Welcome to Dawson’s Corner
Observations from the Dog Side
People say they wonder what their dogs are up to while they’re away and I’m no different. Granted, I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about it but just the other day I came across some information that surprised me.
Many of you know I train my dogs to compete in agility. Grady has been competing for a few years now and Dawson is continuing to learn stuff so he can eventually compete. Both of them love training and have a good work ethic. And both of them hate to miss out on any fun that the other one might be having. Dawson, in particular, really hates to miss anything.
How do I know this? Because there was a long, long, long period of time when Dawson would bark in his crate while I trained Grady (or some other dog). And not just your average, run-of-the-mill barking. Oh no. What good would that do? Dawson’s bark is L-O-U-D loud with a pitch that is as irritating as nails on a chalkboard. Insistent and impossible to ignore, Dawson’s bark could make a grown man cry. For the longest time nothing could silence him although I am pleased to report that lately he has been very good in his crate. Perhaps Dawson has accepted his fate, I thought.
I was wrong.
Apparently, Dawson has started a movement. It’s called Abolish the Crate Federation and it is very popular among our canine companions.
I knew Dawson wasn’t thrilled about being crated during agility training but I really had no idea how strongly he felt about it. I found organizational documents, personal correspondence, fund raising ideas, minutes from board meetings, and so forth. Since Dawson has such strong opinions, I’ve decided to give him his own blog to express himself.
Welcome to, “Dawson’s Corner, observations from the dog-side.”
Dawson’s Corner
Jones turns 2!
Dear Friends, Family, Fans and Abolish the Crate Federation Members, March is a month of celebration in our house because Jones had a birthday - the big 2! He got to run in the pasture (his favorite thing), do a little training, and share his birthday cake with me. A...
Who’s A Winner?
Dear Friends, Family, Fans and Abolish the Crate Federation Members, Happy New Year! It’s that time when everyone starts setting goals for the new year. I have several for myself and many for Jones who looked at me like my head just exploded when I told him. No...
Making the Nice List
Dear Friends, Family, Fans and Abolish the Crate Federation Members, Happy Holidays to all!! It’s that time of year again, when Jones petitions Santa for “good boy status” so that he can be taken off Santa’s naughty list and put on Santa’s nice list so he can receive...
Jones’ strange and puzzling puppy predilections
Dear Friends, Family, Fans and Abolish the Crate Federation Members, The interest in Jones’ progress toward becoming a very good boy has been quite surprising. First, let me say that I am most appreciative of the emails and texts of support from all of you. I have a...
Would you like to play?!
Dear Friends, Family, Fans and Abolish the Crate Federation Members, Since my last blog about Jones’ working toward becoming, “a good boy,” I have had many inquires about his recent progress. It seems there are many dogs out there with youngsters to contend with....
Make a Splash Your Own Way!
Dear Friends, Family, Fans and Abolish the Crate Federation Members, I don’t know if you noticed but there’s now an official letterhead for my blog/newsletter! And, for that, I’d like to give a shout out to Jones. He thought of the title and design because he believes...
Good Pup, Jones…?
Dear Friends, Family, Fans and Abolish the Crate Federation Members, For over a year now I have been closely observing Jones to see if he has what it takes to be a very good dog. I must confess, I am cautiously optimistic about his chances. He is a slower learner than...
Happy 1st Birthday to Jones!
Dear Friends, Family, Fans and Abolish the Crate Federation Members, Happy Birthday to Jones! Jones turns one year old this month, so I asked if he would reflect on his first year of life. He quickly agreed to be a guest blogger. Jones apparently had a lot to say,...
2023’s New Years Resolutions
Dear Friends, Family, Fans and Abolish the Crate Federation Members, 2022 is now a distant memory and the time has come for us to make some New Year’s resolutions. As many of you know, Grady doesn’t believe in making New Year’s resolutions because his philosophy is to...
Jones’ First Letter To Santa
Happy Holidays to friends, family, fans and Abolish the Crate Federation Members! It’s another holiday first for Jones! I don’t have much to say about Santa (although, as you recall, I have a solid friendship with Dasher, his fastest reindeer!) but Grady just adores...
