Spring 2026

A bout a year ago, Winnie and I did a column called “Advice From a Dog,” which came from my favorite hat. I wear a lot of hats. According to Lance Morrow, “Never try to wear a hat that has more character than you do.” Or in this case, more four-legged smarts. Over the past year Winnie has cajoled and often tail-thrashed me to consider a few more morsels of fur-baby advice. For those who missed the first “Advice From a Dog,” here is a brief recap: Be Loyal . No argument there. Jeffrey Gitomer says, “You don't earn loyalty in a day. You earn loyalty day by day.” Winifred earns my loyalty every day. I hope I do as much for her. Unleash Your Talents . Me thinks Winnie and I were both born off-leash! Make New Friends . Not so easy for a grumpy old primate and pooch partner. Learn New Tricks . I have enough trouble remembering old tricks! But it will be a while before I for- get the following trio of Winifred insights that deserve a big tip of the hat. “More Walking, Less Talking” Can’t argue with that. Winifred is less concerned with what I say than what I do. Our words explain us, until our actions reveal the truth. When Winnie takes me for a walk, she doesn’t need a recap of yes- terday’s highlights or today’s to-dos. Her slow exploration of nature’s wonder is a not-so-subtle reminder of whose walk this is anyway. I’m just along for the ride. Dare I decide to take a detour from her chosen trail, she stops, ears erect, eyes radiat- ing non-debatable orders from headquarters (her head, not mine). Sadly, my eyes do not have the same ocular power, so I default to words. And if those words do not win the debate, more words! (Yes, I am full of them.) To whichWinnie gives me her steely-eyed marching orders: More walking. Less talking! Then pulls my leash on her way. “The Nose Knows” There’s not a whole lot of deep cogi- tating with Winifred, or any dog I have had the privilege of knowing. No one had to tell them to trust their instincts. It came with the original equipment. Not so sure it was a big part of our primate package. With so much human brain power at our disposal, crunch time decision making usually defaults to our primate intellectual superiority. Even when our primal animal instinct is telling us otherwise. Your dog’s nose knows. And so does your gut. If something’s stinkin’, don’t be over-thinkin’. “Happy are Man & Dog in an Unmade Bed” Watching Winnie tear the bed apart after just being made by moi has made me reconsider at least one of my lifelong righteous beliefs. Simply, that an unmade bed begins the day with unfin- ished business.And that may infect the rest of the day. Unmade bed equals unmade head. Messed up head is not the way to start the day! Then again… How is it that Winnie seems to have more “sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you” while sleeping in a torna- do of sheet, blanket and bedspread, than I do in my perfectly made bed? If I could only sleep like she does. Fortunately, with age has come a weakening of ritual behavior, which left me no choice but to try it Winnie’s way. But do it my way first. So, I made the bed, let her claw and thrash it into a mountainous mess. Then, after she snuggled in, I wiggled in beside her for a 10-minute nap. I have no reasonable expla- nation for my one-hour heavenly snooze. Then again… Winnie’s exuberant bed sheet wrestling did rekindle happy memories of another time long ago, but not forgotten, with sheets and covers thrown to the wind.Yeah… “I’ll have what she’s having.” Obviously, I need a much bigger hat to accommodate so much Winifred wisdom. A screenwriter and best-selling golf humorist in a previous life, Mark Oman forsook his golf addiction and took up with Winifred, co-author of their screenplay, “Murder, Misfits and Mutts!” Mark and Winnie live in Carmel with four-legged little sister, Molly, and two-legged wife, Barbara. Contact Winifred (or Mark) at: mark@markoman.com . DOG TALES M A R K O M A N Over the past year Winnie has cajoled and often tail-thrashed me to consider a few more morsels of fur-baby advice. I Need a Bigger Hat 56 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 6