4-H offers an inexpensive way for youngsters to train their dogs and learn patience, responsibility, and confidence as well as other useful life-long skills. In one Colorado county, 4-H provides a much-needed diversion from our COVID times and helps youths bond with their four-footed friends.
I never imagined the length of time it would take to investigate and write a book about a rogue Labrador retriever whose life journey took many twists and turns, some bizarre, others shocking. But a goofy yellow Labrador inspired me to cross the finish line. The book, Heartbreak Kennel: The True Story of Max and His Breeder, is now published!!
Thirty-nine years ago, I backpacked with office colleagues to about a mile and a half from Snowmass Lake. The hike was stunningly beautiful, with many views and without any other hikers. I’ve wanted to return to the area ever since then but injuries from a car accident had made that impossible, until this year. Earlier this month, Dave and I backpacked to the lake and encountered numerous surprises and refreshing vistas.
One family’s love of dogs and interest in the dog show world has been passed down three generations. It’s meant more family time together and even helped fund a college and veterinary school education!
Every spring, we start conditioning ourselves and our canines for high altitude adventures. This year, we’ve experienced a couple of surprises that will alter our typical training regime so that both two- and four-footed creatures are ready for a fun and enjoyable summer and fall hiking season.
Mussel detection dogs help keep lakes and reservoirs free of invasive, fingernail-sized mussels that alter the natural ecosystem of these waters. These specially-trained canines search boats prior to launch to detect these destructive mussels that may have attached themselves to the watercraft.
My husband and I enjoyed our two-week vacation from snow and cold when we traveled to Costa Rica. We hiked on dirt sans snow, walked on beautiful beaches, and encountered a host of colorful birds, and three species of monkeys. But we couldn’t escape from invasive technology— on the ground or in the air!
Parents often bring their young children to dog shows only to find them bored and undoubtedly glued to their electronic devices. One AKC judge recognized this problem about five years ago and sought a diversion to capture their interest. Thanks to his persistence, children ages five to nine now can participate in pee wee classes at AKC shows nationwide. And they love doing so!
Handies Peak is my favorite fourteener partially because it’s one of the easiest mountains to climb in Colorado and the approach from American Basin is drop dead gorgeous. But there is something more―and took until this holiday season for me to understand why this mountain is so special!
The highly intelligent and speedy Karelian Bear Dogs save the lives of hundreds of bears in the United States each year and serve as ambassadors for reducing bear-human conflict worldwide. They track on leash and shepherd an untold number of grizzly and black bears from human-occupied areas back into the wild.