SimplyLife

A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of interviewing Border Patrol agent, David Burke. He's the supervisor of the K-9 program in the Tucson Sector. His partner, Bailey, an 8 1/2 year-old Belgian Malinois was also there. She's a detection dog, working to locate concealed humans and narcotics. Although, Agent Burke will tell you that she can't match his first partner Cisco, Bailey does all right. Her best month netted over $2 million in marijuana. Not too shabby.  She's also very adept at finding people who don't want to be found. Like those who are stowed in compartments secreted in truck beds, and other places. Dog w/ protective vest. Photo: BP  These hardworking dogs and their handlers are a visible reminder of where we live. Being 20 miles miles from the international border means we have a lot of illegal traffic--both drugs and human. Most often I see these dogs at a checkpoint on Route 90. They sniff at a steady stream of northbound vehicles that are...

If you've had several dogs over the years, there's always one that's a little above the rest. It's like the Border Patrol agent I recently interviewed who told me that his first canine partner would always be his best one. The dog was just plain special. And so it is for us. The canine who merits top dog in our family was a yellow Lab named Buck. He came into our home as a four-year-old. That in itself was out of the ordinary. We'd always had puppies. But after the demise of a dog who looked for every chance to escape the yard, our vet suggested we get in touch with a local breeder.  Buck was a handsome boy who'd sired quite a few litters, but had been retired early from that job. Neutered, shots up-to-date, and AKC paperwork in hand, we took him home to see if he'd be a good fit. He'd been shown in the breed ring, his obedience skills were well established, and his laid back personality were all big pluses. In no time, we were sure Buck would be a g...

Big dog? Little dog? Long haired? Short haired? Temperament? There are lots of questions to ask yourself before deciding on the perfect breed for you and your family. If you're purchasing a dog from a reputable breeder, they'll most likely have a questionnaire for you to fill out before they'll even consider selling a puppy to you. Some shelters may do the same thing.  For a successful match up between a dog and its new family there are lots of things to consider. The American Kennel Club distinguishes differences between dogs by categorizing them in different groups. If you've watched the Westminster Kennel Club Show on TV in February, you've seen all the breeds paraded around the ring.  The groups are:  Working, Sporting, Non-Sporting, Hound, Terrier, Herding, and Toy. There's lots of variety within these groups, but dogs are bred for specific purposes, which determines personality, natural abilities, and how well they'll fit into your family dynamic. ...

"But, Mom the puppies are really cute. I'll take care of it. Honest. We need a dog. I'll walk him and feed him. Pleeeeeese, can't we get a puppy?" The age old parent-child exchange about getting a puppy. The big decision to bring a baby canine into your family. How the passionate promises of feeding, walking, and cleaning up after the puppy pour so easily from your child's lips. You know, however, you'll be the one doing all of the above and more.  Of course, puppies are adorable, soft, cuddly, entertaining, annoying, labor intensive, and sleep disrupting. But, most likely you'll cave and get one anyway. Companion dogs are members of the family, and the puppy you add to the mix needs to be a good fit. Emotions run high over that furry, roly-poly critter whose antics can melt the heart of the stone. Take a deep breath and do your homework before making the commitment. Don't get a puppy at Christmastime. The excitement of the holiday will make it...

When the thermometer rises in July and August, the Dog Days are here. Ever wonder why the string of hot, humid days belongs to the dogs? It comes straight from ancient Rome. The Romans believed that the sultry days of summer were caused by Sirius--no, not your satellite radio, but the star in the sky. It was all connected with the dog star, Sirius rising at about the same time as the sun. These days ran from July 24-August 24. They actually sacrificed a brown dog at the beginning of time period to appease Sirius, which did absolutely no good, of course. While the simultaneous rising of the sun and Sirius is no longer true--it has to do with the equinoxes and other science stuff, the Dog Days have come down through the centuries, recognized by the Church and secular society alike. Dog Days were identified as evil days when "the Sea boiled, the Wine turned sour, Dogs grew mad, and all other creatures became languid; causing to man, among other diseases, burning fevers, hysterics...

Our Lab, Clancy is going to be 11 years old in a few weeks. We've had him since he was eight weeks old, just a squirming, yippy puppy. Once a way too energetic dog, he's just now beginning to slow down. Now that he's well into his senior years, a few quirks have come along that only add to his rather enthusiastic personality. He likes to imagine that intruders are outside on a whim. He begins barking for no particular reason and stares out of the front windows.  I vainly search for possible trespassers, but the yard is empty. If a commercial on TV includes a doorbell ringing, he's immediately at the front door barking like a Rottweiler. I'm chalking up these reactions to old age. He used to be able to differentiate between TV and reality. Or perhaps he's watched too much TV over the years. Clancy, who leads a rather sedate life these days, comes to life every evening around 7:00pm. He happily supplies entertainment just when we'd like to sit down and re...

It seems like everyone has a top ten list for just about anything this time of year.  The best, the worst, the most popular, unpopular, obscure, and whatever you can think of.  So...in keeping with popular culture for this week only, SimplyLife offers its own top ten list for 2012.  Here are the most read and commented on posts at SimplyLife for 2012: 10.  A tie between A Taste of Bisbee and The Arts and Crafts Show -Western Style . 9.    Tuesdays at Care Net . 8.    Unleashed Living 7.    Oh Look!There's Another Nest! 6.    Book Giveaway 5.    The Family Fruitcake 4.    Smores Anyone? 3.    The Dress 2.    Wild Blue Yonder And now for Number One....drum roll....clearing of throat, and opening of envelope. 1.  Under the Circumstances or Above Them Got some time for reading?  Check out some posts from the top ten...

Dogs are proven to add to our quality of life. They entertain, lower blood pressure, and are great companions. Wet noses, wagging tails, and sloppy kisses are some of the endearing canine qualities. They're always glad to see you and they love to be in the middle of whatever activity is going on. Our daughter Emily's dog, Dude is no exception.  He's a rescue dog and is most likely a Feist, which is a blend of terriers and other small breeds. Peculiar to the South, the energetic Feist is an avid hunter. Dude is obsessed with stalking rabbits and birds. He's even terminated a hummingbird, which is gruesome, but you to have to give him grudging admiration for the feat. The Dude was visiting this weekend and livened up the household and our senior Lab, Clancy.  They have a good round of tug of war with toys and there's usually a short-lived spat about food or a rawhide bone. As any dog owner knows they can be cagey when it comes to food and we've had some interest...

Labradors have to be about the goofiest dogs out there. The AKC breed description says a Lab should be "a strongly built, shortly coupled, very active dog. The hallmark of the breed is the "otter tail." The ideal disposition is one of a kindly, outgoing, tractable nature; eager to please and non-aggressive towards man or animal." No wonder they're America's favorite dog and have been for many years. They're personable, eat just about anything, and have low maintenance coats. However, their tails are dangerous.  They also have a tendency to steal food and hearts. Labs have been in our home for over 20 years. We've had mostly black Labs and one yellow. Our first was a rescue dog we named Sophie. She was an all around family dog. Our girls could do just about anything with her and Sophie was also an outstanding hunter. From woodchucks to muskrats, the  remains of sundry unfortunate critters showed up on our lawn on a regular basis. She faithfully waite...