Big Wags Chicago

08/29/2025

Hi all! I meant to post yesterday that the new episode of Hound Opinions would be a day late. But apparently I didn't.

However, it's out now! So, yay! We're talking puppies this time. Check it out wherever you get your .

Puppies are great, right? Who wouldn't want a puppy?Well, I wouldn't. I'm talking the pros and cons of puppies this time around. Big Wags Chicago is online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigwagschicago.com⁠⁠⁠⁠.....

08/28/2025

A couple from recent walks.

08/26/2025

Happy National Day from me and my national to you and yours!

08/20/2025

This is Charlie Sunshine. He's my newest student and I'm working with him and his people, Aericka and Melissa to help him learn some puppy skills. His people are really committed to helping Charlie learn. They bought a six-pack and after the first lesson last night, I know Charlie's going to be a total rockstar.

Welcome to La Familia Big Wags, Charlie!

08/20/2025

Occasionally, people will ask me if it's "ok" to let their dogs on the bed. Consider this my answer.

Now, is it actually more nuanced than this? Yes. Fact is, the spaces a dog is allowed to occupy should vary from dog to dog. Take resource guarding, for instance. A dog that resource guards a space shouldn't have access to that space if possible. Beds are a great example of this. If your dog resource guards your bed, don't let the dog in your bed.

And hell, if you simply don't WANT your dog to be in your bed with you, that's fine, too (I don't understand that mentality, but that's neither here nor there). Dogs are great at finding places to be comfortable, so not having access to your bed won't be a problem.

But ... assuming you WANT your dog in your bed and your dog can occupy that space without guarding it, it's absolutely fine to share the bed with your pup.

08/14/2025

This time around on Hound Opinions, we're talking about the importance of curating the people your dog comes into contact with. Why? Because they can't! And we get into why it's ok that your dog isn't super excited about every human they run across. After all, you don't like everyone you meet in the world, right?

Grab it at the link below or wherever you get your podcasts!

On this episode, I’m talking about the importance of picking the right people for you and your dog. And the importance of trusting your gut.Big Wags Chicago is online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigwagschicago.com⁠....

08/13/2025

Rosie was very relaxed after our walk.

08/04/2025

Did you know I'm also a gardener? Look! I grew a Lenny flower! It's a perennial.

08/03/2025

Hey all!

So y'all know I run a Discord server for folx to talk dogs. But honestly, it hasn't taken off like I had hoped. And after a good bit of thinking, my plan right now is to shut it down within the week.

If anyone wants to try to convince me not to shut it down, you're welcome to plead your case. But it just hasn't been the robust, active, fun space I'd hoped for.

Anyway, consider this your heads up. Unless something convinces me otherwise, I'll be shutting down the Discord server on the 10th.

I still have some hope that I might be able to create a space where dog people can discuss dogs and dog-related things in real time. But it might just be that Discord isn't the avenue for it. So I'm open to alternative suggestions, too.

Cheers!

P.S. Pic of me and my buddy Piper for tax.

07/31/2025

Happy National Mutt Day, everyone!

So I have an episode of Hound Opinions ready to go. But if you're like me, you've probably seen a few news stories recently about a disturbing trend - people giving up their pets because the state of the economy is such that they're unable to afford to keep them and as a result, shelters bursting at the seams.

That's why instead of the new episode, I'd love for y'all to check out this episode I did last August. I talk about why pet guardianship is way too expensive and why that shouldn't be the case. This won't be the last time I address this issue on the pod, by the way.

Also, this gives you an overview of the pet guardianship and shelter crisis: https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/animal-shelters-full-pets-expensive-inflation-rcna221043

Cheers.

Strap in, folx. We're getting political this time around. One of my biggest pet peeves is the fact that pet guardianship is getting more and more expensive. Money shouldn't be an impediment to it. Unfortunately, I'm also part of the problem. So what can we do about it? Well, I put forward at least o...

07/31/2025

Piper shared her chair with me after our yesterday. She's so sweet.

07/28/2025

Hey y'all! So I wanted to answer a couple questions that I've gotten recently from a few different sources.

1. I think I might not do the best job of explaining my cancellation policy for . For walks during my regular walking hours (10am-4pm), the policy is this: If you cancel at least 3 hours before your arrival window, it's no charge. Example: If your arrival window is 11am-1pm, you need to cancel by 8am the day of the walk or you'll be charged. For walks outside of the regular hours (holidays and Saturdays and such), you need to cancel 24 hours before the arrival window starts.

2. This is one of those awkward questions I have to answer occasionally, but I always wait to answer it until I get asked a few times. So ... since I have been asked a bit lately ... yes, I do accept tips. HOWEVER ... while they're always appreciated, tips are NEVER expected. So please don't ever feel compelled to tip. And again, I recognize that this is an awkward thing to discuss in a social media post, but I've been asked a few times lately, so it's time to address it again.

Cheers, y'all! Pic of my dude Ziggy for tax!