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Boundaries – Movie Review

June 25, 2018

Boundaries – Movie Review

I’m often asked to review dog-related products, treats, and food, but earlier this month, I was asked to do a movie review for a Sony Pictures movie called Boundaries.

I was intrigued. Me, do a movie review? Why on earth would Sony Pictures ask me to screen a movie?

Curiosity got the better of me and instead of automatically deleting the email, I opened it.

It became immediately clear why: DOGS. Dogs (and a few cats — one naked kitty, even) show up in the movie all over the place.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the important info about Boundaries:

Cast: Vera Farmiga, Christopher Plummer, Lewis MacDougall, Bobby Cannavale, Kristen Schaal, Dolly Wells, Yahya Abdul-Mateen, Christopher Lloyd, Peter Fonda
Written and Directed By: Shana Feste
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Rated: R

Laura (Vera Farmiga) is a single mother living in Seattle, who has a constant need to put others & animals before her. When her estranged, criminally-minded father Jack (Christopher Plummer) is kicked out of his retirement home, Laura agrees to drive him down the coast to live with her sister JoJo (Kristen Schaal) in LA. Along for the ride is her bright but troubled son Henry, and an assortment of animal charity cases. Without telling Laura, Jack convinces Henry to help him sell off his copious supply of marijuana at every stop of their journey, resulting in unexpected reunions with old friends and family.

The movie is well-written, has an interesting plot (and some hilarious sub-plots) and uses the dogs (and kitties) in a way that they’re important to the movie, but aren’t the center of the plot.

It’s the backstory, and behind-the-scenes details, though, that I almost always find the most interesting.

The writer, Shana Feste, wrote this movie about her own real-life relationship with her father. Christopher Plummer, the actor who plays Jack, the father, says this about the writer: “She’s written it in a most unique style, but behind the brittle wordplay, there’s another life going on, a much deeper and more profound, unspoken life, a relentless search for harmony that must finally penetrate the surface. Shana is able to produce laughter and tears with equal and stunning force, and her actors are mighty blessed with the rich and eccentric characters she’s given them to play.”

Another interesting aspect of Boundaries was the casting.

Once the funding was confirmed and the wheels of production began to turn, Feste and team set about casting. The tone of the script called for actors who could thrive in dramatic situations, but who could also deliver the comic moments that would ultimately define the film. All the actors in the film were Feste’s first choice.

She spoke of casting Vera Farmiga as Laura: “Our first instinct was to cast a big comedy actress for this role; then I thought, if we do cast a comedic actress, those dramatic moments that are so important might be a bit lost. I hope that drama will set this film apart from being just a charming little comedy that you see and forget about the next day. I knew I needed those real moments of truth, and I knew Vera could deliver on those and the comic flavor as well.”

She continues: “It could have been a strange feeling directing Vera as, in many ways, my own alter-ego, but she made the character so much her own; Vera has so much depth and subtlety as an actor. We could really collaborate on bringing Laura to life.”

The actor cast as Laura’s son sort of steals the screen in Boundaries.

Instinct helped Feste cast the role of Henry, Laura’s 12-year-old son who is an intriguing and endearing mix of innocence, smarts, bruised feelings, and deadpan wisdom beyond his years. “I really didn’t want that very self-aware “kid actor” style,” says Feste of her search for Henry.

“When we saw Lewis MacDougall, I knew he was the one—even though he was more complicated to work with because he’s Scottish. He had to nail the American accent, and we had to deal with visas and such, but he had to be Henry. He’s so natural and subtle. His face draws you in. He has that kind of magic quality where he sticks to the screen.”

Not surprisingly, the quiet stars of Boundaries are the canines.

Just as they included bios of each human actor, Sony Pictures sent a bio for each animal actor with the Boundaries press package, as well. I didn’t include them all here, but I found that element so endearing (that they wrote bios for each animal in the film), that I felt it important to include a few.

Loretta

Loretta is a terrier rescue and loves napping, stealing food from babies and being held. Loretta was the happiest dog on set because she was finally allowed to go to work with her mom, who directed the movie. The only problem was when her mom would yell, “Action!” Loretta would immediately run to her behind the camera so the first AD had to call action in the scenes Loretta stars in. Loretta made every dog jealous when she got to kiss Christopher Plummer on the lips – she nailed it every time.

Squirt

Squirt plays the part of “rescue puppy” along with littermates that looked similar. The pups were sixteen-week-old chihuahua mixes and got a ton of attention behind the scenes. So much so that the animal wrangler had to act as security when too many crew members swarmed around them – but they were happy to have all the love!

I had a great time screening this movie. Because I’m so entrenched in the dog world, most of the time it’s hard for me to watch movies with dogs because I can read body language and most of the time it’s easy for me to see dogs who are uncomfortable in that filming situation. The dogs in Boundaries were not only comfortable, but most often seemed to be having a really good time with the actors in the movie.

There was a premiere in New York City on June 11 and all the actors, along with the crew were there — with dogs! In addition, there were other celebrities known for their work with rescued animals were there, as well.

The Boundaries movie was released on June 22 in Los Angeles and New York and will be in theatres after that. If you see the movie, let me know what you think in the comments!

Book Review: Laws, Policies, Attitudes and Processes That Shape the Lives of Puppies in America

June 7, 2017

Book Review

I was contacted by the editor of the Journal of Law and Social Deviance and asked if I would like to receive a copy to do a book review of Laws, Policies, Attitudes and Processes That Shape the Lives of Puppies in America by Carmen M. Cusack. I love to read and it was about dogs, so I accepted the offer. Book review, sma

It’s not my normal reading material. It’s quite the scientific tome. I’m interested in sociology and how we fit dogs into our lives, so it wasn’t a hard read for me.

I learned some things I wish I could unlearn, however.

While dogs are afforded a fair amount of legal protection and compassion here in the United States, that is not true in other parts of the world. In the U.S., dogs hold an important status in our society. In China, however, dogs are raised not only for their fur (yes, people actually wear dog fur coats), but also for meat. Their lives as fur dogs are not pleasant, neither is their manner of death. Because it pained me to learn the details, I’ll spare those here so you can avoid the same fate I wish I could.

There was quite a bit of psychology mixed in with the sociology in the book.

For instance, the book asserts that there are several theories of crime that explain why criminals who steal puppies may also be involved in other cures such as dealing drugs. The book goes on to suggest that police, while not necessarily interested in investigating puppy theft on it’s own merits, are quick to take on a puppy theft case because it gives them a pretext for gathering evidence of other crimes.

I found it odd that the author referred to canines as both dogs and puppies interchangeably.

As a professional dog trainer, puppyhood is a specific developmental stage. After about 16 weeks (roughly), a puppy is more of an adolescent than a puppy (both developmentally and in size [breed dependent, of course]). A 6-month old dog is definitely not a puppy, but the book uses the terms interchangeably, which I found a bit off-putting, as I think a scientific publication should recognize the developmental stages of canines.

The book covers many topics involving dogs that range from cultural, to legal, to the education of dogs.

Some of the chapter titles include: Art, Transportation, Wild & Exotic Animals, Killing, Puppy Fur, Property, Fear & Neurosis (which includes my favorite piece — puppy training), Drugs, Babies & Puppies, Food, Technology, and Civilization & Society.

Overall, the book is a fascinating read.

It’s a book that you can open and begin reading anywhere . I skipped immediately to the Fear & Neurosis chapter first, of course, as that’s the chapter that contained the training section, but I found something interesting in almost every chapter.

There’s something for everyone in this book.

While not an engaging novel, or “here’s how dog’s think” book (both of which I love), it was nonetheless an interesting read. The book includes a robust bibliography for any science-lovers who wish to delve more deeply into any of the topics presented in the book.

Review: The Honest Kitchen’s Single Serve Cups

May 31, 2017

The Honest Kitchen’s Single Serve Cups

It’s been a whirlwind of traveling for work.

I worked two weeks straight without a day off — and that was bad enough! But to add to the misery, I had to work both weekends, too, and those were traveling weekends. I actually started my vacation on Friday, but was working in Atlanta, GA until that Sunday. When I arrived back home, we all jumped into the car and headed off for a week’s vacation. (More on that in another post.)

With all the travel and all the work (and zero time off), I was really happy The Honest Kitchen (THK) sent me some of their Single Serve Cups to review!

When I travel, I get the dogs’ food all measured out so it’s really easy for my husband to feed the dogs. These single serve cups made at least part of my job super easy — I just stacked those cups up in the pantry! That’s it! No scooping out food and putting it in a baggie, making a label for the bag, putting the label on the bag, and arranging them by dog (and by meal!) in the pantry.

These single serve cups made my job super easy — I just stacked those cups up in the pantry! That’s it! No scooping out food and putting it in a baggie, making a label for the bag, putting the label on the bag, and arranging them by dog (and by meal!) in the pantry.

I wish I had a photo of the cups. Here’s my tip for any other bloggers who are reading this. Take the pictures first! Don’t say “Oh, I’ll get the pictures later.”

Schooner, the Great Dane, sort of <ahem> taste tested a couple of the single serve cups on his own.

He volunteered and did a bang up job. Someone (who shall remain nameless) left the pantry door open while I was out teaching classes. I didn’t see anything amiss when I got home from teaching. It was the next morning when I noticed the mess of cardboard and then, as I got closer, I saw the dried bits of food all over the sofa.

Apparently, Schoons thought the food didn’t need any water at all and helped himself to two cups of the stuff. ?

The Honest Kitchen, single serve cups, human grade dog food Thankfully, The Honest Kitchen has some great pics on their website that I can use to show you how cute these little cups are. And despite Schooner’s adventure, those cups are really quite sturdy. Just not in the jaws of a 165-pound dog. ?

These single serve cups are perfect for travel.

Whether you’re leaving food behind for your pet sitter or if you’re bringing your dog on the road with you, these cups make packing for your trip a whole lot easier.

As with all of THK’s offerings, these single serve cups are 100% human grade. They are free of BHA and preservatives and are made from whole food.

The one single serve cup that I was able to mix up and offer to Tango was super easy — just add warm water, stir, and serve! Makes things easy for you if you’re on the road (hotelling it or roughing it) and for pet sitters (or husbands) who are looking after your dog while you’re adventuring.

I love THK because of the quality of the food. Now I have another reason — they make things so much more convenient for a busy traveler like me!

Review: The Honest Kitchen’s Minimalist Recipes

May 8, 2017

The Honest Kitchen’s Minimalist Recipes

Regular readers know I’m a fan of The Honest Kitchen (THK) dog food.

yellow lab, yellow Labrador, dog cancer, canine cancer, lymphoma, sarcoma I regularly feed my senior yellow Labrador, Tango, their human-grade dog food, Force. We looooove it. [I don’t get paid or otherwise compensated to say this. I just really like their food.]

Last week, The Honest Kitchen sent samples of their new, limited ingredient food, duck and sweet potato (grain free!) food, Spruce, their latest minimalist recipe. SIX ingredients. Only six. ALL human-grade.

The Honest Kitchen, dog food review, human grade dog food, dog food

Look, no one needs to sell me on THK food.

I am a believer. Tango’s done great on their food for years now. When I added Spruce into the rotation, Tango didn’t skip a beat. He chowed down on Spruce just like he devours his current THK food, Force.

What’s different about Spruce?

Well, first, it’s a limited ingredient diet. Only six ingredients. SIX. That’s it. Grain-free at that, if that matters to you. It matters to us, mostly because once I eliminated grains from our dogs’ diet, their ear infections and troublesome feet problems dropped off fairly significantly. It’s not scientific evidence, I know, but I’ll take it.

So, the really important stuff: did Tango like the new food?

Uh, YEAH! He gobbled it up like nothing was different. It was just as easy for me to make, too. Which is just a bonus. Becuase even if it were harder to make, I’d still do it because it’s such a good food and so good for my Tango.

Spruce is great for your dog if he has allergies or a sensitive stomach. It’s made from cage-free duck and also sweet potatoes. It’s made in a human-grade manufacturing facility with human-grade ingredients. It’s good for your dog. No preservatives, no artificial colors, no fake anything.

How do you make it?

If you’ve never tried THK food, it’s really easy to make. Put the food in the bowl, add warm water, stir, and feed to your dog! It’s that simple. For reals. Made in your own kitchen. By you. Then served immediately to your dog. It doesn’t get any fresher. Or easier.

If you’ve got a picky eater, a dog with a sensitive stomach, or a dog who needs to be on a limited ingredient diet, I highly recommend THKs Spruce food. Their other foods are great, too. Just sayin’.

Review: The Education of Will

March 1, 2017

The Education of Will.

Patricia McConnell is one of my favorite authors.

Her writing is brilliant — she’s entertaining, and, of course, helpful. I loved her other two books The Other End of the Leash (2005) and For the Love of a Dog (2007).

In all her books, Trish has shared part of herself with the reader.

In her latest book, The Education of Will, (released February 21), we get to know even more about her. She delves into some of the darker times in her life. Times that shaped who she is and that gave her insight to the mind of her border collie, Willie, who wasn’t the “easy” dog she’d hoped for, but that accompanied her, step for step, on her road to healing.

This book is about psychological trauma.

Yeah, it’s got some seriously heavy moments that her previous books haven’t had. McConnell describes her own trauma and it’s effects (that led her to tell a story of a kidnapping that never happened) on her life. She compares her own experiences to the trauma that her dog, Willie, faces and realizes that post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) isn’t limited to just humans, but rather it’s common across species.

It’s one hell of a read.

Survivors of trauma may find some particularly challenging passages, but keep going! It’s worth the squirming and the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of your stomach. I felt a particular kinship to Trisha as she described her irrational fears of the dark. I’m routinely made fun of (and make fun of myself) for being afraid of the dark, my coping skills for being home alone at night, and for being sure that someone has gotten into my house and is hiding in a closet or in the basement.

When I was in the early relationship stage with my boyfriend (now husband), he tried to be cute by turning off the lights as he went upstairs, leaving me alone in the dark in the kitchen. The only light I could create was by opening the refrigerator door. I yelled, he laughed (surely I was joking, no one could really be scared to walk through the house in the dark), and I stayed there in the kitchen holding the refrigerator door open until he finally turned the lights on for me. So yeah, I get it, that irrational fear that you can’t explain, but you also can’t overcome.

Turns out Trish has some really good reasons for her fears.

She experienced quite a bit of trauma in her early life. Molestation, rape, and seeing a man literally fall out of the air and die right in front of her. It wasn’t until she got her dog Willie, and began to recognize some of her own symptoms in him, that she was able to begin the journey that would help both Willie and her.

The book is a fascinating read with enough dog and human examples, personal experiences, and animal behavior to satisfy every type of reader.

While there were some dark passages, scary to be exact, the book is more than an accounting of the bad things that happened in her life. She deftly manages to include enough dog behavior information to please the dog trainers, enough personal information so we feel like we really do know her (and we’d be friends if we could just meet in real life), and hilarious stories from her daily life.

One of my guilty pleasures was that she weaved into the book stories of her life on the farm.

Regular readers of McConnell’s blog are familiar with the paragraph that always begins with “Meanwhile, back on the farm…” I love hearing her describe the different birds on the farm and how they function as a seasonal clock and can either herald springtime or warn of the impending winter.

If you’ve enjoyed McConnell’s other books, you won’t be disappointed with The Education of Will.

It’s different than her others, but there’s still so much of the Trisha we all love, along with a side of her that we’ve never known, that I’ll bet this book will also become a fast favorite of yours.

She’s going on a book tour, too!

From McConnell’s site, here’s where you can find her.

March 1, 2017 – Seattle, WA

Third Place Books, 17171 Bothell Way NE

Lake Forest Park, WA 98155

7:00 PM

Free, no registration necessary, but seating is limited.

March 4, 2017 – Beaverton, OR

Powell’s Books, 3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.

2:00 to 3:00 PM

Co-Sponsored b the Oregon Humane Society and Powell’s Books

Free to public. No registration necessary, but seating is limited.

March 5, 2107 – Navato, CA

Marin Humane Society, 171 Bel Marin Keyes Blvd

2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Sponsored by the Marin County Humane Society
Click here to register

Seating is limited

Which of McConnell’s books is your fave? Why?

The Honest Kitchen: Joyful Jerky Review

January 27, 2017

The Honest Kitchen: Joyful Jerky Review

I’m a fan of The Honest Kitchen (THK) because their ingredients are human grade and of the highest quality.

When they sent me Joyful Jerky to review, I was excited to let my dogs try it. Joyful Jerky comes in two varieties: beef and chicken. I received the chicken variety to try.

I have been leery of chicken jerky since the reports came out several years ago that chicken sourced in China was associated with the death of many dogs. In fact, THKs Joyful Jerky is the first chicken jerky I’ve given my dogs since the recalls began almost a decade ago.

I did my research, even with THK, and was relieved when they declared that none of their chicken is sourced from China! In fact, Joyful Jerky chicken treats contain just 3 ingredients (chicken, salt, celery juice powder, contain all-natural cage-free chicken, and do not contain glycerin or fillers.

I was sold! So were my dogs.

I used the Joyful Jerky on a veterinary visit where high value treats are a must for Schooner, our chicken-hearted Great Dane. He may be large, but he is not the bravest soul.

Great Dane, Schooner, getting X-rays

It was easy to break the jerky into small, bite-sized bits so it lasted longer.

Unlike my Labradors, who will pretty much eat whatever is put in front of them, Schooner is a bit more, shall we say, picky. He’d rather I describe him as having a discerning palate.

Whatever you want to call it, I generally have to go through several different treats before I find something that meets his taste standards.

I was super excited when he tried to steal some of them out of the container while I wasn’t watching. That’s when I knew we had something good!

vet visit, scared dog, dog training, dog obedience, positive, clicker, Smart Dog, Laurie, Frederick, Luck, dog trainer — Treats help this scaredy-cat enjoy his visit a bit more.

We went through the whole bag there at the veterinary exam. This was a particularly invasive visit, as we’re still battling the pesky (and funky) bacteria on the top of his paw. The veterinarian had to get some skin scrapings (ouch!) and take a good look at that foot. Which meant Schoons needed as much reinforcement and distraction as possible. I kept popping Joyful Jerky in his mouth and he kept his focus on me instead of what was happening to his paw.

Voila! Before Schooner knew it, we were done and heading out the door.

And while I’m still dealing with that foot, I now have a new tool in my “happy veterinary visit” arsenal – Joyful Jerky!

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Boundaries – Movie Review

I’m often asked to review dog-related products, treats, and food, but earlier this month, I was asked to do a movie review for a Sony Pictures movie called Boundaries.

It became immediately clear why: DOGS. Dogs (and a few cats — one naked kitty, even) show up in the movie all over the place.

It’s the backstory, and behind-the-scenes details, though, that I almost always find the most interesting.

Another interesting aspect of Boundaries was the casting.

The actor cast as Laura’s son sort of steals the screen in Boundaries.

Not surprisingly, the quiet stars of Boundaries are the canines.

Book Review

I learned some things I wish I could unlearn, however.

There was quite a bit of psychology mixed in with the sociology in the book.

I found it odd that the author referred to canines as both dogs and puppies interchangeably.

The book covers many topics involving dogs that range from cultural, to legal, to the education of dogs.

Overall, the book is a fascinating read.

There’s something for everyone in this book.

The Honest Kitchen’s Single Serve Cups

It’s been a whirlwind of traveling for work.

With all the travel and all the work (and zero time off), I was really happy The Honest Kitchen (THK) sent me some of their Single Serve Cups to review!

Schooner, the Great Dane, sort of <ahem> taste tested a couple of the single serve cups on his own.

Apparently, Schoons thought the food didn’t need any water at all and helped himself to two cups of the stuff. ?

These single serve cups are perfect for travel.

I love THK because of the quality of the food. Now I have another reason — they make things so much more convenient for a busy traveler like me!

The Honest Kitchen’s Minimalist Recipes

Regular readers know I’m a fan of The Honest Kitchen (THK) dog food.

Look, no one needs to sell me on THK food.

What’s different about Spruce?

So, the really important stuff: did Tango like the new food?

How do you make it?

The Education of Will.

Patricia McConnell is one of my favorite authors.

In all her books, Trish has shared part of herself with the reader.

This book is about psychological trauma.

It’s one hell of a read.

Turns out Trish has some really good reasons for her fears.

The book is a fascinating read with enough dog and human examples, personal experiences, and animal behavior to satisfy every type of reader.

One of my guilty pleasures was that she weaved into the book stories of her life on the farm.

If you’ve enjoyed McConnell’s other books, you won’t be disappointed with The Education of Will.

She’s going on a book tour, too!

Which of McConnell’s books is your fave? Why?

The Honest Kitchen: Joyful Jerky Review

I’m a fan of The Honest Kitchen (THK) because their ingredients are human grade and of the highest quality.

I was sold! So were my dogs.

It was easy to break the jerky into small, bite-sized bits so it lasted longer.

Whatever you want to call it, I generally have to go through several different treats before I find something that meets his taste standards.

Voila! Before Schooner knew it, we were done and heading out the door.

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