Thursday, November 25, 2010

What I am most Thankful for

My Experiment



My snuggler



The love of my life




Each of my kids teaches me something new about life everyday. I couldn't imagine my life without any of them.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

So Worried For Nothing

There have been many times in my life when I was worried for something that, looking back seemed so trivial. I would would get anxious, nervous, feel like I can't move, then the queasiness begins. After the ordeal was over, I realized that I had nothing to be worried about and felt foolish for getting so worked up.

This past Sunday in class was one of those scenarios. Our instructor thought that it would be a great idea to do a distracted heeling exercise through a crowd of people and their dogs. When she first mentioned this exercise I thought for sure she would have us sit this one out. Imagine my horror when she said that we were going to be the first ones!

I managed to stand up, but couldn't get myself to move. I honestly couldn't figure out a way to make this a successful exercise for Abby. I must have looked sick because she asked me what was wrong. I told her I was feeling a lot of anxiety because heeling through people and dogs is almost impossible for Abby. She recommended that we heel along the outside of the group - we ran. That was the only thing I could think of that would keep Abby happy and not stress her out for the rest of the hour.

After the heeling exercise we took our turn in the group and people heeled around us. I knew that Abby could handle this as she has pretty good stays and has amazing focus when I ask her to. But I knew that our time was coming around again and the anxiety was sticking around. But having had a few minutes to see different scenarios, I was able to come up with a plan for Abby to actually go through the people. Given Abby's great focus on the stay part of the exercise, I figured that she might do ok - meaning, she might not panic - heeling through the same dogs that heeled through us. I figured that I would give it a try and if it failed miserably, at least I would know for the next time.

I got Abby amped up, I set us up, and asked her to heel. As we started getting closer to the group, I thought she might loose focus, but she didn't! She heeled right through those people and had a great time! I was so proud of her and she seemed to be quite happy with herself too. Everyone clapped and I think that everyone was just as happy to see her do that as I was. It was very rewarding to see her accomplish something that has been so difficult for us in the past. I felt silly for being so anxious over nothing!

Friday, November 19, 2010

If I Didn't Have A Dog

A friend forwarded this to me via email, but I don't generally like to forward forwards as some people don't like it. But I found this too funny not to share:

IF I DIDN'T HAVE A DOG

I could walk around the yard barefoot in safety.

My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated.

All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be free of hair.

When the doorbell rings, it wouldn't sound like a kennel.

When the doorbell rings, I could get to the door without wading through fuzzy bodies who beat me there.

I could sit on the couch and my bed the way I wanted, with out taking into consideration how much space several fur bodies would need to get comfortable.

I would have money, and no guilt to go on a real vacation.

I would not be on a first-name basis with 6 veterinarians, as I put their yet unborn grand-kids through college.

The most used words in my vocabulary would not be: out, sit, down, come, no, stay, and leave it ALONE.

My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates or barriers.

I would not talk 'baby talk'. 'Eat your din'. 'Yummy yummy for the tummy'...

My house would not look like a day care center, toys everywhere.

My pockets would not contain things like poop bags, treats and an extra leash.

I would no longer have to spell the words B-A-L-L,, W-A-L-K,, T-R-E-A-T,, O-U-T,, G-O,, R-I-D-E,, C-O-O-K-I-E

I would not have as many leaves INSIDE my house as outside.

I would not look strangely at people who think having ONE dog/cat ties them down too much.

I'd look forward to spring and the rainy season instead of dreading 'mud' season.

I would not have to answer the question 'Why do you have so many animals?' from people who will never have the joy in their lives of knowing they are loved unconditionally by someone as close to an ANGEL as they will ever get.

How EMPTY my life would be!!!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

We're SO Boring Now!

I've almost completely stopped training Abby. I read this on another blogger's blog, and in some ways, it seems fitting:

EXCUSES
I cannot train my dog today,
the sky is overcast and gray,
the air's too damp, I've got a cramp,
and the dog's just eaten anyway.

Can't find the leash, got home too late,
I'm due somewhere tonight at eight.
I've got a rash, a gash and bumps,
Too tired now to get the jumps.

Traffic's made me tense and strained,
I have to lose this weight I've gained.
How can we work when it's just rained?

The dog's too hyper, my mood is blue,
I must be coming down with the flu,
I cough, I sneeze and wheeze and choke,
Darn! My only dumbbell broke!

Too cold outside - my feet are numb.
There's a sliver in my thumb.
The house needs cleaning, it's a sight.
I have to work overtime tonight.

I had a nap. Had company.
Lawrence Welk is on TV.
My toe is sore - it might be gout,
I think my hair is falling out.

I ate too much. My day's been rough.
I think my dog has had enough
Of this daily training grind,
we need some time off to unwind.

Author Unknown

It's been awhile since I've diligently trained Abby. I've come up with a hundred and one reasons not to: it's getting dark early, it's too cold, it rained again, it upsets the other dogs, I worked too late, etc. Reading that poem really cracked me up because I think that I have used every one of those recently. But the truth is that I just needed a break. Life has been crazy/hectic/stressful lately and something had to give. I figured that it was the kid's turn to take the back seat for awhile (both figuratively and literally)

For most of the year, my life revolves around dogs. If it's not my own, then it's a friend's or work's. I'm either driving to training classes, or watching a friend trial, or driving a dog to/from the shelter/vet hospital, etc. If I don't have one dog sitting on my lap, I have two. If I try to give them chewies to keep them calm for awhile, I end up playing playground police making sure that everyone stays happy with their own chewie. Everything, including my food, is covered in dog hair. My life doesn't feel like my own at times.

I need to feel like a person again. I need to pretend that my life revolves around me, and not the dogs. I need to find a hobby to keep my other hobby from taking over my life! I need a break from the constant go that is dogs. So, for a little while anyway, we are a "normal" dog family. The dogs are getting walks around the house instead of in the hills. They are getting cookies for "sitting" instead of "sit -down-stay-walk around". I'm trying to spend more time reading an actual book and less time reading dog blogs. It's tough, but I'm trying.

I know this won't last for long, as the dogs are already a bit antsy with this slower pace. And I'm sure I'll get bored quickly too. But we have no trials coming up any time soon, and if ever there was a good time to take a training break, now is the time. Since we aren't training as much, I'm blogging less and less. But hopefully I'll find more time to take pictures of the kids again and post those instead.