basic training.
Anna Westhoff Each week, Ben Westhoff shares the ups and downs of owning Pippi, the dalmatian mix he and his wife Anna adopted as a puppy in late 2009, and the first dog Ben's ever had. No one wore a cap or gown, but Pippi graduated from her basic training class this week. Actually, going into the final session of the eight-week course, I wasn't entirely satisfied with Pippi's progress. Sure, she could sit and wait, but that was about it. When it came to going "down" onto her belly as commanded, she would only do so if there were treats involved, and even then she didn't do it very quickly. As far as getting her to "drop," forget about it. When she had a toy or a forbidden food item ...
Ben Westhoff Each week, Ben Westhoff shares the ups and downs of owning Pippi, the dalmatian mix he and his wife Anna adopted as a puppy in late 2009, and the first dog Ben's ever had. This summer Anna and I are hosting Jorell, my "little brother" in the Big Brother/Big Sister program. Jorell is 13, and he and I met when I lived in St. Louis. He flew out here to New Jersey to spend a month with us, during which time he's attending YMCA day camp. It's been a blast so far. We've taken him to Times Square and other hot spots, and he's gotten close with the next-door neighbor's kids, getting into water fights and going to various birthday parties with them. Sadly, Jorell had to leave behind ...
rick, Flickr This week's guest columnist is my wife Anna. Parents don't always like to admit when their kids misbehave. One reason is that they worry it reflects poorly on them as parents. The same may be said for Ben and me when it comes to our 10-month-old Dalmatian mix, Pippi. We hate to admit it but sometimes Pippi pees to get our attention or express her dissatisfaction. It has happened two times since we adopted her in December -- and she did it on purpose. We are sure of it. The first time was a few weeks ago, the night before we were due to leave on our honeymoon. Pippi was wandering around as we pulled out our infrequently used backpacks, summer clothing and passports. Pippi ...