Michelle Lander Feinberg's Blog
February 6, 2021
An Oldie But Goodie
I’ve been with my loving family for years, enjoying the comfort and security of knowing I’ll be fed, played with, and sleep in a warm bed each night. My familiar surroundings and the people I love help to diminish the aches and pains I’ve been feeling lately as I’ve been getting older. When my people have been stressed or sad, I love to comfort them with snuggles and sloppy wet kisses.
They take me places, and I don’t care where we go, so long as I’m with them. I hate it when they leave me behind, and I wait for what seems like forever until they return. I don’t jump on them anymore, my body won’t let me (and I know they never liked it), but I welcome them home with wiggles and sometimes I bring them a favorite toy to share with them when they walk through the door.
***
This morning we went for a ride in the car. I LOVE rides in the car!! They brought me to a new place, I’d never been here before! There are a lot of other dogs here and we each have our own cage. It must be a new place to stay for a night while my family is away somewhere they cannot take me. These dogs sure are loud and have a lot of energy. I’ll be happy to go home tomorrow.
***
That was the WORST night’s sleep ever. I am not used to sleeping on the floor. Beds, couches, laps- yep- that’s my way to sleep. I don’t mean to be grouchy, but I’ve had enough… It’s time to get picked up please.
***
So it’s been a few days. I’ve seen lots of these younger pups come and go. Where’s my family? I hope they’re ok. I think this is the longest I’ve been away from them. I just know they haven’t forgotten about me. I am a member of the family! I’m not sure why these people here keep telling me that they hope I find a home and family soon. They must be confused.
***
My heart is broken. My family clearly is not coming for me, it has been a couple of months. I thought they loved me. I thought I was important to them. They were my whole world. What did I do wrong?? Who will want an old dog like me, when all of these cute youngsters around me are my competition? I’m a good boy, I don’t make any trouble, and have so much love to give. Will some new family give me a chance?
They take me places, and I don’t care where we go, so long as I’m with them. I hate it when they leave me behind, and I wait for what seems like forever until they return. I don’t jump on them anymore, my body won’t let me (and I know they never liked it), but I welcome them home with wiggles and sometimes I bring them a favorite toy to share with them when they walk through the door.
***
This morning we went for a ride in the car. I LOVE rides in the car!! They brought me to a new place, I’d never been here before! There are a lot of other dogs here and we each have our own cage. It must be a new place to stay for a night while my family is away somewhere they cannot take me. These dogs sure are loud and have a lot of energy. I’ll be happy to go home tomorrow.
***
That was the WORST night’s sleep ever. I am not used to sleeping on the floor. Beds, couches, laps- yep- that’s my way to sleep. I don’t mean to be grouchy, but I’ve had enough… It’s time to get picked up please.
***
So it’s been a few days. I’ve seen lots of these younger pups come and go. Where’s my family? I hope they’re ok. I think this is the longest I’ve been away from them. I just know they haven’t forgotten about me. I am a member of the family! I’m not sure why these people here keep telling me that they hope I find a home and family soon. They must be confused.
***
My heart is broken. My family clearly is not coming for me, it has been a couple of months. I thought they loved me. I thought I was important to them. They were my whole world. What did I do wrong?? Who will want an old dog like me, when all of these cute youngsters around me are my competition? I’m a good boy, I don’t make any trouble, and have so much love to give. Will some new family give me a chance?
January 22, 2021
Every Bite You Take- They'll Be Watching You
Who here among us has not, while eating, felt that tug: “I know I shouldn’t feed him from the table, but look at those puppy eyes…”
Our old dog, Charlie, had always been a pretty good dog during dinner- he hardly paid attention as we were diligent in not feeding him from the table. Then our twins were old enough to sit in highchairs… and it all changed. Charlie soon realized that those messy little eaters were a treasure trove of goodies. Strategically placing himself between them, scooping up all the delicious food that rained down on him. This was helpful, as there was hardly ever a mess. I often said that our next dog should be named “Hoover.”
Charlie didn’t turn into a beggar, though, just an opportunist.
There are a few categories of beggars. The whiners. The pawers. The silent starers. Our dog Cooper is sort of a mutt of beggars- he sometimes silently stares and sometimes gently places his paw on my lap as if to say, “Hey, this can be just our little secret- no one has to know.”
I try so hard not to give in. I’ll even get up and bring some food to his dish, hoping he won’t make the connection.
So long as he continues to eat his dog food, I don’t have an issue with him having some “people food” once in a while. There are, of course, some foods that dogs cannot have, either because it can make their stomachs ill, or worse, some of these foods are toxic to dogs. Here’s a (perhaps not comprehensive) list of foods you SHOULD NOT feed your dog:
Grapes/raisins
Onions/garlic
Xylitol (found in gum)
Chocolate
Macadamia nuts
Most nuts (peanut butter is fine as peanuts are not nuts- they are legumes)
Caffeine
Alcohol
Avocado
You likely already know this list, and if you know of anyone who is a new pet parent, please share it with them!
Our old dog, Charlie, had always been a pretty good dog during dinner- he hardly paid attention as we were diligent in not feeding him from the table. Then our twins were old enough to sit in highchairs… and it all changed. Charlie soon realized that those messy little eaters were a treasure trove of goodies. Strategically placing himself between them, scooping up all the delicious food that rained down on him. This was helpful, as there was hardly ever a mess. I often said that our next dog should be named “Hoover.”
Charlie didn’t turn into a beggar, though, just an opportunist.
There are a few categories of beggars. The whiners. The pawers. The silent starers. Our dog Cooper is sort of a mutt of beggars- he sometimes silently stares and sometimes gently places his paw on my lap as if to say, “Hey, this can be just our little secret- no one has to know.”
I try so hard not to give in. I’ll even get up and bring some food to his dish, hoping he won’t make the connection.
So long as he continues to eat his dog food, I don’t have an issue with him having some “people food” once in a while. There are, of course, some foods that dogs cannot have, either because it can make their stomachs ill, or worse, some of these foods are toxic to dogs. Here’s a (perhaps not comprehensive) list of foods you SHOULD NOT feed your dog:
Grapes/raisins
Onions/garlic
Xylitol (found in gum)
Chocolate
Macadamia nuts
Most nuts (peanut butter is fine as peanuts are not nuts- they are legumes)
Caffeine
Alcohol
Avocado
You likely already know this list, and if you know of anyone who is a new pet parent, please share it with them!
December 1, 2020
Dogs Are People Too
December 1, 2020
Chili was truly our furbaby and our love for eachother was immeasurable. She spent each Friday with me in my law office, on a 50 ft leash. She happily greeted each client as they walked through the door. Only six and a half years (and finally, two kids) later, Chili died from an infection- we were completely shocked and truly heartbroken. We missed her and that dog energy in the house. Not to replace (never) but to refocus, we started our search on www.petfinder.com and found our next dog, Charlie, at a shelter nearby. We adopted Charlie only 5 days after losing Chili. Too soon? Nope. That is a personal question for each person. Charlie helped us heal our broken hearts, and we knew Chili would be happy to know we saved another dog. Charlie was a 100lb mix of German Shepherd, Chow, Collie, and a bunch of other breeds- and yet again, 100% love. He had the coolest Eddie Munster-like widow’s peak on his forehead- he was a really handsome boy.
During his lifetime we had another three children; and he was always a major player in the family. He even achieved legendary status for saving our two-year-old from falling down the stairs by grabbing her sweatshirt hood in his mouth. Sure, it was he that clumsily knocked her down the stairs to begin with but… we try not to focus on that detail!
With diplomatic precision, he protected us from anyone that had come to work in the house merely by staying between us and them- all the while wagging his tail and smiling. He bravely protected our yard from the vicious chipmunks and birds, and his skillful barking surely worked each time someone came to make a delivery- for each time they turned around and left (after dropping off the package, that is.)
Charlie was the inspiration for my writing the first iteration of my book Please Don’t Tell Cooper He’s A Dog. He definitely never thought he was a dog, I am sure. He seemed to understand so much of what we were saying, even when our words were not those we trained him with. We could say things for the first time and he would show somehow that he understood. He could also make his desires very clear to us. We found ways to communicate with each other that just made sense to all. When we bought a dog bed we could sense his excitement as if he were thinking “Yay!! Are we finally getting a dog?!?!” He never set a paw on that dog bed. Never. Not once.
Chili was truly our furbaby and our love for eachother was immeasurable. She spent each Friday with me in my law office, on a 50 ft leash. She happily greeted each client as they walked through the door. Only six and a half years (and finally, two kids) later, Chili died from an infection- we were completely shocked and truly heartbroken. We missed her and that dog energy in the house. Not to replace (never) but to refocus, we started our search on www.petfinder.com and found our next dog, Charlie, at a shelter nearby. We adopted Charlie only 5 days after losing Chili. Too soon? Nope. That is a personal question for each person. Charlie helped us heal our broken hearts, and we knew Chili would be happy to know we saved another dog. Charlie was a 100lb mix of German Shepherd, Chow, Collie, and a bunch of other breeds- and yet again, 100% love. He had the coolest Eddie Munster-like widow’s peak on his forehead- he was a really handsome boy.
During his lifetime we had another three children; and he was always a major player in the family. He even achieved legendary status for saving our two-year-old from falling down the stairs by grabbing her sweatshirt hood in his mouth. Sure, it was he that clumsily knocked her down the stairs to begin with but… we try not to focus on that detail!
With diplomatic precision, he protected us from anyone that had come to work in the house merely by staying between us and them- all the while wagging his tail and smiling. He bravely protected our yard from the vicious chipmunks and birds, and his skillful barking surely worked each time someone came to make a delivery- for each time they turned around and left (after dropping off the package, that is.)
Charlie was the inspiration for my writing the first iteration of my book Please Don’t Tell Cooper He’s A Dog. He definitely never thought he was a dog, I am sure. He seemed to understand so much of what we were saying, even when our words were not those we trained him with. We could say things for the first time and he would show somehow that he understood. He could also make his desires very clear to us. We found ways to communicate with each other that just made sense to all. When we bought a dog bed we could sense his excitement as if he were thinking “Yay!! Are we finally getting a dog?!?!” He never set a paw on that dog bed. Never. Not once.
November 17, 2020
A Dog's Life
I love dogs. Mutts and purebred. Small dogs and dogs that make you turn your head to wonder if it was a dog or a bear that you just saw. Dogs that shed all over the furniture and my clothes. Young pups and seniors. Dogs that drool, bark, and fart. You name it, I love it. I have a real soft spot, though, for the dogs that find themselves in shelters- whether found on the streets, lost, surrendered by their owners, or rescued from abusive/neglectful situations. These are the dogs that steal my heart. These dogs are often scared, sad, and confused, especially when abandoned by those they considered their family. So far we have adopted three dogs that were strays; and each of them rescued us as well. Each of these dogs helped to heal our hearts, enrich our lives, and bring us so much joy, comfort, and love. If they could talk, I know they would say the same about us.
Our first dog, Chili, was first adopted by my brother and sister-in-law. Unfortunately their other two dogs did not take to this new pup, and it was clear she could not stay with them. At the time my husband and I were in the throes of infertility and felt having this little pup would help heal us to some extent. After begging our landlord, we were able to make Chili our “first born.” We think she was a mix of Black and Tan Coonhound and German Shepherd. Who knows and who cares. This dog was 100% love.
The shelter said she was found in a dumpster. I just cannot understand how people can be so heartless!! It was clear to us that for sure, Chili had spent some time in the trash- she was terrified of garbage bags. With patience and treats and gentle exposure to the kitchen trash can, she slowly gained confidence. What helped I am sure is that being surrounded by love, she knew we’d always keep her close and she had nothing to fear from us. Seeing a rescue dog make progress from fear to trust is so heartwarming and fulfilling.
Please Don't Tell Cooper He's a Dog
Our first dog, Chili, was first adopted by my brother and sister-in-law. Unfortunately their other two dogs did not take to this new pup, and it was clear she could not stay with them. At the time my husband and I were in the throes of infertility and felt having this little pup would help heal us to some extent. After begging our landlord, we were able to make Chili our “first born.” We think she was a mix of Black and Tan Coonhound and German Shepherd. Who knows and who cares. This dog was 100% love.
The shelter said she was found in a dumpster. I just cannot understand how people can be so heartless!! It was clear to us that for sure, Chili had spent some time in the trash- she was terrified of garbage bags. With patience and treats and gentle exposure to the kitchen trash can, she slowly gained confidence. What helped I am sure is that being surrounded by love, she knew we’d always keep her close and she had nothing to fear from us. Seeing a rescue dog make progress from fear to trust is so heartwarming and fulfilling.
Please Don't Tell Cooper He's a Dog
