Category Archives: the woof pack

Dogs – mine and other people’s – especially rescues, malinois, and belgians more generally.

50 Rose Plants

Posted on February 3, 2022 by halia466

“Can you read me the Latin name?” “I’ll spell it out, ok? I don’t know how to say it.” She was sweet to accommodate my pretentious-sounding request, but the price list only indicated common names and since I was buying … Continue reading →

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Open Doors

Posted on December 2, 2021 by halia466

Right now, as I sit at the dining room table, all the interior doors in this house are open. No dogs are in crates. Everyone is loose, and all the doors are open. It has been almost a year since … Continue reading →

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Beginning Middle End

Posted on November 14, 2021 by halia466

It struck me the other day just how much we humans rely upon the structure of the story. We need the beginning, middle, and end in order to wrap our brains around a thing. One of the most infuriating things … Continue reading →

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The Dog World is not Always a Nice Place

Posted on August 31, 2021 by halia466

The other day I posted a photo of Hawkitt on my Instagram account, and a friend asked me to submit it to an edited collection of photos he’s seeking to publish. A dog book, full of gorgeous photos of dogs … Continue reading →

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Peeka Mouse

Posted on July 19, 2021 by halia466

In the Catskills region of upstate New York, there is a mountain called Peekamoose. When we adopted Peeka, I was on a kick to name my dogs after Catskills peaks. “She has to be Peeka MOUSE because she’s so small,” … Continue reading →

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Dog Fights and Summer Musings

Posted on June 19, 2021 by halia466

I loosened Willa’s collar. There is such a ritual in this simple act, the concrete acknowledgement of growth. Similarly when we had to finally retire Bindi’s baby collar, the adorable honeybee one her foster mama gave her, we marked it … Continue reading →

Posted in Catskilliana, the woof pack, writer's life | 2 Comments

Freedom and its Price

Posted on May 30, 2021 by halia466

At the heart of so many dog training discussions there lies an elephant in the living room: freedom. For folks from the USA, freedom has an almost mythological meaning and importance – we see freedom as central to our identity. … Continue reading →

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The Multi Dog Household

Posted on May 16, 2021 by halia466

Recently a friend asked the question on an Instagram post: how do you manage a multidog household? While the short answer – build a fabulous relationship with every individual dog – rolls off the keyboard easily, the reality of life … Continue reading →

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Danger! Thin Ice!

Posted on March 25, 2021 by halia466

I headed out for playtime with the four adult dogs, same as ever. Hawkitt loves to fetch and tug, Bindi loves to harass Hawk, Peeka loves to watch and I’m still not sure what Brody loves to do. Willa must … Continue reading →

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Being and Doing

Posted on March 12, 2021 by halia466

Today I’m back. It’s like a black cloud has lifted, the heaviness of burn out somehow miraculously replaced by energy, enthusiasm, plans and an attack on the kitchen mess. Feels good. This much change for no apparent reason makes me … Continue reading →

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