Field Notes

Short writing about dogs — the things we notice, the small mysteries, the lessons from living with two staffies. New notes every couple of weeks.

These notes started as the things we kept meaning to write down about our own dogs. Some are quick answers to questions we kept getting asked. Some are longer stories — a thunderstorm, a harness saga, the day one of them figured something out. We publish a new one every week or two.

The five strands below are the places we keep returning to.

Behavior

Why dogs do the small things they do. Body language, calming signals, the daily mysteries.

Puppy months

Month-by-month milestones from week 8 onward. What's normal, what's a phase, what's next.

Breeds

Breed-specific notes — temperament, energy, the things the breed clubs leave out.

At the vet

Practical prep for vet visits. Questions to ask, what to bring, what counts as normal recovery.

Stories

Personal notes from our two staffies, Bo and Stella. The things we noticed, tried, and learned.