I was speaking to my new class today and what a great group! So enthusiastic and knowledgeable. I am really looking forward to our class! As I was sharing with them something struck me and very strongly. I can not guarantee they will have the perfect dog after our 6 weeks together but I can hope that they will have a better understanding of how to communicate and build a strong relationship through mutual respect with their canine.
I was speaking with one of my best childhood friends the other day by phone. She had just purchased a dachshund puppy and was telling me all about him. So cute! I then asked her how her older lab mix dog was doing and she said, "oh, well Boo is perfect!" Boo is 11 or 12 years old now. I laughed and a shed a tear all at once, as I remembered the phone conversation about Boo when she was a very young dog. She jumped on people, she barked and she would get out of any fence they constructed and run the neighborhood. The neighbors knew Boo quite well. And now..."Boo is the perfect dog!" And I would agree. But the point here is that Boo was allowed to develop and grow into the perfect dog. I commend my friend for sticking through the rough periods and building relationship, allowing for Boo to "grow into the perfect dog"! We are such a throw away society and we want things right now. We want the perfect life, house, job and kids. But, life isn't always just how we planned. Life is a journey and we all grow and change and mature...or at least, we hope we do. Right? Isn't it wonderful that our parents allowed for our growth and change and helped us along the way to become the person we are today. I am so glad I am not the person I use to be. It is the very same concept with our dogs. It is a journey and a joy to watch the transformation of puppy energy to a mature and just about "perfect" dog. So many dogs in our society never get the opportunity to become that well loved, "perfect" member of the family.
Dogs learn when they learn...at their own pace. They are as individual as you and I. I have found training both dogs, horses and ponies to be a wonderful journey. I have enjoyed each and every furry family member and am thankful for the wonderful life's concepts I have learned from each one of them. I was reminded again, why I named my business what I did... Pawsitive Journey. I hope my students laugh along the way and can view any training issue for what it is...a solvable problem that will go away as the dog, horse or pony matures, learns and grows. And the journey...life is a wonderful journey...full and promising!
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