If you haven't figured this out already, I'm a little nuts about my dog. I can't help it - he makes me laugh every day and recently served as a much-needed companion on many trips up and down the Northway to visit my ill grandmother. I didn't really realize what a comfort he was until just the other day when she passed away and all I wanted to do was go home and hug my dog. (Don't tell Western One, he'd be offended)

This is the first time I've had a dog as an adult, and I'm constantly amazed by how much I don't know about making sure he's safe and happy. I've learned my rawhide lesson, but with spring plants peeking through the ground, it has become apparent there's more I need to watch out for. The past few days he's been chowing down on plants and promptly depositing them on my floor in a semi-regurgitated state. My type-a/OCD/over-protectiveness led me on a minor research obsession. Did you know all sorts of common plants are toxic to dogs? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised but I just never really stopped to think about it. The ASPCA has a great list, with pictures and all. Of course a solid handful of the GI-distress-inducing buggers are in my yard, along with a few of the more hazardous varieties.

Great. Maybe I can only utilize my black thumb skills to protect my pup and spare my fledgling garden its wrath. No such luck...I was a tad overzealous with putting my peas outside. Thankfully I anticipated I'd murder at least a few plants and kept a few seedlings under the growlight.