Dog Gripe

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    Hard work vs hard to train

    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. …

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    What do you say when … ?

    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.

  • Emotional roller coaster

    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 everywhere a zoom zone?

    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. …

  • Thump

    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. …

  • Loose dog rant

    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. …

  • The ever-worsening recall

    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. …