tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69425026075225035562011-12-09T17:02:25.044-08:00Reflections on Love, Harmony & Beauty in the Plant, Animal, Human & Spiritual RealmsMary & David Dohrmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09340678453901674638noreply@blogger.comBlogger231100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942502607522503556.post-32893918825882510942011-01-21T16:27:00.000-08:002011-12-09T17:02:25.062-08:00

A couple of days ago, Mary baked some of her amazing bread, and she promised Kathryn and Elizabeth,our daughters, one of the finished products. While we were driving over to Powell's on Hawthorne, where Elizabeth works, to drop off a loaf, an interesting conversation arose. Mary had begun to think aloud about dinner, wondering what she might make. "What about huevos rancheros?" I suggested. "

Mary & David Dohrmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09340678453901674638noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942502607522503556.post-76679541905126919822010-09-21T17:47:00.000-07:002011-11-08T18:02:41.487-08:00

Piper (left) and her mother, Molly. Pic taken 3 weeks ago. Here is an update on what Piper has learned to do since we began her training last spring. She can: Shake. Actually, she learned how to shake hands in puppy school, but perfected it in CT training. Comes in handy when her leash is tangled and she is acting rowdy. Loose-leash walking. She has become a good walker, and will return to the

Mary & David Dohrmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09340678453901674638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942502607522503556.post-26796051999713088602010-06-23T15:52:00.000-07:002010-09-21T15:37:12.537-07:00

Piper recently graduated from a 5-week Obedience Training Course from Auntie Sally. All the dogs graduated, actually. She wasn't the best, wasn't the worst -- each dog did well in some areas, not so well in others. Piper proved to have a quick learning curve, undermined by her over-the-top sociability, which at least is better than being a biter, a barker, or a "scaredy dog". The class was based

Mary & David Dohrmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09340678453901674638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942502607522503556.post-53122587189151517882010-04-01T17:06:00.001-07:002010-06-25T12:59:27.345-07:00

The minds of dogs are fascinating, not only because it's so hard to figure out what they are thinking, but also because they surprise us with unexpected displays of complex mental activity. Piper did just that two nights ago.Sometimes in the evening we give her a rawhide bone. The ones we have are about a foot long, no knobs on the end, and our custom has been to take them away from her either

Mary & David Dohrmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09340678453901674638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942502607522503556.post-46603163103560181662010-03-26T16:19:00.000-07:002010-04-02T18:42:59.392-07:00

Having had Piper for ten months or so, we have begun to develop a mental list of "Pet Pet Peeves". While not egregious, they merit attention here in our blog and are listed below in no particular order.1. Owners who force their dogs to spend cold, wet days and nights on the concrete stoop or driveway, or in an unheated van, year-round. Take them inside, please -- at least into your garage, or

Mary & David Dohrmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09340678453901674638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942502607522503556.post-86780708278470980562010-02-28T11:53:00.000-08:002010-03-03T13:32:35.828-08:00

Piper has been a puller since the day we first attached a leash to her little puppy collar. In those days she could do a lot of things to make a walk interesting, but one thing she could not do was pull us off our feet. Now, at 60 lbs., she can do that and has done it. So we began looking for an alternative to the dubiously named "Non-pull Mesh Harness" we had been using, which attached at her

Mary & David Dohrmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09340678453901674638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942502607522503556.post-7513718777459443652009-12-28T17:34:00.000-08:002009-12-30T11:31:20.944-08:00

As we write this, it is nearly dinner time, dark outside, and Piper is out in the back yard playing with her favorite toy, a 10" flower pot that she discovered last summer. Little did we know how much time and energy she would devote to what we affectionately call "Bucket". Bucket serves both as an interactive and a play-by-yourself toy. She plays her own brand of fetch (meaning that she will

Mary & David Dohrmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09340678453901674638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942502607522503556.post-35585469469388801202009-12-09T11:26:00.000-08:002009-12-09T17:54:04.298-08:00

Dateline Portland, ORA dog named Piper was the talk of the Portland area yesterday, when she was seen literally walking on water. Police were finally called to keep hundreds of curiosity seekers at a distance, as the amazing animal sought badly needed privacy and solitude. Several people marched with signs that said, "G-O-D = D-O-G" and "The Golden Age is here." Onlookers were heard murmuring

Mary & David Dohrmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09340678453901674638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942502607522503556.post-57019955647600472732009-10-28T15:18:00.001-07:002009-10-28T15:33:36.425-07:00

Piper had her first encounter with the Pacific Ocean last week, and after figuring out that the surf was really not going to gobble her up, she loved every minute of it. She also had her first encounter with running. Our son Jeff, who was visiting from Phoenix with three of his four kids, took her running every morning, and sometimes in the afternoon as well. The photo is of their first run,

Mary & David Dohrmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09340678453901674638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942502607522503556.post-32652348422871606922009-09-14T11:03:00.000-07:002009-10-01T17:08:30.058-07:00

"Why did we decide to get a Golden Retriever puppy?" you ask. Well, maybe you didn't ask, but that question came up a few times during first couple of weeks after she came home. Now the question seems like ancient history, because she is turning into such a sweet dog -- oops, I can't stay in that fantasy forever, because she just stole my shoe!Anyway, it happened like this. Last March our

Mary & David Dohrmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09340678453901674638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942502607522503556.post-68180197590160358542009-08-21T17:19:00.000-07:002009-12-12T16:22:27.055-08:00

Today was Piper's first day of training in how to sweep the patio. As you can see, she is really interested in learning this wonderful trick. She lacks thumbs, unfortunately, so perhaps we will have to re-design the broom to fit her teeth. Or perhaps she will find a way to put it in her mouth herself, since she has done that with nearly everything else, including parts of us!We have had several

Mary & David Dohrmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09340678453901674638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942502607522503556.post-83454976568005446602009-07-25T17:13:00.000-07:002009-07-26T15:13:19.761-07:00

Raising a puppy is a complex process, especially if one hasn't done it in awhile. So much material is available in books and online — a mixed blessing, because what works for one dog doesn't work for another. So Learning #1 is that if someone tells you that they have the be-all, end-all solution for your doggie problem, it's not to be believed. We all have to find our own way, trying one solution

Mary & David Dohrmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09340678453901674638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942502607522503556.post-25907683653936674602009-07-09T15:28:00.000-07:002009-12-12T16:19:57.641-08:00

They say that twins, even separated at birth, often lead very similar lives. We were amused Tuesday evening when Piper's littermate Jackson (on the left in this picture) was brought over for their first meeting since they left the breeder's home. They were both sporting green collars with identical blue bone-shaped tags. They waived the niceties of introductions, and got right down to chasing,

Mary & David Dohrmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09340678453901674638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942502607522503556.post-91395806214770914532009-07-09T13:10:00.000-07:002009-07-09T13:44:41.516-07:00

Sometimes — actually, nearly always — the best doggie toys are free. Case in point: the little red bucket in which we bought some Miracle Gro plant food a few years back. We've used the bucket since then for many things, but its true purpose has finally manifested. It is the Amazing Puppybucket, on sale soon at a store near you! Check out the video and you'll see why.

Mary & David Dohrmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09340678453901674638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942502607522503556.post-42722087021547217382009-06-24T12:46:00.000-07:002009-07-25T18:03:41.335-07:00

Piper returned home after two days with Jenny, the breeder, and apparently "got religion", in terms of ratcheting down her contrary behavior. She was taught there by dogs and humans alike that biting and/or mouthing humans is not allowed under any circumstances, that her owners can remove her toys from her mouth whenever they want, and that she needs to play nice and respect her elders. This

Mary & David Dohrmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09340678453901674638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942502607522503556.post-81782512764272861672009-06-17T15:39:00.000-07:002009-06-23T17:40:54.146-07:00

Piper is taking some time off for a few days -- she is visiting parents Boomer & Molly at the breeder's home out in the country. One of the reasons for this is that we have been working unsuccessfully to get her puppy biting under control, and Jenny, the breeder, suggested that we bring her out to her place so she could have a chance to receive some instruction from her parents.Sure enough, Piper

Mary & David Dohrmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09340678453901674638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942502607522503556.post-44202001700553106712009-06-10T12:39:00.000-07:002009-06-24T13:19:03.424-07:00

Piper has been home for nearly a week now, and our calm, unhurried, uncluttered life is only a faint memory. If you've raised a puppy, you know whereof we speak. If not, Google something like "raising a puppy" or "how to get a puppy to stop biting/chewing" and you'll get a good idea.One of us has what it takes to run with her, as you see in the picture. The easy canter of a well-trained dog lies

Mary & David Dohrmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09340678453901674638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942502607522503556.post-59681707940255839972009-06-04T16:36:00.000-07:002009-06-04T17:35:05.706-07:00

Piper came home with us today and it's been nonstop action ever since! She was very wiggly in the car, but agreed to stay on my lap anyway. The backyard proved to be of enormous interest, and she wanted to sniff every square inch of it. We discovered how quickly she learns when David pulled up a weed, and she immediately went for the hole he had left and started digging and pulling weeds

Mary & David Dohrmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09340678453901674638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942502607522503556.post-68134346147934555032009-05-28T15:50:00.000-07:002009-05-30T23:22:11.151-07:00

We paid a visit to Piper on Wednesday, to tell her that we would be picking her up in a week and that she should be preparing herself mentally for the transition ... and also that we have a cat.She seemed unconcerned about these matters, and was more interested in checking out an in-ground water sprinkler. She also likes to run a lot, and since we don't, we'll probably have to work out some

Mary & David Dohrmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09340678453901674638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942502607522503556.post-24326369089326513132009-05-21T10:45:00.000-07:002009-05-29T17:04:42.413-07:00

I really like this picture (David speaking here), although Mary isn't as crazy about it as I am. By their expressions, I can tell that she and Piper have begun working on their secret plan to extend Puppy Love world-wide. If they are successful, the hearts of people everywhere will begin to open, and they will learn to care for each other as much as dogs care about them!

Mary & David Dohrmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09340678453901674638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942502607522503556.post-65045872791731469552009-05-20T10:29:00.000-07:002009-05-29T17:05:40.192-07:00

Sunday, May 17th dawned sunny and warm - a perfect day to visit our puppy! Today we asked Elizabeth and Kathryn to join us for a "Magical Mystery Tour". They didn't know anything about the newest member of the family, but trusted us enough to come along. We arrived at Jenny and Bryan's place, and Kathryn immediately saw the horses, the barn, etc, and joked: "You bought me a horse!" Soon after

Mary & David Dohrmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09340678453901674638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942502607522503556.post-22865998461178665772009-05-18T11:15:00.000-07:002009-05-18T23:37:25.259-07:00

This is the way our cutie looked when we first met her. Parents Boomer and Molly stood protectively by as the pups were taken from their "home" in the barn out to the grassy lawn, but were very friendly to us. The puppies toddled (and toppled) around on the grass while we looked on in amazement at the seemingly random motion. We picked up one after the other, trying to decide which one would

Mary & David Dohrmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09340678453901674638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6942502607522503556.post-33114059733943738542009-05-17T17:14:00.000-07:002009-05-29T17:06:47.370-07:00

Technically, she is "Molly and Boomer's girl", but she sticks a little closer to Molly these days because of the ready food supply. In this first picture, "Honey" (the breeder gave all the pups names and collars to tell them apart) was four weeks old, and was traveling short distances -- e.g., from the barn to the yard outside the barn -- in the basket with her brothers and sisters. All nine of

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