Almost Like Having No Dogs At All

Going from four dogs back down to three makes it seem like I don't have any dogs at all. I've had four dogs on and off for the past three years and sniper was by far the most challenging one. Not that he was a difficult dog, but he was 80 pounds and young and energetic. He is the antithesis to my other ones. Even though he got along great with the kids, I still had to keep an eye on them for safety reasons. And he needed different amounts of exercise and training. For the past 6 months my life revolved entirely around him and the kids. And with him gone and I only have the three old, sluggish, grumps I suddenly have a ton of free time to do some of the things that I've wanted to do for a while. I'm getting out for dinner with friends and I'm able to go to the movies mid-day. I've recently re-learned how to ride a bike. I can make plans without worrying how me being away will affect the group. Don't get me wrong, my kids are still pretty demanding. They need walks and lots of potty breaks. They need individual lap time and they can only handle being alone for 4 hours at most. But those four hours are worry-free and relaxing. I really miss sniper and have been seeing him every chance I get, but it's nice having a calm and quiet household again. The dogs seem to like it too.

What I did on my summer vacation

It's hard to believe that the summer is over . . . and even harder to think about what that means for me and my little family. With the return of the cold nights comes the  return of a very good friend - Sniper's dad. Pretty soon my boy is going to leave me.

These past few months have been filled with classes and hikes and training opportunities and I've enjoyed every minute of it. I've especially enjoyed the companionship that comes from having a dog that can actually do what I want to do. Not that I love him more than my own kids, but it's different. He has given me the freedom to pursue some of my passions in a way that I haven't been able to do before. He is always a willing participant in anything that I've want to do and has opened my eyes to some things that I didn't even know about it before this. He has expanded my training skills and has taught me a lot about relationships and what it means to be in a one with a stable working companion. I have learned more in these past few months living with him that I have in the years that I've been training.

Here are some of the highlights:

You can have fun while you work, and you can work while you have fun.

Relationships are 100/100 and if I slack off, so will my dog

You don't have to yell at your dog to get your point across, sometimes a quiet voice is all that it takes.

Teaching your dog what you want him to do is far easier than teaching him not to do everything else.

Manners are important, but not everyone is worth a fight. Sometimes it's best to let certain things go.

It's ok to correct your dog as long as it doesn't affect your relationship

Positive based training doesn't mean cookies and toys - it's about the positive attitude that you and your dog have while doing the training.

A tired dog is much easier to live with

Even crazy, working-bred teenage boy Mals still need a cuddle from mom

Dogs need time off to let loose and blow off steam.

Dogs really do have a sense of humor.