Last Sunday, Lilly had her best training day in months. She was spot on PERFECT. She worked hard at her advanced obedience class (not agility). She interacted nicely with a couple of strange dogs (through the fence at the dog park, but still!). She did not snark at one single dog.
I’m finally ready to try medications for Lilly’s anxiety. So, my big-picture trainer recommended a veterinary-behaviorist nearby. Scheduling put our appointment 3 weeks out, which was a bummer, but it’s a good thing I couldn’t get in right away because it turns out the cost is too high.
Yesterday afternoon, I sat out on the back deck to re-read the final Harry Potter book. (I read it cover to cover on Saturday, but I always immediately re-read them.) Anyway, Ginko hung out with me in the shade since temps crept toward 100. Lilly, however, stayed in her usual spot out front, where she can see the entire valley. At one point, she made a noise, and Ginko sprinted to see what was up. But, he did not get far.
There’s been a recent crackdown in Denver on restaurants (including coffee shops) that allow dogs in their outdoor patio spaces, which in many cases are just tables and chairs on a sidewalk out front. I guess it’s a health code thing, but it’s not like the dogs are in the kitchen. Such bunk hasn’t made it’s way into my town yet, but I suspect it’s only time. And, that makes me crabby.
I took the day off to volunteer at an agility trial today. I haven’t seen the news, but I suspect the temp hovered around 100 degrees. It was brutal. I don’t know how the dogs even ran. Just a couple quick notes … Being a worker bee that few know or notice is an interesting experience.
After much consideration and feedback to “Take my poll, please,” I’ve decided to skip this summer’s agility camp in Colorado. I really want to go. Yet, I’m torn. So, I took the advice I often give my single friends about relationships … “You either know, or you don’t.” Waffling, any on-again-off-again tendancies, signal a problem when it comes to love (and marriage). Maybe it’s the same with agility training, or any kind of dog training for that matter.
Lilly had a full-blown panic attack during an outing Saturday night. It doesn’t happen as often as it used to, so it caught me a little off guard. Thankfully, the clouds rolled in, dropping the temperature a lot and making it safe to crate her in the car so that she could calm down. Looking back on the chain of events, I think I understand the triggers.
Lilly molested a man in public last Saturday. While shopping at our local farmer’s market, she gave a grandpa-dude quite a shock by kissing the backs of his bare knees as we walked by.
It’s been raining nearly all day, and Lilly is going mad. This is Colorado not the Pacific NW. When it rains, it’s usually just part-time thing. I’m going to bundle up one more time and see if I can get her to play. But, I can’t keep this up. C’mon sun!
There are no sissified city dogs at my house. We have rough and tumble mountain dogs around these parts. And, that means, they get into all sorts of really gross situations. So, come with me my friends, and let’s play as David Letterman would say, “fastest growing quiz sensation” … What’s THAT smell?
