Enjoying the Winter That Almost Wasn’t

We haven’t had much of a winter here this season, at least by Minnesota standards. Not much snow, not very cold weather. It seems like the temperature has hardly even dropped below freezing. By the time you read this, I might be trying to dig my way out of a snowstorm. But while writing this […]

“Give Me A Hug, Give Me a Break” Wins 3rd Place in PetLitzer Prize Short Story Contest!

My story, “Give Me a Hug, Give Me a Break” won 3rd place in the recent Petlitzer Prize (Round 2) Short Story Contest. Click here to learn more about the Petlitzers, including upcoming contests. Here’s my prize-winning story: Give Me a Hug, Give Me a Break by Jenny Pavlovic of Afton, Minnesota My friend Sarah in […]

What Dogs Have Taught Me about Life, Love, and Myself

One of the best ways to get to know me is through the dogs in my life, so I decided to introduce myself through my relationships with them. Katrina rescue dog Kate taught me that an old lost beaten down girl who survived a Louisiana hurricane and flood and was displaced halfway across the country […]

Happy Anniversary Chase! You’re the Best!

I can hardly believe that Chase has been here for 4 years! My Katrina friend Sarah Dutton rescued him from a violent man in Virginia. During Memorial weekend of 2006, he traveled all the way to Minnesota to join our family. Eleven people, including Laura Gonzo, Emily Anderson and others helped him along the way […]

The Right Dog for the Job–1st Place and a New Cattle herding Title!

I’m excited to announce that Bandit earned his ASCA started cattle herding title yesterday (pending ASCA approval). He moved the cattle around the course nicely and seemed pleased that I’m finally catching on! 😉 He earned his first cattle title in style, taking FIRST PLACE (a first for us)! I’m very proud of him. We […]

Life with the Dynamic Trio

Life is never dull around here. We’re enjoying the summer and time with each other. It’s been hard to find the time to write! First I want to give an update on Rhonda, who I first mentioned on July 7th. She’s the blue Australian Cattle Dog that was dumped at the kill shelter in Gallipolis, […]

The Kids Are All Right

We had a few perfect days in the past week, about 75 degrees, sunny with a breeze, low humidity, and hardly a cloud in the sky, the kind of perfect day when you want it to always be that way.    

A Tired Dog is a Good Dog…So They Say!

I have a sore arse and shoulders from walking backwards and waving a stick in the air. Dontcha love a long weekend of herding? This evening I took the dogs out for a run. Afterward, Bandit was lying down, panting with his eyes closed. I said, “Wow, did I finally wear you out?” On the word “out”, he […]

“Chance” Meetings or Meant to Be?

Sharon L. Peters recently wrote in her USA Today column about losing her beloved dog Rufus. She happened to meet Rufus one Saturday when dropping off cans for recycling at the local animal shelter. Sharon adopted Rufus, an older dog, and enjoyed a few good years with him. Her story got me thinking about how […]

“Old” Dogs Learn New Tricks

I’ve been doing some training with Bandit, Chase, and Cayenne. Cay is still learning the basics, like sit, down, stay, come, and stand, now from a distance and with a verbal cue and/or hand signal. We’re adding distractions too. She is very biddable and wants to please, but is still vulnerable to distractions. Sometimes I […]