The Puppy Chronicles of St. Paul
Laurie Hertzel is the Star Tribune’s senior editor for books. She is not a dog expert, just a dog lover, chronicling the first year with her rescue puppy.
The Puppy Chronicles: A cold snap changed the length of Angus' walks – and intensified their beauty
A stretch of days with highs below zero meant Angus' daily walks were truncated. He embraced the torpor.
The Puppy Chronicles: Long winter walks with Angus are filled with peace and hooting owls
Long walks in the cold with Angus are filled with peace — and hooting.
The Puppy Chronicles: Readers offer scores of suggestions for getting Angus to take his pills. Guess how many worked.
Readers had scores of suggestions for getting Angus' daily pills inside him. Angus scoffed at them all.
The Puppy Chronicles: Every day a new behavior
Just before he turned 3, Angus reverted to old puppy behaviors — some endearing, some downright dangerous.
The Puppy Chronicles: A few hours of peace
Medication is not the answer to every difficulty with an anxious dog, but the right drug can help a lot.
The Puppy Chronicles: Better living through chemistry
After three years of training and tears, Angus' anxiety is starting to ease, thanks to something I vowed I would never do.
The Puppy Chronicles: A bunny in our garden keeps Angus enthralled
When a bunny takes up residence in the garden on the side of our house, Angus is riveted.
The Puppy Chronicles: What is Angus afraid of? Easier to ask what he isn't afraid of
Even something as benign as a misplaced broom can strike terror into the heart of our overly sensitive dog.
The Puppy Chronicles: The original social distancer
Even as pandemic distancing restrictions are slowly lifted, Angus stays calm by staying away.
The Puppy Chronicles: The solace of walking the dog
Daily walks with Angus are a balm during this difficult, locked-in spring.
The Puppy Chronicles: Sibling rivalry
Too much togetherness can spark jealousy between Angus and his big sister, Rosie.
The Puppy Chronicles: Home is where the dog is
Working from home in this time of pandemic is scary and strange, but Angus and Rosie get us outside and keep us grounded.
The Puppy Chronicles: Muzzle Man
We bought Angus a muzzle to help keep vet visits peaceful. But teaching him to wear it was no easy task.
The Puppy Chronicles: Angus is not a fan of hot summer, but comes into his own in the winter
Bring on the snow and the cold, says Angus, who would prefer to put summer off forever.
The Puppy Chronicles: Two years with Angus
In his second year with us, our rescue dog stole his first bagel, killed his first squirrel and wormed his way deeper into our hearts.
The Puppy Chronicles: In the blink of an eye
One dog bite years ago taught me to be super-careful with skittish dogs.
The Puppy Chronicles: Angus loves Ellen
All it took was repeated visits, lots of treats and a T-shirt.
The Puppy Chronicles: It took a long time to accept that Angus is a 'reactive dog'
It took me a long time to accept that Angus is a "reactive dog." But once I did, I began to learn how to care for him better.
The Puppy Chronicles: Learning to play nice with others in socialization class
Angus is back in school, this time learning to peacefully coexist with strange dogs.
The Puppy Chronicles: Leash walking 2.0
Over the past year, Angus and I have slowly gotten to a good place on the daily walks. But oh, it took a long time.
The Puppy Chronicles: Angus in summer
After Angus is calm and attentive with the new dog sitter, I'm starting to think some of the problems lie with me.
The Puppy Chronicles: Yes, Angus misbehaves, but he also does a lot of things right
Sure, Angus misbehaves. But it's time to recognize his virtues, too.
With two big dogs and a shady yard, mud season lasts all summer
Twenty years of busy dogs and maturing trees have rendered our backyard grassless. Angus doesn't care — bare ground is easy to dig. And so he digs.
The Puppy Chronicles: A dog door stymies Angus
When we replaced a torn screen with an actual dog door, Rosie was fine — but Angus was flummoxed.
The Puppy Chronicles: Angus' training has been two steps forward, one step back. Sometimes two steps back.
Just like this chilly spring, Angus' training can feel like we're lagging behind.
The Puppy Chronicles: Angus has started hiding some of his treats and Rosie is determined to find them
Angus has a habit of hiding, rather than eating, his nightly chewies. Rosie has made it her mission to find them.
The Puppy Chronicles: Not all dogs respond well to the same kind of training – with Angus, we are trying something new
A new kind of training means better communication between dog and human.
The Puppy Chronicles: Four dogs might be two dogs too many
When the man of the house goes out of town, the dogs outnumber the lone adult left behind. Reinforcements arrive — in the form of more dogs.
The Puppy Chronicles: Nature vs. nurture: Angus has a calm, loving home life. So why is he so wary?
Angus has never liked strange people or unfamiliar situations. But when he growled at the veterinarian, it was time to act.
The Puppy Chronicles: Angus' famous ear goes kerflooey
An ear infection, dark and icy walks, mocking squirrels — it's been a tough winter for Angus.
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