Sam has been sheltering, keeping her distance from other dogs as we walk the neighborhood. And no petting. The people we meet on our walks these days stay six feet away, we wave, we smile, and we say hello. But Sam gets no rub on the head from the those we pass by. She misses … Continue reading Sam in Isolation #2 →

Sam is still getting her walks during these crazy times. Probably more than usual. Everyone, including her, needs to get out and walk around, even if it is six feet from everyone and every other dog. But while in the house, Sam's obsession with socks has escalated rapidly. Here she is with a pile of … Continue reading Sam in Isolation →

During this this crisis, one of the things we can do is walk outdoors. In fact, it's been recommended as a healthy and safe way to break away from our isolation. But of course, through it all, social-distancing is still the responsible thing to do. And that, too, goes for Sam. We headed out on … Continue reading Sam’s Social-Distancing →

Two years ago, I had an idea. What would it be like to reinvent the dog walking experience? Not so much for Sam, my Golden Doodle, but for me. All the experts say walking is a meditative, contemplative endeavor. Ask the great walkers—Thoreau, Dickens, John Muir. And for the dog? What if the dog led … Continue reading The Book: An Excerpt →

It's sniffing season. There is a lot of sniffing. Stop. Sniff. Stop. Sniff. Sniff. Sam senses change. A bluebird tweets from the end of a tree branch; the work of a woodpecker echoes across the house tops; I hear a child outside in a yard, laughing. All signs of spring. But for Sam, as the … Continue reading Sniffing Spring →

This is Sam after her walk with my wife in the Chicago snow. I'm told she seemed to enjoy it. But yet, that face. Cold. Tired. Even, dare I say, miserable. Dogs get cold just like we do. Yes, some breeds—Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes—are bred for this kind of frigid weather. But other dogs, mainly … Continue reading Sam is Simply NOT Going to Do That →

The audiobook of Walks with Sam will be released in a few months along with the paperback from ROUNDFIRE BOOKS/John Hunt Publishing, UK. But as the final touches are put into place, I thought it might be nice to share with you a little sample. Here's is part of Walk #1: Not Enough Socks in … Continue reading An Audio Nibble: Walks with Sam →