This blog feature amusing and heartwarming stories about our late Leonberger dog Bronco, as well as other Leonbergers. It also has a lot of information about the Leonberger breed, the history, care, training, Leonberger organizations, etc. I also wrote a Leonberger book, which I am featuring in the sidebar.
Category: Non-Leonberger Topics
Other topics not necessarily related to Bronco, Leonbergers or dogs.
I am sorry that I have not been very active in the blogosphere lately. We had a special visit from our five months old grandson Jack. Our son Jacob, his wife Ashley and baby Jack came to visit us last Thursday and they left Monday night and during that time I mostly ignored the blogosphere but now I am back. With this post I thought I would display a few baby photos. First there are a few photos from our visit to Baltimore to see baby Jacka couple of months ago and then the rest of the photos were taken during their visit to us here in Dallas, which took place during the last few days.
Our son Jacob, his wife Ashley and our grandson at about 3 months old. In the bottom right photo, he is newborn.Jack in the sofa. Three months old.My wife Claudia is on the left, I am in the middle and Jack is on the right.First photo from the last few days. Our daughter with baby Jack at five months old. This photo is from the past weekend when they visited us. That’s here in Dallas, Texas.
A Challenge for Dr. Pooper
It was a challenging few days for our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo. Dogs being jealous of a baby is a very real thing. I’ve read that dogs don’t see us the same as a pack of dogs but something better than a pack, care takers and family. They typically prefer their human family over a pack of dogs. They understand the difference between dogs and people. Rollo does not really try to be a pack leader, but he cherishes his position as the baby in the family, and suddenly here comes a human baby out of nowhere.
The human baby gets lots of attention, he sits in a stroller just like Rollo sometimes did in the past, people use a baby voice when they talk to the human baby, like they do with him, and on top of it I called baby Jack, Rollo, instead of Jack several times. I can add that I recently also mixed up the cats Charlee and Chaplin on another blog. Rollo felt that things were taken from him and he growled at the baby a couple of times.
Sometimes there are scary sounds and Rollo wanted to sit in the stroller we bought for our Pug Daisy. We have not been using that stroller since Daisy passed.
So, what we did was to pay a lot of attention to Rollo, making sure we did not exclude him, and we gave him treats every time he was in the same room as the baby. It turned out that this worked very well. This was something our daughter had looked up. Well, now when Jack has gone back to Baltimore, Rollo is back to being the supreme baby of the family, or the King of Texas if you will. Below are a couple of photos of Rollo in his new cap or coat, Dr. Pooper, a sort of advertisement for a Texas soda called Dr. Pepper. It was just for fun and he did not mind.
Rollo in his Dr. Pooper cap.Rollo in his Dr. Pooper cap.
Baby Jack Photos
Our son with his son, baby Jack.My wife Claudia and baby Jack.Me and baby Jack.Our daughter and baby Jack.Baby Jack in a stroller.Baby Jack in a stroller.Baby Jack in a stroller.
With this post I just wanted to highlight my other blog superfactful. The purpose of that blog is to find facts that are important and true with very high certainty and yet disputed by many amongst the public (but not scientists/experts), surprising to many, and perhaps shocking. Imagine telling a medieval peasant who believes that Earth is flat like a pancake that it is closely spherical. That Earth is not flat like a pancake is true with a very high certainty (BTW nothing outside of logic and math is absolutely 100%), it is kind of important, and would probably be surprising to him. Maybe he’ll call it BS, but that is the point.
I call these kinds of facts SUPER FACTS, and I am the super fact hunter. I am trying to make the blog fun and educational. I use reputable sources to back up my claims that I hope will shock many without resorting to clickbait. It is not an academic blog, but I am linking to thousands of academic sources. Below I am listing my five last super facts. To see the full post, you have to click on the links.
Wind Energy is Indeed Clean Energy
Superfact 87: Wind energy is a clean, renewable, and sustainable power source that produces no atmospheric emissions or water pollution during operation. Manufacturing and installation have a small carbon footprint that is much smaller than the carbon footprint of the fossil fuels they potentially replace.
Early Homo Sapiens lived at the same time as many other human species
Super fact 86 : Early humans, early homo sapiens, lived at the same time as many other human species including Neanderthals, Denisovans, Homo floresiensis, Homo naledi, Homo luzonensis. Homo heidelbergensis, Homo erectus, and maybe other species as well.
Super fact 85 : Scientists recognized that whales descended from land animals already in the 19th century. However, it was not until the 1980’s that intermediate fossils for whale evolution were found. In addition, molecular and genetic / DNA studies showed that Hippopotamus and whales were closely related. Until then the evolution of whales was a bit of a mystery and creationists frequently mocked the lack of intermediate fossils for whale evolution.
All living cetaceans including whales, dolphins, porpoises, sperm whales and hippopotamids / hippopotamus belong to a suborder of artiodactyls called whippomorpha. Just like humans and chimpanzees have a common ancestor hippopotamus and whales have a common ancestor.
Super fact 84 : Modern birds are classified as part of the clade Dinosauria. They are direct descendants of small, feathered maniraptoran dinosaurs that survived the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event 66 million years ago. Maniraptoran dinosaurs in turn are a major subgroup of coelurosaurian theropod dinosaurs. In other words, birds are avian dinosaurs.
Velociraptor with feathers (well a little bit). Shutterstock Asset id: 2636534673 by Shutterstock AI Generator
Super fact 83 : Everyone experiences false memories. They are a normal part of how human memory works and are very common. There are also false memories that are shared among large groups of people and that are often socially reinforced. This is called the Mandela effect.
Shutterstock Asset id: 717504940 by durantelallera
Zodiak signs. Shutterstock Asset id: 2643593485 by Cinemanikor
Today is the first time I participate in Linda Hill’s streams of consciousness. To read about the rules and participate click here.
Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “starts with ‘pre’.” Find a word that starts with “pre” and use it any way you’d like. The word I chose is “Prediction” and this post is about failed predictions. The first rule is: there should be minimal planning and no editing except typos. The picture above was what showed up in the middle when I searched “Astrology Prediction” on Shutterstock (I have an account). I picked it without looking too carefully at any other picture. As for the writing I am just letting it flow as MS Word corrects my typos for me. I already read one other person’s blog who has linked back their post, and I posted the SoCS Badge below. I hope I am getting it right.
2019-2020 SoCS Badge by Shelley!
My Lucky Day from Hell
These events took place in northern Sweden when I was about 14-15 years old. My dad was building a summer cabin, or rather a summer house at the time. My brother and I was helping him. Summer cabins, or summer houses, are very common in Sweden. Almost everyone has one, by a lake, a river, by the sea, or up in the mountains. He had asked me to put up a wall, and he had given me instructions for how to do it. I was determined to do a good job.
The magazines I used to read at the time had horoscopes in them and the horoscope for this day predicted that it would be my lucky day. This made me excited. I was certain I would do a great job. After all my horoscope predicted it would be my lucky day. What could go wrong on my lucky day?
I should say that I was a bit skeptical of horoscopes. They were vague and did not seem to be able to predict anything, and they certainly seemed to get my personality wrong. However, the lucky day prediction was a pretty specific prediction, so I took it to heart.
To build the wall I needed to predict how many planks to put up, and calculate the best distance between them, so building the wall involved some predictions, not the astrology kind, but the mathematical kind. I proceeded to build the wall. I predicted it would take a couple of hours. Unfortunately, it turned out my predictions / calculations were wrong. I started over but I made another mistake with my predictions and had to start over. My predictions were going wrong and I started to become frustrated. I continued to build and tear down the wall several times but on the seventh time I exploded in anger.
I randomly grabbed an axe that was lying on the ground, and I shook it and swung it around as I was running around in the yard screaming in rage. I don’t know if any of the neighbors saw me. Maybe they did and hid in a cellar or a basement. I hit the axe in a random place in the yard and to my surprise the earth swallowed up almost the entire axe. I guess I was strong.
Almost immediately water started gushing up from the ground. I had accidentally cut the waterpipe to the summer house. The waterpipe was buried in the yard and I had no idea. Water quickly filled up the yard until it looked like a shallow swimming pool. That’s when my dad came home. The wall was not finished, planks were laying everywhere, there was water gushing up in the middle of the yard, and the yard was inundated with water. He said something along the lines of “My God what happened here?”. He was angry and disappointed, and he had to call people to come and help us with the mess. It was sort of an emergency.
So much for my mathematical predictions, calculations, and so much for my Horoscope predicting about my lucky day.
I can add that I remember this incident because I recently left a comment about this unfortunate occurrence on someone’s blog. It is the first time I do this so please tell me if I got something wrong. Now it is Saturday here, so I am posting.
What about you? Have you had a lucky day from Hell?
I had what is called post traumatic amnesia, which fortunately is temporary. Shutterstock ID: 1685660680 by MattL_Images
I have false memories, memories of things I know never happened. Not too long ago I made a post on my other blog about false memories and collective false memories, referred to as the Mandela Effect. You can read about that here. In addition to false memories I have memories that are strange, but that I know happened. I also have gaps, or holes in my memory. Memories that are lost to amnesia.
It all goes back to a ski accident that I had at the age of 22. We were a group of youngsters who rented a bus and drove from Sweden to Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria in Germany. Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a beautiful Bavarian town, and it is one of the most famous German ski resorts. Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain is nearby Garmisch-Partenkirchen providing for an impressive scenery.
The town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Photo by op23 on Pexels.com
I love skiing and I challenged myself by skiing fast and selecting difficult slopes but on one of the days I made a very bad decision. I have no memories of what follows in this paragraph. It is what I have been told. There was a steep double black diamond slope with a sign stating that the conditions were dangerous and not to go down this slope. I did it anyway, and I fell badly, hit my head (I had no helmet), and I got a severe shoulder displacement. My arm was hanging on my back. I went looking for my skis and I tried to put them back on to continue skiing, but some Germans came down to stop me.
An ambulance was called, and they sent snowmobiles to pick me up. However, the snowmobiles were unable to get there, so they used a pist-machine to pick me up instead. On the way down I discovered my shoulder displacement several times. I was equally shocked every time. That’s how they knew that my short term memory was gone. I also had no pain sensation.
Zugspitze Germany’s highest mountain. Photo by Oskar Gross on Pexels.comThis is me in the ski slope when I was young. This is not Garmisch-Partenkirchen, it is Breckenridge, Colorado, but I don’t have any photos of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Amnesia
The next few days after the accident I suffered from amnesia. I did not remember where I was or my friends. I should say I still remembered my name. The first 2-3 days after the accident are essentially gone. However, I remember my friends coming into my room asking me questions such as “what’s my name?”, “do you remember me?”, “do you know where we are?”. The leader of the trip was devastated, and she was allegedly crying all day. You can say that I ruined the trip for everyone.
False Memories
On the way down to Germany, at the German border we changed out our studded tires because studded tires are not allowed on the autobahn. As my memories started to return on the third day after the accident my friends asked me what happened at the German border. I told them that we had studded tires (that part was correct) and that we all took pliers and removed the studs (that part was false). The funny thing is, to this day I remember us walking around the bus with pliers and removing studs. However, I know this never happened. How did that false memory get implanted in my head?
Strange Memories
I also have some strange memories from that trip that according to my friends happened. We stayed at a youth hostel. It was nice but it had a strange feature. There were loudspeakers in all the hallways. At 10:00PM on our first evening at the youth hostel the loudspeakers came on and someone started shouting in German “Achtung! Achtung! All guests must now wash their faces and brush their teeth and the lights started dimming and women and men had to go to their quarters. Music is forbidden. The loudspeaker came on every now and then barking orders at us in German and all windows and doors were locked electronically. Being from Sweden we followed orders, but we were laughing about it.
Suddenly new voices started shouting in the loudspeaker. It was younger sounding voices. It was still in German but this time we were told to rebel against the hotel management, we were told to refuse to go to bed, and they started singing fighting songs in German. Then, suddenly the loudspeakers went quiet. The hotel management was back. We all had to go to bed. It sounds like a false memory, but this one is real. Well, it was budget lodging after all.
Unpleasant Memories of Statistical Mechanics
The epic opening of the first paragraph in David L. Goodstein’s States of Matter, a textbook on Statistical Mechanics.
The epic opening above from the textbook says : Ludwig Boltzmann, who spent much of his life studying statistical mechanics, died in 1906, by his own hand. Paul Ehrenfest, carrying on the work, died similarly in 1933. Now it is our turn to study statistical mechanics.
One day I found a book on Statistical Mechanics under my bed, and some very unpleasant memories came back to me. I had a final exam in Statistical Mechanics after our vacation. Statistical mechanics is a mathematical framework that applies statistical methods and probability theory to large assemblies of microscopic entities.
More specifically, you do statistical calculations over large sets of atoms and molecules to figure out the macro condition of the corresponding gas or material. For example, temperature corresponds to the average kinetic energy of atoms, and entropy refers to the logarithm of the number of microstates compatible with the system’s measurable macroscopic state, often loosely referred to as the disorder of the system. Statistical Mechanics includes classical Statistical Mechanics as well as its Quantum Mechanical counterpart, which is a lot more abstract and complicated.
In 1905 Albert Einstein proved the existence of molecules and atoms using statistics and an observed phenomenon called Brownian motion. Shutterstock ID: 2334052703
Once I was back in Sweden, I went to see my professor, and I explained the situation to him: “hello professor, I had a ski accident, hit my head, and I lost my memory. My amnesia made me forget statistical mechanics.”. He could also see that my left arm was in a cast. I said, “could I take the exam a little later?” He asked me “are you right-handed or left-handed?” I said, “I am right-handed”. The professor answered, “well then you take the exam on time like everybody else”. It wasn’t what I wanted to hear but I took it, and I passed but not with flying colors.
It may seem like my professor was a bit harsh. However, I was later thinking that maybe he had a lot of students coming into his office claiming head injuries with amnesia. It was after all a final exam in statistical mechanics.
Today, I am delighted to welcome the very talented author, Jacqui Murray, with her latest novel in the Savage Land Book series, Balance of Nature.
When I was a teenager, I read a few of Jean M. Auels novels about pre-historic humans. I loved them and I saw the movie. Now I am reading Jacqui Murray’s novels about pre-historic humans. Jacqui Murray’s books are even more fascinating and very realistic and well researched. This post is part of a Book Launch series for Balance of Nature held February 2-13, 2026. There is more information here.
Summary
A tribe haunted by the past. Lies that threaten the future. A reason to find the truth.
Savage Land is the third trilogy about prehistoric man in the series, Man. Vs. Nature. Savage Land explores how two bands of humans survived one of the worst natural disasters in Earth’s history, when volcanic eruptions darkened the sky, massive tsunamis crossed the ocean in crushing waves, and raging fires burned the land. Viral tribes of Neanderthals and early man considered themselves apex predators, but that crown belonged to Nature and she was intent on washing the two-legged blight from her lands.
In Balance of Nature, Book Three of the trilogy, Yu’ung’s Neanderthal tribe hopes to settle at Gibraltar but instead find unexpected threats and lethal challenges.
Follow the courageous Yu’ung, the determined Kazeb, the mystical Shanadar, and the pawed-and-clawed Canis as they navigate a perilous world of tribal conflict, unexplained visions, and shifting loyalties. Their journey is a testament to the resilience and strength of true leadership in a sweeping saga that ultimately leads to who we are today.
Book information:
Genre: Prehistoric fiction
Editor: Anneli Purchase
To purchase the kindle version of the book, click here
To purchase the paperback version of the book, click here
Front cover of Balance of Nature by Jacqui Murray. Click here, or click on the picture to visit the Amazon page for the paperback version of the book.
Balance of Nature trailer
Excerpt: Chapter 1
75,000 years ago
The area we now call Gibraltar
Shouts woke the brothers from their sleep.
“A boat—on the Endless Sea! Headed toward us!”
At night? How is that possible? But Kazeb didn’t ask because it didn’t matter. What mattered was that it was there.
He and Turk had waited long for this news, Kazeb with excitement, Turk with dread. Without discussion, they raced across the grassland, leapt over crevices, the width familiar even in the dark, and then scrambled up Big Rock’s knobby flank, grabbing tiny ledges with their fingers and toes with a speed mountain goats would envy. The behemoth’s height dwarfed all hills on the peninsula save the distant, towering range that separated it from others.
The brothers summited the crest and crouched behind a thick patch of scrub at the cliff’s edge. The brisk breeze atop the promontory whipped Kazeb’s hair around. He clenched his fists, gritted his teeth so tightly he should have broken a tooth, and waited for the vague elongated shadow on the water’s inky surface to reveal its intentions.
Is it them? He glanced at his brother’s square face. Turk thinks it is.
Sun’s steady arrival slowly erased the dark, made the sea shimmer in shades of blue as waves crashed against the coastline. Just below the surface, under the foam, were sharp shoals. Any boat must tediously avoid these, better yet, continue down the shore where there was no risk, unless they knew of the sole safe mooring used by natives and those they shared the location with, like they did with the Tall Ones from long ago.
Turk hissed, “It’s them, Liis.”
The Clan called him Liis, but he preferred “Kazeb,” the name awarded him when he agreed to guide the Tall One Fierce to the sea’s end. That was far beyond anywhere he had ever traveled, but Fierce claimed Kazeb’s knowledge of the area was invaluable.
“We can’t tell who is onboard, Turk,” he said, though who else knew of the hidden cove?
Kazeb rose and scanned a full circle, hoping whoever came on that craft wasn’t looking up here.
“What are you doing, Liis?”
“I need to see if they’re alone, or do more come from other directions.”
Flat grassland bordered one flank of the promontory, water the rest. Sun’s earliest rays colored the sky in pinks and blues. Birds plummeted into the crystalline water. Fish with no desire to be food dove. Farther away, pigs rooted through the stubble and a herd of deer feasted on ever-abundant fresh young shoots, protected by the range of mountains from unexpected predators.
When we finish, that’s where we will go.
He turned back to the shoreless sea. Visible on clear days, a faint brown outline shadowed the horizon, what the Tall One Fierce had called home.
Turk said, “They knew enough to stay in the calm waterswhen darkness arrived, to avoid the underwater shoals.”
Sun broke above the horizon, telling the boat it was safe to continue. The craft nimbly skirted the shoals, aiming for the spot a similar vessel had beached long ago. Kazeb gripped his spear tighter. Fierce had promised to return once his exploration was completed. Kazeb trusted his word, but the more time passed, the more he wondered if he had been lied to.
“Liis!” Turk interrupted his reverie. “There is another boat, behind the first!”
Now Kazeb saw it. Both prows plowed through the water, their shapes clear in the sunlight. Shivers ran through Kazeb.
These aren’t like Fierce’s craft … but we have seen no one from that direction either by sea or foot.
Kazeb studied the gaggle of Uprights, their bold stripes, the confident stance of the slender male in the bow of the front boat. All fit his recollections of the Tall One band. His gaze drifted to the back boat, a shorter stockier figure at the prow.
Is he Fierce’s guide? My replacement? But why would he be behind Fierce?
Legs wide for balance, sunlight glinting off flame-red hair, the sturdy figure scanned the Big Rock. To Kazeb’s surprise, his gaze paused at the clump of brush where the brothers hid. He couldn’t see them, of course. Both had mudded their skin and squinted to keep Sun’s glare off their eyes. Still, the figure shouted to One-who-might-be-Fierce and pointed.
Turk gurgled, “Are they looking for us? But why come back here, considering what they did?”
“We don’t know for sure—”
“Who else would it be?” Turk’s voice a strangled yelp.
They argued this question often. The Clan Healer originally thought the deadly illness had been caused by insects or a toxin in the air, but before he died, he admitted an individual could have poisoned the members’ food and water. Who could say?
Kazeb didn’t bother to reply, busy admiring the vessel’s sleek profile, so unlike the Clan’s flatter, smaller ones. The sailors effortlessly beached it at the base of the monstrous rock where the brothers hid.
Voice fiery, Turk hissed, “Our destiny has arrived, why we survive and the rest died.”
Author Bio
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular prehistoric fiction saga, Man vs. Nature which explores seminal events in man’s evolution one trilogy at a time. She is also author of the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers and Building a Midshipman , the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. Her non-fiction includes 100+ books on tech into education, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics.
Author’s Social Media Contacts
Click on the links below to visit the author’s media
This is a bonus section about AI provided by Jacqui Murray
In 2024, readers crave more than just a passive experience. Interactive storytelling has become a significant trend, allowing readers to actively participate in shaping the narrative. With the use of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), stories are no longer confined to the pages of a book. Authors are experimenting with immersive experiences, creating narratives that respond to reader choices, making each journey through the story a unique adventure. Here are a few quick guidelines:
Use AI as an assistant, not as a replacement
Check everything AI does. It’s not perfect. Don’t expect it to be something it isn’t.
Be legal and ethical in your AI use. Confess to its use (like in your Kindle publications) when necessary. Don’t try to hide it.
Protect your privacy–don’t share personal information.
Assume AI-generated images can now be reverse-searched and tied back to you in some cases.
Voice cloning only needs 5–30 seconds of audio—don’t post long clear voice notes publicly if you’re worried about impersonation.
Robbie Cheadle posted the second part of my guest post on Scandinavian Folklore on LatinosUSA. LatinosUSA is a wonderful online magazine/blog featuring poetry, stories and all kinds of interesting content from around the world. She also included a great review of my Leonberger book Le Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle, and I am very grateful for that.
This is a guest post written by Sara M. from Sanitair LLC. She emailed me asking me if she could publish this post regarding opening a Indoor air quality for pets. I said yes. See her post below.
Daisy our Pug loved sitting in front of vents because of the heat in winter and the cool air in summer. Hopefully, the air was healthy.
I can add that we had our ducts cleaned a couple of months ago. It is good thing to do for yourself and for your pets.
The Ultimate Pet Owner’s Guide to Indoor Air Quality
Introduction
As a pet owner, you know the joy and companionship that furry friends bring into your life. Their playful antics, affectionate nuzzles, and loyal presence make every day brighter. However, pets also bring certain responsibilities that extend beyond feeding, grooming, and playtime. One critical aspect of pet care that is often overlooked is indoor air quality. The environment your pet lives in can significantly impact their health, comfort, and overall wellbeing.
Poor air quality can exacerbate allergies, trigger respiratory problems, and even contribute to long-term health issues for both pets and humans. With pets spending most of their time indoors, maintaining clean, fresh air is essential to support pet health and create a safe living environment. In this guide, we will explore how indoor air quality affects your pets, practical steps to improve it, and strategies to prevent airborne irritants in your home.
1. How Indoor Air Quality Impacts Pet Health
Indoor air can contain pollutants that affect pets in ways similar to humans. Common indoor pollutants include dust, pet dander, pollen, mold spores, smoke, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from household cleaners or furniture. Pets are often closer to the ground, which means they inhale particles that settle on floors and carpets, making them particularly vulnerable to airborne irritants.
Respiratory issues are among the most common consequences of poor air quality in pets. Cats, dogs, and small mammals may develop coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, or labored breathing if exposed to irritants over time. Pets with pre-existing conditions, such as asthma in cats or brachycephalic dog breeds, are even more sensitive.
In addition to respiratory effects, pollutants can trigger skin irritation and exacerbate allergies. Fluffy coats can trap dust and dander, which not only irritates pets’ skin but can also circulate allergens throughout your home. Long-term exposure to poor air quality may even weaken the immune system, making pets more susceptible to infections.
By understanding how indoor air quality influences pet health, you can take proactive steps to minimize risks and promote a safer, cleaner environment for your furry companions.
2. Sources of Indoor Air Pollution in Homes With Pets
To improve air quality, it is important to first identify potential sources of indoor pollutants in pet-friendly households. Common contributors include:
Pet Dander and Hair: Pet hair alone is not harmful, but it often carries dander, a common allergen. Dander is tiny, lightweight, and easily airborne, allowing it to circulate throughout your home.
Dust and Dirt: Pets can bring in dust, pollen, and other particles from outside on their paws and fur. Over time, this accumulates and becomes a source of indoor pollution.
Mold and Mildew: Pets can create moist areas, especially around water bowls, litter boxes, or damp bedding. Mold spores thrive in these conditions and contribute to poor air quality.
Cleaning Products and Fragrances: Many pet owners use chemical cleaners, air fresheners, or scented candles to maintain hygiene. These products release VOCs, which can irritate the respiratory system of both pets and humans.
Smoking Indoors: Secondhand smoke is a serious hazard for pets. Studies have linked tobacco smoke exposure to respiratory illnesses, cancer, and a higher risk of certain diseases in animals.
HVAC Systems: Dust and debris can accumulate in ducts and filters, which may circulate pollutants throughout the home if not properly maintained. Regular maintenance and occasional duct cleaning can help reduce this risk.
Identifying these sources is the first step toward reducing indoor pollutants and improving air quality for your pets.
3. Practical Strategies to Improve Indoor Air Quality
Once you know the sources of pollutants, implementing strategies to maintain clean air becomes more effective. Here are some practical approaches:
Regular Grooming and Cleaning: Frequent brushing removes loose hair and dander, reducing airborne particles. Bathing pets occasionally also helps, but avoid over-bathing, as it can dry out the skin. Vacuuming carpets, rugs, and upholstery using a vacuum with a HEPA filter is essential for trapping fine particles.
Air Filtration Systems: High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are highly effective at capturing pet dander, dust, pollen, and other airborne pollutants. Air purifiers can be placed in rooms where pets spend the most time to ensure constant filtration.
Proper Ventilation: Good airflow helps prevent pollutants from accumulating indoors. Open windows when weather permits, or use exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens to reduce humidity and mold growth.
Humidity Control: Maintaining indoor humidity between 30 to 50 percent can help reduce allergens and prevent mold. Dehumidifiers or humidifiers can be used depending on your climate to maintain an optimal balance.
Non-Toxic Cleaning Solutions: Choose pet-safe, fragrance-free cleaners to minimize VOCs. Avoid aerosol sprays or air fresheners that can irritate your pet’s lungs.
Designated Pet Areas: Establish specific areas for feeding, sleeping, and playing. Wash bedding regularly and clean litter boxes daily to prevent odors and bacteria from affecting air quality.
Implementing these strategies consistently will not only improve air quality but also contribute to a healthier, happier home for both pets and humans.
4. Monitoring and Maintaining Air Quality
Maintaining optimal air quality is an ongoing effort. Monitoring your indoor environment helps you identify potential problems before they affect your pets’ health.
Air Quality Monitors: Consider using digital monitors to track particulate matter, humidity, and VOC levels in your home. Some devices provide alerts if pollutants rise above safe levels, allowing you to act quickly.
Regular Cleaning Schedule: Establish a routine for vacuuming, dusting, and washing pet bedding. Clean or replace HVAC filters as recommended by the manufacturer, and schedule duct cleaning occasionally to remove trapped debris.
Pet-Safe Plants: Certain indoor plants can help filter toxins naturally, but be sure to choose species that are non-toxic to pets. Some popular options include spider plants, Boston ferns, and bamboo palms.
Professional Advice: If your pet shows signs of respiratory issues, allergies, or skin irritation, consult a veterinarian. They can provide guidance on environmental adjustments and recommend interventions to protect your pet’s pet health.
By actively monitoring and maintaining your home’s air quality, you can prevent long-term health issues and create a comfortable environment where your pets can thrive.
Conclusion
Indoor air quality is a crucial but often overlooked aspect of pet care. From reducing allergens and irritants to ensuring proper ventilation and using air purifiers, every step counts toward improving your pet’s living environment. Maintaining clean, fresh air supports pet health, reduces respiratory and skin issues, and contributes to a happier, healthier home.
Start with small, consistent changes such as regular grooming, vacuuming, and using HEPA filters, and gradually incorporate more advanced strategies like monitoring devices and humidity control. Remember, a home with clean air benefits not only your pets but everyone living in it.
I grew up in northern Sweden (Norrland), which means that I saw a lot of snow. I loved playing in the snow, building snow castles, snow tunnels, throwing snowballs, building snowmen, going sledding and going cross country skiing. I don’t remember being cold. I had warm clothes on, and I often stayed out very late playing in the snow. Now I live in Texas where snow is very rare.
Snow on the trees, Gällivare county, Swedish Lapland, Sweden Shutterstock Asset id: 2035482680 by Mats LindbergCross country skiing in Sweden Shutterstock Asset id: 1888204651 by Henrik A. Jonsson
Later in life, maybe at the age of 12-13 I also started doing downhill skiing / slalom. We had four ski resorts close to my hometown Örnköldsvik. I can add that the snow packed northern forests can be very beautiful. Northern Sweden is also a very dark place in winter, being close to or above the arctic circle. Therefore, I also watched some spectacular night skies and auroras from my snow castles. The Milky Way and even the Andromeda Galaxy were visible. One time as I was sitting in the snow, I saw a very large meteor moving across the sky. It had a tail of fire and was not moving too fast. I believe I could see the piece of rock, but I am not sure. In any case, it put up a show.
Milky way sky on dark background, and a lot of stars. Spectacular night sky in the polar winter. Asset id: 2524020369 by MR.PRAWET THADTHIAMAurora Borealis are often spectacular in the polar regions, especially during the polar night. Asset id: 2499746583 by HappyVibeArt
Unfortunately, according to my brother, this winter my hometown Örnsköldsvik did not have snow for Christmas. According to Science Daily the data from weather stations in northern Sweden indicates that the snow season has decreased by over two months in a 30-year span and according to the National Library of Medicine the cold season in northern Finland (next doors) has gotten warmer with reduced snow cover. This is quite noticeable and the reindeer are suffering as a result.
I should say that Jukkasjärvi is located north of the arctic circle and is typically very cold in winter. However, you sleep in very warm sleeping bags on top of ice blocks covered by reindeer hides. The ice hotel itself does not have any bathroom, but they have an adjacent wood building with bathrooms and showers. They also have rooms for people who don’t want to sleep in a cold ice room. We visited the ice hotel in Jukkasjärvi as a family in 2004 and I took a lot of photos.
The lobby of the ice hotel. Our kids are sitting around a table of ice. A chandelier of ice is hanging above the table. The light is from fiber optics, so the ice won’t melt.Another photo of the lobby at the ice hotel. My son David is barely visible behind one of the ice pillars.One of the beautiful hallways in the Ice Hotel.My oldest son sitting at an ice table in the lobby.Entrance to the ice bar where you could food and drink and sit on ice chairs by ice tables.We started the evening with a visit to the ice restaurant and bar. Everything in the ice restaurant was made of ice, the tables, the chairs, the counter, the glasses, the plates, and the art.Close up of ice glasses on the ice counter in the ice bar.This is a photo of the ice instruments standing on the ice stage.A close up of an ice cello and an ice guitar.This is a portion of an ice organ in the ice bar.My dad Stig and his girlfriend Ulla came with us on the trip.We are going to bed in our room. I think it was my wife Claudia who took the photo.This was the hallway where our room was located.We are going on a dogsled tour. The ice theater is in the background, and you can see part of the ice hotel on the right.The kids had a lot of fun during the dogsled tourOn the left is a kåta, a movable Sami structure (indigenous arctic Scandinavian people).This is the ice theater. It was located next to the ice hotel (not in the picture).
The ice hotel had put out lots of kick sleds, referred to as “spark” for people to use as a mode of transportation on the snow and ice, or just to sit on. As my dad, Stig, was sitting on one of them, our son came up to him and told him “Stig the hotel put out these sleds for children to play with. It is not for adults to sit on.” My dad was so surprised that he just handed him the sled.
Our son David with one of the kick sleds called “spark”.They got the ice blocks for the structure and for the art from nearby Torneå river.
The next day I took photos of some other rooms
Another room with a snowy wall decoration.Some of the rooms were really beautiful.Some of the rooms had beautiful ice art.You had to pay more for a big room. You paid the price of Hilton and got the comfort of camping in winter.More ice art.
Robbie Cheadle posted my guest post on Scandinavian Folklore on LatinosUSA a wonderful online magazine/blog featuring poetry, stories and all kinds of interesting content from around the world. She also included a wonderful review of my Leonberger book Le Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle.
This is a guest post written by Ryan Goodchild. He emailed me asking me if he could publish this post regarding opening a Pet Treat Bakery . I said yes. See his post below.
Our mini Australian Shepherd Rollo loves pupcakes (cupcakes for dogs). We bought it at a pet treat bakery.
It is also a Response to Esther’s writing prompt: December 31, 2025: New Beginnings
Opening a Pet Treat Bakery could certainly be a New Beginning. Click here or here to join in Esthers prompt.
Opening a Pet Treat Bakery: A Step-By-Step Business Guide
Opening a pet treat bakery means turning a love of animals into a food-based business with real operational demands. This venture blends culinary care, compliance, branding, and sales into one compact operation. Done right, it can become a loyal, repeat-driven business with strong word-of-mouth momentum.
Quick Takeaways
Start with a narrow product focus so you can control quality, costs, and compliance.
Treat regulations as a design constraint, not an afterthought.
Your brand story matters almost as much as your recipes.
Distribution decisions will shape your margins more than ingredient costs.
Starting With a Clear Vision
Most pet treat bakeries fail by trying to do too much too early. Decide whether you are specializing in dog treats, cat treats, or a specific niche like grain-free, dental chews, or celebration cakes. Your ingredient list, pricing, and even packaging flow from this first decision. A tight focus also makes it easier to explain your value to retailers and customers.
Understanding Food Safety and Legal Requirements
Pet food is regulated differently than human food, but it is still regulated. In the U.S., this typically involves state-level registration, labeling rules, and adherence to basic manufacturing standards. Some states require inspections or proof of safe production processes. Call your state agriculture department early so compliance shapes your setup instead of delaying your launch.
Enhancing Business Skills with an Online Degree
Many founders realize quickly that baking skill alone is not enough. Formal business education can help you understand pricing, cash flow, and long-term planning without learning the hard way. A bachelor of business administration program builds confidence in areas like accounting, communications, and management, which directly affect whether your bakery survives its first few years. Flexible online programs allow you to keep working while sharpening these skills, making it easier to balance learning with real-world operations.
Pricing and Cost Control
This table shows common cost categories and what to watch for as you price your treats.
Cost Category
What To Monitor
Why It Matters
Ingredients
Supplier consistency
Impacts quality and margins
Packaging
Durability and labeling
Affects compliance and branding
Labor
Batch efficiency
Determines scalability
Distribution
Shipping or wholesale cuts
Directly hits profit per unit
Quick Steps to Launch Your Pet Treat Bakery
Follow these steps to move from idea to first sale:
Launch with a limited product line and refine based on feedback.
Marketing Without Overstretching
Pet owners respond to trust and transparency. Share ingredient sourcing, show how treats are made, and encourage reviews from early customers. Local partnerships with groomers or pet boutiques often convert better than broad advertising. Consistent storytelling builds familiarity and repeat purchases.
FAQs for Future Pet Treat Bakery Owners
Before making final commitments, these questions often come up.
How much startup capital do I realistically need?
Most small pet treat bakeries launch with modest budgets by starting home-based or renting shared kitchens. Your biggest early costs are compliance, packaging, and initial inventory. Planning for six months of operating runway reduces stress.
Can I operate from home?
This depends on local and state regulations governing pet food production. Some states allow home kitchens with registration, while others require commercial facilities. Always verify before investing in equipment.
How long do pet treats last?
Shelf life varies by recipe, moisture level, and preservatives used. Many baked treats last several months when stored properly. Clear expiration dating builds buyer confidence.
Should I sell direct-to-consumer or wholesale?
Direct sales offer higher margins but require more marketing effort. Wholesale moves volume faster but reduces per-unit profit. Many bakeries start direct, then add selective wholesale partners.
When should I expand my product line?
Expansion makes sense once your core products sell consistently and operations are stable. Adding too many items too early increases complexity and waste. Let customer demand guide growth.
Conclusion
Opening a pet treat bakery is equal parts creativity and discipline. Success comes from pairing safe, appealing products with clear systems and realistic pricing. Start small, learn fast, and build trust with pet owners at every step. With focus and patience, a niche bakery can grow into a durable, well-loved brand.
Rollo our mini-Australian Shepherd and a pupcake on a table. This pupcake was bought at a local pet treat bakery. They also have cupcakes for people, but it is important to keep them separate.
Leonberger Life 