Recently, my county dog license renewal forms arrived in the mail. Much to my surprise the fees went up — WAY up. I kid you not. It now costs more to license my dogs than it does to
register my car each year. I’m pretty sure my dogs have less of an impact on the county than my car. …
At Sunday’s class at an outdoor park/path along Boulder Creek, Lilly did remarkably well considering the amount of human traffic, including bikes, scooters, and skateboards. And, she
even did OK at first when she noticed the wildlife in the area. …
Last week, I found myself a bit in a wad after someone who doesn’t know dogs at all said Lilly is “hard to train.” She said it like it was a statement of fact, like she was simply
reiterating something I’ve said myself. I quickly clarified my point, which is this. The training work I’m doing with Lilly is hard. It’s hard for me to learn. It’s hard for me to stick to long-term.
It’s hard for me to understand entirely these very detailed (bordering on PhD-level) strategies. Lilly, however, is a breeze to train simply because she’s so smart. …
I like to think I’m pretty self-aware. I know why I am the way I am. And, I think I know my motivation. Yet … if I had a nickel for every time someone questions my motivation for continuing to work and hope with Lilly, I’d be a rich girl, who could quit her job and just be a full-time puppy mom. Now, I really do think about the why and how of everything I do with Lilly, but for some reason, it always catches me off guard a bit when someone suggests I give up, back off, step back, stop trying so hard.
As suggested by frequent blog readers, I got myself a copy of Leslie McDevitt’s book, “Control Unleashed.” I read it once straight through, and now I’m going back to re-read, highlight
key things and mark sections that explain how to teach certain core behaviors to the program. On first read, I must admit that I rode quite an emotional roller coaster. Then again, it’s not not
uncommon for me to bounce from hope to despair in my work with Lilly. …
Since when is every public place a zoom zone for kids? Not to date myself, but back in my day we played in our neighborhood, and outings to malls, farmer’s markets and the like were
something altogether different. My mom would have never allowed errands to be playtime. Clearly, I notice it more because Lilly reacts to fast-moving objects, but it seems like everywhere we go there
are kids zooming by on skateboards, scooters and those wheelie shoes. It’s enough to put an anxious dog over the edge. …
Last week, I posted all the intimate details of Lilly’s work with an animal communicator. And, while I love the idea of knowing what Lilly thinks, what she feels, etc., I also wonder if
it might have a downside. …
Our big dog, Ginko, loves Tom’s mom. L-O-V-E-S her. If we tell him she’s coming to visit, he’ll sit by the front door and wait. When she arrives, he mills around with excitement. As soon
as she sits down, he tries to kiss her. Not in a crazy way, but a sweet, deliberate smooch. At bedtime, we let her get settled, when we ask Ginko if he wants to “snuggle with Grandma,” and he blasts
upstairs to join her in bed. He’s very careful and very gentle. So, when Grandma comes, Lilly sleeps with us. …
I’ve given up taking Lilly for long walks in our rural neighborhood. It’s a safety issue, and I simply cannot take it anymore. Too many unsocialized, untrained, territorial dogs wander unsupervised from nearby homes. Then again, there’s wandering and pursuing. …
A few weeks ago, Lilly rolled in some foul smelling something or other. Her neck and shoulders were completely encrusted. A bath was beyond necessary. Lilly has never been a big fan of baths, but this one … for some reason … caused a total panic attack. Unfortunately, for me, the experience has ruined her recall at home. …
