Does your dog want a hug?

New research by Dr. Stanley Coren of the University of British Columbia, retired psychology professor, shows that hugging a dog actually increases canine stress levels.  Over two thousand photos were submitted by pet owners for a contest to identify the cutest dog. ...

National Therapy Animal Day–Hurray!

April 30, 2016 is National Therapy Animal Day.  Pet Partners, one of the largest organizations to test and promote therapy animals, declared this a day to celebrate the contributions of therapy animals to the lives of so many people.  Therapy animals and their human...

Hug Your Dog, Hug a Tree!

April 29, 2016 is Arbor Day.  Celebrate trees with your dog today! Across the country, people will be planting trees to commemorate Arbor Day.  The Arbor Day Foundation will even mail ten free trees for you to plant in your yard.  They sent me an envelope of sticks...

What? Not a single mention of a corgi in Shakespeare?

April 23, 2016 is the 400th birthday of William Shakespeare.  I have read nearly everything written by Shakespeare, and I have had the pleasure, yes I’m serious, of teaching Hamlet four times a day for a solid month for ten years during my tenure teaching English at a...

Celebrate Earth Day with Your Dog!

Today, April 22, marks Earth Day!  It began in 1970–I was young then and recall entering a poster contest for kids to advertise Earth Day.  At that time,  America was polluted with gas emissions from cars, factory and industry wastes, and the environment took a back...