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Columns / Dog Park Diary

Sorted by date  Results 1 – 14 of 14

 By Rebecca Hoch    Columns    December 17, 2014 

Going to the Dog Park – Rain or Shine

I’m sitting at my kitchen table. It’s pouring outside. Isabelle taps the back door to go out. I let her out. The linoleum is freckled with muddy paw prints documenting her forays to and from the…

 
 By Rebecca Hoch    Columns    December 10, 2014

Tips for delightful dog photos

Pets and babies. Both are adorable. They compel us to whip out our phones – or an actual camera – and capture that cuteness for all eternity. But darn it! They move! And fast. I have countless…

 
 By Rebecca Hoch    Columns    December 3, 2014

Spotlight – Dushka, Our Local Chesapeak Bay Retreiver

“Dushka!” A puppy zips past me. It skitters into a turn, commences a full body wriggle and jigs back for a quick hello sniff. I give its chocolaty brown head a pat – or try to. It’s squirming so…

 
 By Rebecca Hoch    Columns    November 26, 2014

Park Planning Update and Thanksgiving Moment

The Park Planning Committee met this week. They were presented with five potential plans for the park. They narrowed the selection to two. Both include the dog park, but it may be in a new location or configuration. These preliminary plans will be…

 
 By Rebecca Hoch    Columns    November 19, 2014

Canine Massage – A Surprising Way to Keep Your Dog Healthy and Happy

Massage… Just hearing the word makes my whole body relax, brings a smile to my lips and compels me to take deep cleansing breaths. Ahhhh. Although viewed as an indulgence, massage has myriad health…

 
 By Rebecca Hoch    Columns    November 12, 2014

It’s All About Connections

Last week, a local dog owner told me about his first dog park experience: “It was awful! Two dogs started fighting. There was blood, the owners had to pull them apart, my dog freaked out… It was…

 
 By Rebecca Hoch    Columns    November 5, 2014

A Change of Season

The sultry dog days of summer – or in our case, September – are gone. October toyed with us masquerading as summer until its final days. November is making its entrance with howling winds,…

 
 By Rebecca Hoch    Columns    October 29, 2014

Park Development Planning – It’s Happening Now

At the beginning of October, as Isabelle and I returned to the car, I noticed a letter-sized piece of paper stapled to the bulletin board standing at the junction of the parking lot and the path to the off-leash area. It wasn’t particularly…

 
 By Rebecca Hoch    Columns    October 22, 2014

Dog Park Crush

I have a crush.  His name is Whelan. He’s got a satiny, chocolate brown coat, soulful eyes that sparkle when he plays and irresistible droopy ears that hang practically to his knees. When he’s…

 
 By Rebecca Hoch    Columns    October 15, 2014

Puppy Pointers for visiting the dog park

Isabelle has a little sister! Of sorts. My good friend Scott added Carla to his household last week. Carla and Isabelle have the same parents but are a year apart. The girls have yet to meet. Carla needs a few more shots before she can mingle safely…

 
 By Rebeca Hoch    Columns    October 8, 2014

Grooming Tips from a pro

Isabelle and I go to the dog park early on Wednesday’s. It’s always a crap shoot: will there be other dogs there or not? Happily, we’ve been running into Dizzy. Dizzy is a short-haired mix of a dog…

 
 By Rebecca Hoch    Columns    September 24, 2014

Dog Day Dairy – Ode To The Bulldog

You are short, you are squat and inherently stunted. Your poor nose smashed in, your jowls fleshy bunting. Your torso a triangle: wide chest, narrow flanks. Your gait slightly buoyant, bowed legs act…

 
 By Rebecca Hoch – Contributing Writer- Columnist    Columns    September 17, 2014

“Dog Day Diary” Spotlight Kato & Kona

They burst into the park, two black and white ping pong balls of fur, tails curled, ice blue eyes sparkling, bounding effortlessly over the ground delighting in the act of running. Siberian huskies….

 
 By Rebecca Hoch    Columns    September 3, 2014

The Scoop About Poop

Poop scooping is a frequent topic of dog park conversation. We’re standing in an open field. Why are we scooping? It’s biodegradable, right? Why are we tip-toeing through the grass hunting for poop…

 
 
 
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