Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

Obstacles – Be The Dog

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Before I start this post I want to say a BIG THANK YOU to Chuck and Collies of the Meadow, last week they bestowed their Collies Choice award on this blog.  If you have a minute pop over and say hello to Chuck.  His collie Trevor is failing and I’m sure a kind word would make him feel better.

Sampson is a people dog.  Don’t let his enthusiastic run up to your dog fool you, once the greeting is over he will be leaning on your leg encouraging you to pet him.

When we pulled up to the park yesterday morning Bob and Marge (a couple we’ve met on the trail) were just walking in.  Sampson was super excited.  By the time I opened the door to let the dogs out Bob and Marge had made their way into the field.

Sampson jumped out of the car and started to run up the path.  He’s usually very good about not getting too far ahead of me and apparently he had reached his comfort zone and turned around and came back to me.

Being a projective thinker I figured by the time we got to the field they would be long gone.

I was wrong.

They were stretching.  Still I felt like we shouldn’t bother them, so despite the eager look in Sampson’s eyes, I told him, no let’s go this way.

We headed up the hill.

I enjoy the hikes as much as the dogs but I usually let them choose the walk, and yesterday Sampson chose to head back to the field.  Not being a projective thinker, he assumed Bob and Marge would be where he left them.

Sampson was wrong, but that doesn’t matter.  What matters is being the dog, he found a way around his obstacle (which was me not allowing him into the field.)

Sampson came at his obstacle from a different direction.

You can over-come your obstacles. Be The Dog.

 

What kind of obstacles are preventing you from achieving your goals? What can you do to over-come them?

Don’t let obstacles get in your way.

Be The Dog.

It Won't Kill Them To Miss A Day

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But it might kill them if you walk them.

That’s the conversation I had with Hubby last night about walking the dogs today.  Let me just say that Hubby’s not that big on walking the dogs.  Most days I walk them myself, in the park/woods at the top of our street.  Some days he will join us, but most times when I ask (even on the weekends) he prefers not to do it.  If I have a day where I can’t walk them at lunch or after work, I will ask him to walk around the block with me after dinner.   Most times he does this reluctantly.  It is only about an 18 minute walk, but it’s better than nothing.

Yesterday was the first day of summer and the eastern half of the country kicked it off in a big, hot, way.   Here in New England it reached into the upper 90’s and it was extremely humid.  Too hot even for my little grandson to start his first day of baseball. 🙁

There was no way I was going to walk the dogs at lunch.  I debated going to work late and walking them early but in the end decided to shoot for an around the block walk, after dinner.

We ventured out about 8:40 pm and it was still hot, so hot that both dogs were panting half-way thru the walk.  Back into the air conditioning we headed.  Delilah was still panting an hour later.

About 10 PM the dogs headed out for a last potty break before bed.  When I opened the door, it was still like opening an oven door.  I have no idea what the temperature was but it was ugly.

Once everyone was settled in bed, I debated our exercise for today.  Temperatures are expected to reach the high 90’s if not into the 100’s.  Since my niece is graduating from High School at 6:00 pm my choices for walking the dogs are very limited.  There is NO WAY I would walk them in the heat of the day, which leaves later in the evening with Mr. Reluctant or first thing this morning.

As the opening lines read, Mr. Reluctant feels it won’t hurt them to miss a day of exercise.

I disagree.

I opted for a quick 20 minute walk first thing this morning.  We were at the park at 6:40 am, and it was already 73 degrees outside.  Both dogs were panting by the end of the 20 minute walk, so we went home and I had them lie in the bedroom with the air conditioning on to help cool them off, and wait for their tummies to settle before getting their breakfast.

I’m not sure what time we’ll be back from graduation tonight so eating their breakfast a little late will work to my/their benefit, and I figure when I get home I can work a little with them on training.  Specifically Delilah on her drop it command.

I’m pretty sure she ate part of a potato in the field this morning.

How do you make adjustments to your exercise schedule when the weather just isn’t cooperating?

B-O-L-O-G-N-A

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Just about a week ago I posted about a new command I’m working with Delilah on.  I am calling it check in and all it means is come to me and I will give you  a treat.

I’ve been trying to carry some really tasty treats such as duck and venison.  Yesterday I had some left-over beef bologna in the fridge so I grabbed a few pieces for our walk.

Pay Dirt!

We happened to run into our friend with her dog Brady and Brady’s friend Kodak.  Right about in the center of the woods Sampson, Brady and Kodak darted off after something real or perceived (I’m not sure which.)  Since Delilah was on the 15 foot leash I was hesitant to let her run through the trees dragging the leash.  I decided to take a chance and let her off-leash.  I called her to me and unclipped her.

Nothing happened.

I said, “Go ahead, run.”  She stayed right with us.

Not wanting to spend my whole Sunday looking for her, I only kept her off leash for about a minute or so, then I clipped her back on and continued our walk.

It was (IMO) successful and I want to keep her training positive.

Today we had another successful walk, I did drop the leash (accidentally) a couple of times and instead of panicking, I sang “Check in!”

Boom!  She came right to the bologna me.

She also did something else today that she doesn’t usually do.

Our field has had some trouble with teenagers/young adults making campfires.  From the debris we’ve found at the field they are gathering around the fire, drinking alcohol and baking potatoes.

As she is almost always about 15 feet in front of me, she spotted and snagged the potato well before I did.  Of course she picked it up.

I said, drop it, leave it.

She dropped the potato and continued into the woods without missing a beat.

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