A Good Work

I am all settled into my new Classroom at Pawsitive Journey Training.  It has been a very busy week, most days starting at 8 am and not ending until 9:00/9:30 pm.  So much to do with the new Classroom; cleaning, setting up and moving everything in that I will need, plus keeping up with my already scheduled training sessions.  I felt overjoyed as I put all the things I will need into place; CD player and CD's (you have to have music!), cones, pamphlets, tunnel, carpet squares, balls, leashes, collars, harness, class handouts and the list goes on.  Usually, during the winter months I use an indoor facility that is used by many different groups.  So I would pack my big black bag full of equipment, training helps, treats, cones - you name it, everything I need to successfully run my training classes - grab my sweet collie, Alli and off we'd go.  Invariably, I would forget something and have to bring that item to the next scheduled class.  I now have everything all in one stationary place!  I also experienced the joy of decorating my space for the very first time.  I love to decorate!  I decided to add a few of my favorite things, such as my children's book collection about, you guessed it - dogs, pictured above.  

My sweet husband helped me take the final few items to The Classroom today.  We asked for God's blessing over this place and all who would enter. As we talked about all the possibilities, I felt the warmth of my tears falling down my cheek...I am so thankful, so grateful to the One who guides and directs my steps. One of my favorite verses in Philippians ran through my mind, "He who has begun A Good Work in you will perform it until the day of Christ Jesus."  I have dreamt of this day so very many times. 

Truth be told, with all the excitement of this moment, I am a bit nervous. The what ifs have tried hard to poke their unwanted heads into my thoughts to make me doubt, to tell me there are many reasons why I just can't handle all this...time, family, finances.  And...

Just then I had a call from a potential client.  She asked so many great questions and I had a wonderful time answering each and every one.  At the conclusion of our conversation, she mentioned she had sat in on my brown bag chat that I had done this past spring at our local library about "The Language of Dogs". She remarked at how much she appreciated how I spoke so passionately about what I do.  That "it seemed this wasn't so much a profession as much as it was a passion," that I, "so obviously enjoy what I do".  

What a perfect sign to chase away all those doubts... I whispered a prayer that The Classroom will be a place of welcome, hope, peace, a place to belong for humans and a good and calm place for canines where we build communication and understanding between the two species. I am savoring the moments and thankful for each one...this is A Good Work.

Lost and Found

Pictured is my grand dog, Maxwell and me.  Maxwell went on a walk about Saturday late in the day.  It would seem my daughter went out to shop while my son in law watched their sweet 19 month old daughter.  Son and granddaughter were outside playing and working in the garden and went in the house for a moment and that's when Max apparently found a way of escape from his fenced in yard.  Upon my daughters return home, she immediately walked the neighborhood calling for Max.  No sign of Maxwell, he was missing!  She made flyers and placed them around the neighborhood and as of Sunday morning there was still no sign of Max anywhere.  She felt terrible about it and felt like they were irresponsible for allowing their dog to escape their yard.

It's hard when a dog you love goes missing.  Even leaving a dog in a fenced in yard can be tricky.  Dogs can find loose fencing, boards and slip out before you know it, which was the very case for our Maxwell. My hubby, Matthew and I went down to be with our daughter and her family on Sunday for moral support.  As fate would have it, our darling grand daughter was sick and running a fever.  You know the old adage of when it rains it pours. I felt terrible for my daughter, just what she needed.  You know how emotions can run when you are 8 months pregnant, she truly didn't need this stress...lost dog, sick baby.  My husband and I looked over the neighborhood as we drove through and went out back and called for Maxwell.  I told my daughter that this was a wonderful area of the city and I was sure someone would see what a nice dog Max was and would help him out.  It was little consolation, as we both knew that they lived in the city on a very busy city street which intersected many other very busy city streets. All we could do was wait and keep watch and...hope.

We busied ourselves with our little grand lady.  So tough to see her lying on the couch, one who is so active and busy, so still and feeling so sick. As we sat and watched a movie with her, we offered sips of juice, bits of cold Popsicles, yogurt anything to help her to feel better. I found myself whispering a prayer over my precious grand daughter and then whispering a prayer for our Maxwell dog too.

As Matthew, fondly known as Pappy to our grand lady, carried her up to bed I whispered another prayer over her.  We prepared to head home, lots of hugs and encouraging words before we left trying to console heavy hearts...wishing, as all parent do, that we could make it all better...

One final drive down their street, my eyes searching all the nooks and crannies between buildings, fence rows...  And I notice two girls about to cross the very street we turn on to catch the Interstate.  I mention to Matt to watch for the girls and...their dog..."their" dog...WAIT...I can't believe my eyes.  That's MAXWELL.  We pulled the car over and met Sophia and Novia...beautiful young ladies who found Maxwell Saturday night one street over from behind my daughter's house.  They were worried for him and the busy streets and although he could not stay at their house, they found a friend for Max to bunk with for the night and were walking the neighborhood in hopes that they could locate his family!

I talked to my daughter this morning and the wayward dog is happy to be home... The story gets even better as my grand lady woke up hungry and more active with very little evidence of fever!  I am so thankful to the One who I can turn to, run to when I don't know what to do, when my heart is heavy and my best just isn't quite enough.  It reminds me of understanding the feeling of being lost.  And I am thankful my story, like Maxwell's story, doesn't end there...I also know the feeling of being found!

Through my son's eyes...

Standing 3 to 5 seconds, one of the elements of our dressage test  This has been a hard element for Billy to learn and he stood stock still - Good boy Billy!

I finally have a moment to write about our first ever Combined Driving Event.  We had a fantastic time and I could not be more pleased with my pony's efforts. We have both matured and grown as a team.  It would seem we have prepared for this moment our entire lifetime together. I knew my pony had it in him, it just took him and I a bit longer to get to this point than most.  I suppose that's what makes it so sweet.  We've had a special bond and connection from the day he was born on our small farm.  He's not been an easy pony to train, but I have learned so much from him and would not trade one second of our journey together. We started our preparations in February, walking the neighborhood in the snow for fitness. We drove through sleet, snow and raindrops, not having the luxury of an indoor arena.  We traveled to visit our driving instructor, Stacey Giere, for lessons.  Trailered out to woodland trails, with great friends, to drive to build our fitness on the hottest days of the summer.  We worked steadily day in and day out until our big weekend in July.  Our hard work paid off with our best dressage test ever, scores of 7's, 7.5's, 8's and a 9 for turnout.  I am still on cloud nine!  I made a driver error during our dressage test, Billy swished his tail and let me know he wasn't happy with me, but even in his confusion he chose to trust me and allow me to get us back on track.  What a good pony, he had to wonder what in the world I was doing during that one moment of lost focus, but he forgave me quickly and moved on, which is a huge step for us.  We placed 4th overall in the Combined Tests out of a group of 7 total. Who knows where we might have fallen had I not made such a costly mistake, but how could I dwell on that when my pony gave me all he had and then some.  It is so very satisfying to know the highs and lows over all these 13 years together, that we should experience this shining moment is a true thrill! 

Billy during our dressage test - going across the diagonal in a lovely extended trot

My heart was full as I returned home.  I had a lovely weekend with my pony, filled with my family and so many wonderful friends.  My husband Matthew and my son Nicholas attended the three day show with me - helping me with loading/unloading the trailer, cleaning Billy's stall, feeding, watering, helping me hitch a wiggly pony to cart, to cheering me on, keeping me well hydrated and fed, calming my nerves and telling me - "you can do it, you've got this"!

Dressage...lovely extension

And then...I viewed the pictures - they took my breath away!  My son, Nicholas agreed to take the pictures of the event for me.  My hubby has long ago given up on taking pictures of my events. It just isn't his true talent or gifting.  I have never met anyone who can get a camera chord, a finger or the bill of a hat in a otherwise lovely picture.  He has many wonderful talents and gifts but taking pictures isn't one of them.  When I pulled my camera out from amongst harness, helmet and gloves, my husband looked away immediately pretending not to see it, as my son smiled at me and said, "I'll do it"!  Wonderful, I had hope again that I might get a decent picture of Billy and I at an event.  Little did I know what a true talent my son has for taking pictures. If you know anything about horses, their frame and movement you will see Nick's very educated and knowledgeable eye.  He captured the moment brilliantly; movement, focus, energy...absolutely amazing!

Asking for impulsion coming out of the corner across the diagonal

After our dressage test, leaving the ring with a happy pony not at all tired and moving well

Onto our cones course following our dressage test

                                                                                                    Lovely bend!

My son's artistry

These pictures are such a gift to me.  A gift to see the creativity, the talent of my son the budding artist. Nicholas has been on a huge journey of his own this last year, growing from teenager into adulthood. This hasn't been an easy transition for him and I am amazed at his courage as he meets the challenges he has had to face. There seems to be a bit of a parallel of stories here.  I am thankful, more than you could ever know, to view the world through my son's eyes. It's not about the ribbons or accolades, it's about meeting the challenges of the day and coming out on the other side, knowing you did your best - with a smile on your face. 

Life is good!

For the love of a pony

I woke up Wednesday morning to my pony Billy's leg swollen 1 1/2 times it's original size.  As you know we've been working feverishly to prepare for our first combined driving event.  My heart sank, we have 1 1/2 weeks until the big day...what did I do, what did he do...what happened?  I called the vet immediately while I began hosing Billy's leg with cold water.  The picture above is of our progress - day 3.  I was so upset initially, taking a picture of Billy's swollen leg was the last thing on my mind.  

Long story short, I had done nothing wrong.  It would appear that my pony, who has lived in this very stall all his life and who, I might add has never been lame a day in his life, got cast in his stall.  Although, I was over his stall with a fine tooth comb and did not notice the tell tale signs of a struggle, that's our best guest.  Below is a post I shared yesterday on a fb group page I am blessed to be a part of.  A group of artists, aspiring writers and extremely talented people.  I thought I would share Billy's saga on my blog as well.

Day 3 - of hosing Billy's leg. We are making progress! The swelling has come down almost completely. He still has swelling at the bulb of his heel and continues to favor this leg a bit, but seems much more comfortable. My hosing of his leg, linament and wraps overnight are doing the trick. If I had a dollar for all the times I have completed this scenario throughout my life, I'd be rich. The smell of linament in the morning brings back a flood of fond memories with beloved horses and ponies I have shared my life with over all these many years. I might add, while giving Billy a bath on Wednesday, I had 3 sets of pleading pony eyes watching the proceeding. Yesterday, as the day dawned hot and bright, once again, the memory of those pleading eyes hit me just as harshly as the rising humidity and I decided to give the other 3 ponies a complete bath...allowing them to dry while grazing...the total spa package. I have very happy ponies along with one really tired, albeit, content human! Today is a good day at Wind Dance pony farm...

Billy continues to progress, in fact, he went on a bit of a walk about last evening...um...a very strong trot escape to be exact.  This is a whole other story...what an adventure living with Billy pony!  I can say for certain, the boy is back to his ornery self.  Although, we have made the decision to skip the marathon, we hope to  make it for the combined tests next weekend!  Back to work Billy!

Life on our small farm...

It's shaping up to be a very hot day at Wind Dance Pony farm here in Ohio. The heat was already oppressive early in the morning. As I finished up fly spraying ponies, filling water tubs, cleaning stalls and placing the barn fan just so for the ponies, I called the dogs to follow me into the house. My next order of business for the day is to have a cup of tea while checking emails and sending out confirmations for my lessons for the day. As I was sitting at my desk, my sweet collie Alli was doing her low talk and quiet bark at the back french doors. These are the doors where Alli keeps watch over her ponies during the day. I always check when Alli talks or barks at the door. My gaze was greeted with happily grazing ponies...one, two, three, four...all present and accounted for. No apparent problem. I smiled at Alli as I returned to my desk and let her know everything was as it should be. I sat back down and no sooner started typing and Alli started her low guttural talking/bark. It was kind of cute, as she was hiding a bit behind the couch from my sight as she knew I had asked her to stop. But thankfully, she would not be deterred. I'm such a silly human, as I know when Alli talks or barks something is amiss. She is the guardian of our farm and only barks when she is alerting me to something out of place, unlike my two sweet, albeit, goofy Jack Russells. Again, I didn't see a thing but my beautiful ponies enjoying their pasture... Okay, Alli show me. I opened the door and followed her. Alli went immediately to the pasture gate and as I followed her path it was then I saw her... Sweet Libby my smallest JR (pictured brown and white) was sitting on the other side of the gate patiently waiting for me to allow her to join us indoors. Thank you, thank you Alli, collie! The heat must affected me more than I knew...how could I have forgotten about Libby. Libby could have easily went under the pasture fence and went on an adventure, she was sitting in the hot sun waiting...waiting for me. We live on a very busy road and I shutter to think what could have happened. Alli saves the day again! Good girl Alli, atta girl!

Kids and Dogs...A Perfect Combination

I love the dynamic between kids and dogs, a perfect combination...or is it?  The answer to that question these days seems to be a bit more complex.  I do truly believe in the wonderful relationship that can bloom and grow between a child and a dog.  I have experienced that wonderful friendship throughout my life, since before I can remember...I've just always had a dog by my side.  I am blessed!  I remember a time when dogs shared our lives.  I remember my Grandmother singing and talking to our dogs, she taught me how to be with dogs and respect them.  Mostly by what she modeled before me rather than what she spoke.  I woke up early and my dog woke up with me...we played all day long in the neighborhood.  Took dogs on walks, invited them in our little swimming pools, attended  neighborhood pet contests and the list goes on.  I remember the dogs at the horse farm where I worked went with us on trail rides and swam with us in the pond.  By the end of the day both dog and child were tired and slept well.  It was good and a beautiful way of life.  I do remember the odd dog getting hit on the street or road, but I also remember neighbors looking out for not only me but the dogs in the neighborhood as well.  They shewed both dog and child home when it was time and no one felt badly about it.

Now, it would seem we can't be so free.  And certainly I am not advocating turning our dogs loose on the street.  It was the 60's and 70's a different place and time...  I remember the odd dog bite and we knew what dogs in the neighborhood were friendly and which to avoid.  I was never bitten as a child, I think because I spent so much time with my dog and others, I knew instinctively how to speak dog.  Maybe?  Not sure...  But it seemed like it was a more natural way of being with our dogs than it is now.

We buy our dogs the best of everything in 2013...food, clothing and bedding...they live in lovely large homes, with big beautiful back yards. But, it seems to me we've lost something in all of the money we spend on our dogs...we've lost our connection simply in time spent with our dogs.  As a dog educator (trainer) more and more I learn of dogs biting children, of having separation anxiety, of being dog aggressive...and the list seems to be growing.  I read an article recently that stated the number one reason 'American' dogs exhibit all these different behavioral problems is because they are bored.  I think they're on to something.

I am fortunate and blessed to continue to share my life with dogs...everyday...we work together.  I am thrilled that I have opportunity to teach children how to speak dog.  I am happy that my little Grand lady is learning how to respect her canine friends...to be kind and empathetic toward all the dogs in her life.  I hope I am doing my Grandmother proud in teaching or more importantly modeling how to interact in a good and kind way with dogs.

We live in a different day and age...but I believe we can do it! We can supervise, model and teach our children how to be kind and most importantly empathetic toward their animal friends.  I believe we can think of creative ways to allow our kids and dogs to enjoy life together even in our busy, over extended schedules.  I hope so anyway...  When I watch my Grand lady (pictured above) with my small pack, I have to smile...I love the way they are learning to be around one another in a good and kind way...it takes supervision...but well worth the time invested...nurturing a lifetime of friendship!   Kids and dogs, a perfect combination? I say a hardy YES!

Monday morning meeting

As we sat down this morning for the beginning of our weekly meeting...  Libby called the meeting to order with Ezra quickly seconding the  motion.  Alli reminded me right off the bat at the top of our meeting agenda was to remind people about hot weather and dogs.  Please, please tell people, Alli implored, that this heat is so very hard on dogs. She went on to add...remember to fill water bowls with cool drinking water.  I agreed and interjected that in this type of heat you can change the water in the bowls several times a day, especially for the dogs outside.  Ezra piped in, don't forget about shade especially for those dogs outdoors. They must have somewhere to get out of the sun!  Libby looked at Ezra out of the corner of her eye and said in a very strong tone...wait, in this heat it would be best to bring your best friend indoors to enjoy the air conditioning or at the very least a fan!  Agreed guys!  Libby went on to say, please remind people not to leave their dogs in hot cars...and remember the little kids too.  It gets hot very quickly and kids and dogs can die in a hot car.  Alli added...Mom tell the people that kiddie pools make great pools for dogs.  We love to cool off in the pool too!  And tell them about giving out ice cubes...I LOVE ice cubes!  Ezra added, tell the people that pavement can get very hot on our paws, so walking in the early morning or evening is best.  All great suggestions guys, I will get the word out!  Happy tail wags all around the table...I could hear a collective sigh of relief!  I then made a motion for us to finish our meeting indoors - Libby, Ezra and Alli second the motion simultaneously!

Remember your best friend during this hot weather!  This has been a public service announcement from the staff of  Pawsitive Journey!  :)