on the brighter side (literally!) the other evening I was walking home from the grocery and a man was walking his dog (little fluffy white one - toy poodle, perhaps) and the dog's collar had a light on it. Very small, very bright - with it getting dark so early, it struck me as a really good idea.

Darby's night-time look: [link]

So Sue, if you really want a dog, consider a rescue. They're often housebroken adult dogs whose owners just couldn't keep them for some reason.

Highly recommend. There are lots of dogs in the rescue system for reasons that have nothing to do with any behavior or trauma or whatever you might worry about. (Especially now, sad to say, with so many people losing homes and incomes.)

So Sue, if you really want a dog, consider a rescue. They're often housebroken adult dogs whose owners just couldn't keep them for some reason.

This is what my parents have done for years, and they've had really lovely dogs. Puppies are a lot of work, not just in housebreaking, but in socializing and behavior training, and it takes a lot of time and patience to do it right.

I was channel surfing last night and PBS had something about cats and dogs. There was a segment on a shelter that does personality assessments on both animals and humans to get a better match. Seemingly, it's pretty effective - they have a much lower rate of people returning animals that don't work out.

There was a segment on a shelter that does personality assessments on both animals and humans to get a better match.

That's pretty much what the GSD people did with me: one of them came to my house for an hour-long interview and to check out the space. And after I was approved, there were still dogs they wouldn't recommend for me, because the dog's temperament didn't work with my lifestyle.

Mr Peabody still has some issues from the abuse, but he was perfectly housetrained and knew some commands.

a coworker who believes that crate-training for more that a few hours a day is cruel and no life for a dog

DH used to believe that crating a dog was inhumane. Dogs are den animals. Mac kept going into her kennel right up until the end of her life when she was scared, tired or just wanted to get away. It was like her own room.

I'm not saying keeping a dog in a cage 24/7 is a good thing but crating them while you're gone will go a long way to keeping them out of trouble and safe. They sleep for long periods of time when we're not there anyway.

So Sue, if you really want a dog, consider a rescue. They're often housebroken adult dogs whose owners just couldn't keep them for some reason. I saw a pair of lovely GSDs at an adoption day once who were clearly well-cared-for, but their owner was a meth dealer and had gone to prison.

Yeah, that was always kind of the plan. I always assumed it would be easier to deal with an adult dog when I work all day. It's more that since my coworker's dog had puppies, the opportunity is just there for the asking. I just really want to do right by a dog, even if it means not having one.

I'm thinking about volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters. Anybody have any experience with that?

Timelies all!

Nova has finished applying her fur to my sweater(that's what I get for wearing black) and left the room. Luna is still lounging on the back of the sofa. I think these two are as much as I can handle at the moment.

::fist pump::

My boss just called to check up on me (note: I have a manager, who's one level above me, and a boss, who's a direct report of the CIO and therefore a number of levels above me--I talk to the manager all the time, and the boss less so). I did a lot of "it's all under control!" assurances on a couple projects, and he said "ita, do you know you're really different now?" I laughed, because I am. He asked me if I knew I was in charge of an extra part of the project, and I told him I'd noticed myself effectively in that position and was taking care of it. I mentioned I'd been having some difficulty with a bit of it, and he offered his help. "Do you remember how I said I had it all under control?" I asked him. He laughed and told me it was a conditional offer, and he had no doubt everything was fine.

HE KNOWS.

I don't need a gold star as much anymore (although the pony and ice cream would be great). It doesn't make the sheer ludicrosity (my word, fuck off, Stephen Fry says it's okay) of the requests go away, but he noticed. I'm touched. He's only the second good boss I've ever had, and having him as a boss is part of the reason I'm getting so much more done so independently (sadly, the other part is a peculiar response to my mother being ill). I didn't tell him that, though, because I couldn't work out how, without sounding like ass kisser supreme.