The Journal
Field notes, essays, and the occasional rant about dogs — and the people who love them. New posts when there’s something worth saying. Usually once or twice a month, never to a schedule.
Why the early months with a new dog should look more like learning a roommate’s habits than running a bootcamp — and what to do instead. A long‑form rethink of how I introduce a new dog to my life, distilled from twenty years of getting the order wrong.
Read postAn honest inventory after twenty years and a few emergencies. What earns its place, what you can skip, and the one thing every owner under-stocks.
Read postOn the difference between separation anxiety and a dog who simply prefers your company — and why the distinction matters more than people think.
Read postA working line breed is not a lifestyle accessory. The exhaustive list of what a Mali actually needs — written by someone living with one.
Read postSome thoughts on losing Layla, and the strange, specific shape of the silence a dog leaves behind. The piece I didn’t plan to write yet.
Read postWhat I learned in the first month with a senior shepherd, and why “starting fresh” is the wrong frame for an adult dog who’s already a person.
Read postWhy most recall training fails by the third month, and how to think about “come” as something a dog chooses, not something you extract.
Read postFriendly, sure. Forgiving, mostly. But the marketing has obscured the real work of living with a soft, sensitive, attention-hungry breed.
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