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I'm delighted to host today a wonderful writer friend and talented lady, who is as true and genuine as they come. She's releasing her new book, Wisdom Found in the Pause. You may know Barbara from Joyful Paws blog. Barbara was nice enough to stop by today and answer some questions and tell us more about her book. The book is about dogs, and self-discovery. Through love and loss, and joy and grief, a little dachshund named Joie helps Barbara better understand herself. And ultimately, she discovers when we truly devote ourselves to another, we learn that those we love will always be a part of us.   In Wisdom Found in the Pause, Barbara Techel explores both the real-time beauty and long-term benefits of life’s transitional periods. Her first book, Through Frankie's Eyes: One Woman's Journey to Her Authentic Self, and the Dog on Wheels Who Led the Way , told the story of how a paralyzed dachshund named Frankie led Barbara to groundbreaking work with children, person

Happy Autumn!

What do you think Ike is dreaming about? (sorry about the vertical video!) Join the Blog Paws Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop!

September is National Guide Dog Month, so I decided to learn more about how guide dogs help people who are blind or visually impaired. Melissa Hudson and Camry, courtesy Guide Dogs for the Blind. I'm partnering with Natural Balance premium-quality pet food and Guide Dogs for the Blind , a non-profit charitable organization that raises and trains exceptional guide dogs, to recognize the ' Top Human-Canine Teams Who Make Us Believe.' These nine teams are outstanding examples of the amazing partnerships possible between humans and canines. I was particularly inspired by Ashleigh and her guide dog Yuri. Here's their story:   Ashleigh Hertzig lives in New York City. Visually impaired since birth, Ashleigh used a cane to get around for years—but found that it became increasingly di ffi cult to be mobile during the wintertime due to dangerous patches of ice on the pavement. These harsh winter conditions—combined with encouragement from her family—got her to consider the

We recently attended a therapy dog event at a local university, and 4 out of 5 dogs working there were goldens! Ike was very happy to meet his fellow golden pals! And the students found that patting and hugging the dogs helped make their transition into their freshman year away from home a little less stressful. Wordless Wednesday blog Hop!

When I was a young girl, I used to spend my summers at a camp in the mountains of Vermont. There was a lovely, shallow brook there, and my beagle-lab mix Happy and I would spend warm summer days hiking along the meandering path of the brook. I'd usually wear sneakers to protect my feet. In some places the water was dried up and I'd just walked on rocks. But most of the way it was a few inches deep, cool and clean. Recently I went back to the place and spent the most beautiful afternoon, brook hiking with Ike. He took to it immediately and seemed to be having as much fun as I was that day.  I was delighted when he plopped down and basked in the cool water--something he's never done in the little plastic kiddie pool I have for him at home. I'll never forget reliving my childhood and spending a beautiful day in Vermont with Ike.