Found this article through one of the goggle searches done by a reader and there seems to be some very practical considerations....

Teaching a puppy, reprogramming a juvenile or adult dog to accept human control
and establishing the rules of the family for a new canine member are time-consuming
jobs. The challenge is even greater if the family includes and infant or young
children. If we want to own a dog and have children, or have a dog who can interact
safely with any young child, we must teach the dog how to behave around them.

Consider the age of the puppy: you cannot expect a 2, 3, or even 5 month old
puppy to be able to be trained enough to be baby/toddler safe. Only an older
puppy - one 6 months or older who has finished teething - can be expected to
understand and be able to be taught how to safely to live in a household with
babies and young children. Also consider the age of your children: are they
old enough to understand and obey your rules about the dog or puppy? For most
children, this is around six years old. Many parents think "I want the
puppy to grow up with my children," not realizing that this can still happen
with an older puppy, and will be a much better and safer experience for everyone,
for the following reasons:  

For the full  page check out this link: http://www.phsspca.org/trainig/puppy_with_infants.htm

On my paternal grandfather's side have both Irish and Scottish roots from a young  teen couple one from each side who were farming in  Sussex NB in early 1800s both immigrants at ages 18 and 20. If I remember correctly that first wife died in her 90s, smoked a pipe and outlasted 3 husbands!

So celebrate strong Irish women!

As I sit here writing not certain where to begin as it has been an incredibly busy week.

One of the things that is often an indicator of too much multi tasking or things on the go is when I misplace things and can’t find them. One such occurrence was 5 envelopes with cheques to pay bills that were stamped and ready to mail last Monday when walking the dogs…well in the space of less than 10 minutes they were gone….looked everywhere…. contemplating putting stop payments and worried about identity theft (isn’t the mind funny) but knew I hadn’t mailed them….this afternoon looked at a top shelf at the back door in the midst of the garden gloves  and there they were!!

 This shot shows the coffee mugs stashed in nooks of back gate left from coming in from the car.

Attended a 3-day provincial ACSW conference entitled “The Courageous Heart of Social Work,” in which re-connected with colleagues from years past, and again came to appreciate the breath and depth of our profession (not all just child protection and addictions) from activists in Calgary working to help find rentals fro homeless families to aboriginal agencies with healing circles for abused women, their partners and children to hospital social workers and therapists who connected with children through art and play and music. One of the keynote speakers gave some food for thought that I think is applicable no matter what our work or professions are. “ How do you maintain the spirit in your work? What is it about your work that matters?  What are you fighting for? Whom are you advocating for? How do you maintain presence with our clients? Often in our work we plant seeds or ideas for change but may not see the end results or the harvest.” In one workshop on “ Writing to Wellness ‘..basically how one can use journaling as a tool with clients, based from the work of Ira Proghoff. A number of exercises were done including writing and later reading a letter to someone who has had or made a difference to you in your career…a teacher, a mentor, a co- worker, one of your clients.

Today is Palm Sunday  and the beginning of Holy Week…just a few shots of the procession around the church with choir and children.

It has snowed again and I did late this afternoon manage to get out with my skis and the dogs on the Victoria golf course which is near the river valley and not far from the downtown… a beautiful sunny day with the dogs loving to run and chase each other and ( now going to kill that glove! ) then curl up contented in the car afterwards.