kacey Schlundt finds a sense of calmness driving seven huskies to their second chance at life. "Schlundt feels that every dog he helps save squares a debt for every life he took while fighting insurgents in Mahmudiyah from 2006 to 2008."

What Happens When you Tickle a Gorilla?

They giggle, of course. Wouldn't you?

If you want to hear more about the story, check out this clip:




Thanks to Steven Motson for spotting this clip!

Beagle Takes First Steps in Grass

So this video has been making the rounds lately. A group of beagles who had only known life inside metal research cages were rescued. There sure are awfully cute.

The View From Here: Irene's Morning Wind Edition

My human predicted that this was going to happen. I woke up this morning and poked my head out the front door, sat down inside the threshold, and looked up at my human. Who is he kidding thinking I'm going outside? He finally coaxed me out the door and off the porch. I just stood there amazed at how the wind would pick up and make my ears go aloft. It's a cute trick. I bet you wish your ears could do that!

I'm currently refusing to do any outdoor business until conditions improve. I can wait. Really.

Anyway, here is the beginning winds of hurricane Irene. I'll periodically direct the human to capture a clip of the weather as long as it is safe to be standing in the front yard. As you can see, the oak trees are likely going to look very threatening as the day goes on.