Loving Dogs

Old Luis and young Mia, ca. 2012

How dogs bless us, how we bless dogs -- is a theme I've developed over years of blogging about experiences and books:

Reflections on what dogs teach us

• "Dogs are Poetry" (01/04/2010) reflects on two books that relate dogs to God, and on my own dogs Bo and Luis. The books are A Big Little Life by bestselling writer of supernatural thrillers Dean Koontz, and writings by monks who raise dogs for service.
  
• "Playing's the Thing" (09/02/2007) relates a scientist's study of playful behavior among animals, and what educators can learn from it. Includes link to a video of a polar bear's encounter with dogs -- it looks like a tragedy in the making, but takes a surprising turn.
  
• "Blessing of the Animals" (10/11/2014) about our annual service at St. James Episcopal Church
  
• "Canine Comedy Sylvia: How We Project on Our Pets" (06/07/2015) reflects on A. R. Gurney's popular play and my dogs Mia and Luis.
  
• Do animals have souls? "Mia's Anima, a Dog's Soul" (10/31/2015) gives my answer, with photos of Mia in her most curious, animated moments. 
  
• The Particulars of Peter by Kelly Conaboy embraces the knowledge that 98% of dog owners believe their dog is perfect. (12/2020)
• "Rejoice in the Lamb, Christopher Smart's Cat, and My Dog Mia" (12/25/2016) reflects on an 18th century poem of thanksgiving, and Benjamin Britten's music for it. What does Christian tradition say about pets?
  
• "Jesus and Dogs" (01/07/2015) is my reflection on Matthew 15:21-28, where the Canaanite woman "plays the dog card" for sympathy.
  
• Have Dog, Will Travel: A Guide Dog and Her Poet (06/19/2018) reflects on the book by poet Steve Kuusisto about his first seeing - eye dog
  
  

Chet and Bernie Detective Series, narrated by the private eye's German Shepherd, by Spencer Quinn
• A Doggie Treat covers Dog On It and Thereby Hangs a Tail
• The Dog Who Knew Too Much: Fun with Feeling
• Chet and Bernie Alone:  A Fistfull of Collars
• The Sound and the Furry:  Paws for Reflection
• Paw and Order: Chet and Bernie go to Washington 
• Scents and Sensibility "cuts close to the emotional bone"

Five dogs have blessed me so far in the years since I started this blog:

Brandy [pictured above], called a "Basenji mix"
• How I came to adopt Brandy (08/2019)
• Photos of Brandy in our first year together (August 2019-December 2020): outing after weeks of bedrest for heartworm treatment, with Susan, and in a cafe (09/2019); a photo of Brandy and me in the front seat of the car -- parked! (12/2019); a walk through Marietta Square on Christmas Day (12/2019); Brandy with Alleluia Butterflies on Easter (04/2020); Brandy with flags on July 4th (photos by Susan) (07/2020); Brandy, part of my morning prayer routine (08/2020); Thanksgiving with -- and for -- Brandy, when I came home after three days away (11/2020); Christmas Card "Bark! The Herald Angels Sing" (01/2021)
• Reading Kelly Conaboy's The Particulars of Peter, I reflected on how dogs and their humans are all alike -- and so what? Several pictures of Brandy are included. (12/2020) A posting mostly about the church's holiday liturgy also involves Brandy in "Tail End of the 12 Days of Christmas" (01/2021)
• The Team That Helped My Dog Find Home (09/2022) tells about Brandy's 40-hour odyssey alone in the woods and how a dozen people helped me to meet her back at home.
• Accessible Poem (for Brandy) (09/2022) preserves a particular moment with Brandy. I finished the poem early on the day that Brandy was almost lost to me.

Mia, a pit bull mix
• "Jung Over: Dreams the Morning After" (03/09/2013) A critical moment in my relationship with young Mia, and how a nightmare helped me to learn from it.
  
• Do animals have souls? "Mia's Anima, a Dog's Soul" (10/31/2015) gives my answer, with photos of Mia in her most curious, animated moments.
  
• "Dogless Days of August" (08/03/2016) is one of my most - read blogposts. What's it like at home when the dog is away for obedience training?
  
• "Rejoice in the Lamb, Christopher Smart's Cat, and My Dog Mia" (12/25/2016) relates an 18th century poem of thanksgiving to Mia, Christmas Day. What does Christian tradition say about pets?
  
• "Snow Days with Dog: How Happy Can You Get?" (01/10/2017) is my effort to describe Mia at play, with photo collage.
  
• "Me and Mia" (07/15/2017), a photo of us together early one summer morning.
  
• Mia and Sassy were diagnosed the same day. This article concludes with a favorite photo of her. (04/01/2018)
  
• "Playful Dog"(07/02/2108) describes Mia at play, with photos, a joy made more acute by her diagnosis.
  
• "Thanksgiving for Mia" (11/22/2018) includes a poem I wrote about her the week of Thanksgiving.
  
• Another poem, "Long Division" (01/26/2019) about our being divided each day by my work.
  
• "Mia Doesn't Even Know She's Sick" (06/03/2019), but now her kidneys are failing, and time is short. A retrospective of photos concludes Mia at cocktail hour, giving her most flirtatious look.
• "Listening to Mia" (07/17/2019) How will Mia tell me when it's time?
  
• "Gratitude for Mia" (07/2019)
  

Mia, eager for our drive to the cemetery for a walk, June 2019.

Sassy, a miniature Doberman Pinscher, or "Min - Pin," rescued by my parents
• "I'm Lost Without My Dog" (05/15/2018) tells Sassy's origin story along with a description of the gap she left in Mom's life, and mine.
  
• From Easter, I looked back on Sassy's final week (04/01/2018)
  

Luis, a mix of breeds -- what breeds, I never knew
• "Dogs are Poetry" (01/04/2010) reflects on two books that relate dogs to God, and on my own dogs Bo and Luis.
  
• "Trying to Catch my Old Dog Luis" (12/04/2014) is Luis's origin story, my effort to "catch" him in words while he was still with me.
  
• "Luis, Rest in Peace" (12/31/2015)
  

Bo, a yellow lab
• "Dogs are Poetry" (01/04/2010).
  
• "Dog in Winter" (12/20/2011) considers how Bo, aged and slowing down, still had life in him, and, more, was still "in" his life.
  
• "Remembering Bo" (04/09/2012) includes his origin story.
  

Other dogs touched my family and me, going back fifty years before my blog, beyond my own life. See "My Life in Dogs" (07/05/2019), a page about Cleo, Churchill, Colonel, Missy, Gabby, and the dogs who enriched the lives of my Mom and Dad: Peggy, Frosty, and KC.