But here there will be lots of flashing lights in the sky and big booms going off along the river. I'm planning on staying home, but even if I hide in the bathroom, I know it will make my building shake.
Tap your paw or click on the poster for easier reading.
And, just in case you were wondering, dogs and cats are not allowed at the Boston Pops Concert on the Esplanade. Only official, working, or service animals may attend. (But I don't know why any of us would want to go to this noisy, crowded place. Besides, we would only distract the police dogs who have important work that day.)
Have a safe and Happy July 4th!
Duchess Poppy Whitehead
P.S. Here's a link to all our Sunday Dogs. I'm in charge of recruiting the talent for these features, so let me know if you want to star some week.
Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a Birthday or Wedding gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!
Dogs use their eyes for many reasons. Around my house, if Poppy’s meal is a few minutes late, Ed and I are treated to penetrating laser eyes as a silent reminder that she wants dinner now!
Poppy says, "I'm so worried I won't be served my dinner on time! "
Photography
I love to focus on dogs' eyes when I photograph them, but it’s often difficult because my large camera lens looks like a big eye to some dogs and they avoid looking at it. When I have time to get to know a subject, I’ll put the lens cap on and offer to let them sniff my camera before I use it again.
For dogs, eye contact takes on many meanings. A direct stare from a person or another dog can reassure, threaten, welcome, warn, question, or demand attention. For someone who wants a great relationship with dogs, there is a lot to learn about eye contact.
Communication
Before you can train your dog to do anything, you need his or her attention. Some folks use the cue, “Watch me!” pointing to their eyes and holding the dog’s gaze as they praise their pal for the correct behavior. That simple, “Watch me!” can come in handy when you need to distract your dog from something that might cause him to bark or react in some way that you don’t allow.
Once this is mastered, you can move on to training your dog to follow your gaze by looking and pointing to an object thereby directing the dog’s attention to something else. Start with fun things such as a toy you’d like him to bring to you or a place you want her to go to settle down.
Your dog may also try to communicate with you by making eye contact and then gaze at what they want or need. I love to let my dog solve her own problems and she usually does a great job of figuring out how to free a stuck toy or hold a chew to get the best angle of attack. But, occasionally, she will turn to one of us for an assist. Often, I can tell what she needs by the look in her eyes and where she tries to direct my eyes.
There is an emotional bonus to all this eye contact. A recent study by animal behaviorist Takefumi Kikusui found that, “When interacting and exchanging gazes, both dogs and their owners experienced rushes of oxytocin in their brains.” This increases your emotional bond.
Don’t make eye contact if …
While eye contact with your own dog can be beneficial, you really have to have a clear understanding of canine body language if you are going to make eye contact with a strange dog. An unfamiliar dog may read your stare as a form of dominance or aggression and react accordingly.
If you’re lucky, the reaction might be submission, but you could also find yourself facing a snarling canine. You are better off approaching a strange dog with your eyes slightly averted, speaking quietly, and using soft body language.
When you have the opportunity, observe dogs who are experts at using their eyes. Watch a sheepdog use her eyes to control sheep or a hunter keen on his prey. Notice how a retriever can focus on the object he’ll locate and return to his person. Pay attention to the way a guide dog checks the traffic before leading a blind person across a street. The eyes have it!
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.
Dogs use their eyes for many reasons. Around my house, if Poppy’s meal is a few minutes late, Ed and I are treated to penetrating laser eyes as a silent reminder that she wants dinner now!
Poppy says, "I'm so worried I won't be served my dinner on time! "
Photography
I love to focus on dogs' eyes when I photograph them, but it’s often difficult because my large camera lens looks like a big eye to some dogs and they avoid looking at it. When I have time to get to know a subject, I’ll put the lens cap on and offer to let them sniff my camera before I use it again.
For dogs, eye contact takes on many meanings. A direct stare from a person or another dog can reassure, threaten, welcome, warn, question, or demand attention. For someone who wants a great relationship with dogs, there is a lot to learn about eye contact.
Communication
Before you can train your dog to do anything, you need his or her attention. Some folks use the cue, “Watch me!” pointing to their eyes and holding the dog’s gaze as they praise their pal for the correct behavior. That simple, “Watch me!” can come in handy when you need to distract your dog from something that might cause him to bark or react in some way that you don’t allow.
Once this is mastered, you can move on to training your dog to follow your gaze by looking and pointing to an object thereby directing the dog’s attention to something else. Start with fun things such as a toy you’d like him to bring to you or a place you want her to go to settle down.
Your dog may also try to communicate with you by making eye contact and then gaze at what they want or need. I love to let my dog solve her own problems and she usually does a great job of figuring out how to free a stuck toy or hold a chew to get the best angle of attack. But, occasionally, she will turn to one of us for an assist. Often, I can tell what she needs by the look in her eyes and where she tries to direct my eyes.
There is an emotional bonus to all this eye contact. A recent study by animal behaviorist Takefumi Kikusui found that, “When interacting and exchanging gazes, both dogs and their owners experienced rushes of oxytocin in their brains.” This increases your emotional bond.
Don’t make eye contact if …
While eye contact with your own dog can be beneficial, you really have to have a clear understanding of canine body language if you are going to make eye contact with a strange dog. An unfamiliar dog may read your stare as a form of dominance or aggression and react accordingly.
If you’re lucky, the reaction might be submission, but you could also find yourself facing a snarling canine. You are better off approaching a strange dog with your eyes slightly averted, speaking quietly, and using soft body language.
When you have the opportunity, observe dogs who are experts at using their eyes. Watch a sheepdog use her eyes to control sheep or a hunter keen on his prey. Notice how a retriever can focus on the object he’ll locate and return to his person. Pay attention to the way a guide dog checks the traffic before leading a blind person across a street. The eyes have it!
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.
Looking for a place to go for a great walk with your dog? Click over to this page on the Trustees of Reservations site. Choose "Dog walking" as your activity and select the other options that are right for you. The result will be a list of very special places that welcome responsible dog folks and well-mannered pups.
From our files of wonderful memories, here are four of my favorite males heading into Halibut Point Reservation back in 2008. We had a wonderful day there and it's good to look back at the photos and remember a fine dog with a big heart.
Dog-friendly places alone are a reason for Sunday Dog readers to head straight for The Trustees site to join or renew their memberships. We did and now will not only have all these places to visit, but also will be the first to know about the events at the Boston Public Market that are managed by this same group.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.
One of the great pleasures of having a deck overlooking Provincetown Harbor is watching the interaction of people and their dogs on the tidal flats at low tide. During our last trip, I watched a fun-filled training session take place.
It took a few minutes for me to realize that this pup was on a long leash.
All the better to catch a less than fully trained dog if an escape or a disallowed swim is attempted.
The graceful pair seemed to match balletic movements at times.
Yes, I think they were dancing for joy!
And, coming together occasionally for a close up moment!
Thank you for the lovely show you two!
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.
One of the great pleasures of having a deck overlooking Provincetown Harbor is watching the interaction of people and their dogs on the tidal flats at low tide. During our last trip, I watched a fun-filled training session take place.
It took a few minutes for me to realize that this pup was on a long leash.
All the better to catch a less than fully trained dog if an escape or a disallowed swim is attempted.
The graceful pair seemed to match balletic movements at times.
Yes, I think they were dancing for joy!
And, coming together occasionally for a close up moment!
Thank you for the lovely show you two!
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.
Meet Beau! This little guy stepped right up to greet the three of us on a recent trip to Provincetown.
We hadn't realized that there was now an official greeter to welcome dog visitors and their people to Provincetown. (Maybe the town meeting hasn't actually appointed him but they should, since he is doing such a fabulous job.)
When Beau learned that Poppy was a Duchess, he did a little dance! He does meet a lot of celebrities, but very few Peers of the Realm.
He and his most kind person were happy to pose for photos. Their easy manner told us they were used to being the center of attention when the paparazzi are in town.
It was great meeting you, Beau. We'll see you in the fall!
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.
Meet Beau! This little guy stepped right up to greet the three of us on a recent trip to Provincetown.
We hadn't realized that there was now an official greeter to welcome dog visitors and their people to Provincetown. (Maybe the town meeting hasn't actually appointed him but they should, since he is doing such a fabulous job.)
When Beau learned that Poppy was a Duchess, he did a little dance! He does meet a lot of celebrities, but very few Peers of the Realm.
He and his most kind person were happy to pose for photos. Their easy manner told us they were used to being the center of attention when the paparazzi are in town.
It was great meeting you, Beau. We'll see you in the fall!
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.
We always love making new doggie pals on the beach in Provincetown. Sebastian and Kodiak were on a weekend scouting trip with their people to see if the four of them would like to spend a vacation in our favorite spot by the sea.
Koko was all about sitting and resting on the beach but Sebby was determined to get a play session going. He's just a pup and could not understand meditating by the sea when you could romp!
On the return trip, he was surprised to learn that those people up there on the deck above the beach knew his name.
We watched this charming family from Amherst as they wandered their way back to their hotel. They were happily impressed with the dog friendliness of the folks in Provincetown. We think they'll return again and often.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.
from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.