A short while ago we met Pete Dowan (virtually). He emailed to share a song he wrote and recorded about how his dog, Scuttle, helped him deal with his medical disabilities. The song is called Good Friend and if you listen (click the play button on the player bar) I think you'll understand why. As ...

Did everyone watch The Incredible Dog Challenge on TV yesterday? Wow! I have to say the show is as good (or better) than the Olympics! Hey, why don't we let dogs compete in the Olympics? Ok, we're not the people to decide on whether or not dogs should be allowed in the Olympics...or are we? Purina'...

If you read my last post you'll know we are down in Big Bend National Park for a little hiking and biking. We brought Darcie along because we couldn't find a competent dog lover to take care of her. It was nice our first couple of days here. We were riding in shorts and short sleeves on Monday. We w...

To those of you who have been reading Dr. Larry's posts on his trip to Big Bend with Darcie - stay tuned. There's another "episode" tomorrow. And Dr. Larry always has a story to tell. Meanwhile, I wanted to share a new book I've been reading, with you. The title is Queen of the Road , and it's writt...

Well, we've pretty much broken one of our own travel rules with Darcie. We have been planning a trip to Big Bend National Park for about six months. We had a house/ dog sitter lined up but she canceled at the last minute. Darcie requires some special care and it's kind of tough finding someone who ...

Yes, I know. It's too late to vote for Pres. or to get yourself a new congressman or congresswoman. That happened days ago and we're all glad it's over (aren't we?). Now that the annoyance of the 2-year long campaign is behind us (is that wild applause I hear?) it's time to turn our thoughts to o...

Today, I thought I'd share pet pictures from some nice Scratchings and Sniffings readers who have shared, in the last few weeks. Maggie, my daughter, sent me this pic of her friend's dog, Skyebear, getting ready for the beach, I guess. Skyebear's Mom just happened to see her sunglassed nearby...and ...

The Canadian Purina website and offices have a wonderful Hall of Fame for our four-legged heroes. I recommend a visit to the website to read the amazing stories, if you get a chance. But, I also want to share a story I learned of when Bruce Goldstein sent me his recent book about Ozzy. Well, the boo...

A few weeks ago there was an article in our local paper from the Associated Press. It was about the lack of adoption of big black dogs from animal shelters. I always cringe when I read things like that because... the color or size of a dog is not an indication of that dog's temperment. So, why are b...

This is an eulogy written by my Facebook friend, Fulvia. When she posted this on Facebook it took my breath away. We all know this feeling... and today, more than a week after Fulvia wrote this, I am experiencing despair, also. Reznor, the beautiful dog in the header of this blog, my daughter's belo...