What do you do when pigeons are plaguing the guests at a luxury hotel in Dubai? You send in the falcons and the falconer to chase them away.

Blogger Ann is especially grateful to have one more Christmas with her beloved dog, Lucy. “And the fact that Lucy will get at least one more chance to find the special present that Santa Dog left under the tree will just make this Christmas that much sweeter.”

Tim Ginty profiles Juan Rubio Martínez, a veteran rider at the Andalusian Royal School of Equestrian Art: “It’s said that the horse transmits the character of the person.”

In which Dan and his poodle mix, Aki, discover pre-winter beauty in Juneau, Alaska: “Yesterday…a deer crossed over the sandy beach. Frost has filled in one of the cloven tracks, now preserved in frozen sand until the next thaw.”

“In the space of two weeks, I changed from a disheartened, unmotivated, lethargic ghost, to a person with something to live for.” At Marty South, Madeline Lucas reflects on Daisy, her Japanese Spitz, and how this dog has become incredibly precious to her and her family.

Jess and Graham’s aging Rhodesian Ridgeback, Bromley, has been a difficult dog to get close to: “she’s a miserable, loveless creature with no need to please anyone.” But after a bone cancer scare, they finally figure out how to love her.

Lacy reflects on her aging dog, Una: “I know that summer and its fruit, like the life of a good dog, won’t last long. Or at least not nearly long enough.”