Day Three: The Pointy-Eared Pistol
I am up far too early. I guess I should consider it a small act of grace that I slept most of the night, though. I recall waking a few times. I am still hoping the night will come when I sleep through the night here, but I think a lot of it is the lack of little terriers snuggled up next to me.
Last night ended with the little party, and then I came back to my room and worked for a couple of hours. It is strange needing to find time to squeeze in work, too. My boss was incredibly supportive, though, and he told me that if I accomplish nothing more than meeting and getting to know my dog while I was out here, that was just fine with him. His support compels me to strive harder to fit in time to get work done.
I guess I am going to go take a shower so I can go pace around the hotel, or something like that. Dogs are coming in a little over three hours!
It is 9:20 AM, and I hear the excitement of others as their dogs arrive. Still no nose and paws beside me, though. I don't mind being patient, though. I think I am just starting to let myself get excited. I had a terrible dream last night that my trainer came to my door without a dog. She told me she had gotten loose from her crate and was dashing around the parking lot. They couldn't catch her and she was headed for the highway. If I could catch her, she was mine. She told this all to me in a rather matter-of-fact manor and didn't seem too concerned about what happened to the dog. I woke up before I could try to catch her and proceeded to have a bunch more dreams about over-sleeping and being sent home. I also had one dream where time started going backwards instead of forwards...who knows. I know I've at least got a few more minutes, as I just heard my instructor take a dog to one of the other students in my class.
I feel so aloof and disconnected from everything in this class. This is no fault of anyone else here. I just think I am still a little bit on emotional lockdown. I also feel very empty without a dog around. I have not been completely dogless for such a long time. I always have a puppy in training or a terrier or someone with me...or I am going to a friend's house where there are dogs. I'm not sleeping well, and I think that is probably due to the fact as I said before to the fact that I am used to having a little Ruckus dog sound asleep in my arms all night.
This morning, we had a lecture about correction and praise, and we also talked about dog fear reactions and how to handle them. I think the biggest thing that no one should lose track of is the fact that the only paycheck these dogs get is praise and affection. It is selfish and foolish to not give it as much as possible. Correct if necessary, but always let that dog know how much he or she means to you. It breaks my heart when people stop praising their dogs and begin to take all they give for granted. Part of me hopes my dog instantly locks onto me, and the other part hopes I have to fight for it. I think that right now, I would benefit from the distraction of the challenge. Whomever comes to my door in a few minutes, I will be sure to thank him or her for all he or she has gone through to be at my side...for no matter how long that time may last. It is not his or her fault that I have been through a lot of losses. As far as this dog is concerned, I am his or her first, and he or she is my first, too. It is not fair to make this dog suffer or to give less because I have lost someone I love. I promise to be the best I can be as often as I can. Now I am ranting to fill up time, so I am going to save this and make sure one last time that my room is in order.
The he or she is a she. She is a little female gsd named Vrona, and she has decided to stop imitating a party horn, at least for a few minutes. My instructor is her trainer, and they are in love. I am completely okay with that. That means we will be in love some day, too. It sounds like she is a bit of a spitfire. She had so much fun in the kennels that she sort of beat herself up. She has a small bump on her head from trying to run under a closing kennel door, and she had a hematoma on her hip which had to be removed from darting and dashing all over the play yard and slamming herself into things. I like the ones without grace out of harness, because their work in harness is that much more impressive. Little woman has one ear that tends to stick out to the side a little funny, so she is unique which makes her even better! We went for a short walk, and it took a lot of talking, but I was able to get her going, and her pull was lovely when she was focused. I really like her so far, and she is resting on my feet as I write this.
Our first workout was just up and down the parking lot driveway, so I am sure deciding where to go was even more confusing since there was no clear path to follow. She did it quite well, though. At this point, my instructor has a leash attached to Vrona's collar so that corrections will not be coming from me. I am just her praise and encouragement machine right now.
We are taking a trip into town this afternoon. I think I really like this new schedule. I like that the first day is much more full. It lessons the hurry up and wait that can sometimes be part of class. I sense that TSE has done it again for me. Another lovely little lady for Meghan!
Lunch was...interesting. The food was good. Vrona tried to leap up and dash to her trainer, but I was standing on her leash, so she didn't successfully escape. She stayed in place after I resettled her. On our way out, she tried to investigate my plate from dessert, but I caught her in the act. I would be pretty excited to have a dog who is willing to eat on the first day...haven't had that happen yet. She will certainly keep me on my toes. What a little character! I am now waiting for our trip into town.
We just got back from our trip, and this little girl did very well for her first real trip with me. The first block or so was a little sloppy, but who can blame a girl? She wanted to look back to her trainer for approval, which totally makes sense. At this point, why on earth should she see me as the bringer of good things? After a block or so, she seemed to really get into the groove. At one corner, she even stepped across my body and did a little hop to nudge my hand. Her trainer said that at curbs, she gets so pleased with herself and sometimes feels the need to dance a little bit. I was so excited to see her asking for praise from me! She has a fantastic pace for me. I am going to try a shorter handle tomorrow, though that will give her a little more pull. Why not try, just to see what works best. She is currently perfectly quiet at my feet while I am typing. She even laid down in her kennel earlier for a nap while I tidied up in here a little bit. We will feed them in half an hour or so, and then we will run them outside once more. Then we get to feed ourselves. I am sure we will have ups and downs over the next couple of weeks, but that is why we are here to work together.
She ate all of her dinner in record speed, and she was very cooperative at her evening park time. Tonight, she didn’t get up during dinner, and she didn’t try to check out my spot at the table when we got up. We did work with the gentle leaders, which are head halters to allow for better control of the dog’s head. Vrona thinks they are a terrible idea, but after several tantrums, she complied…mostly. She is a very sweet girl, and she has already begged for a couple of belly rubs from me. It is rewarding to see her already begin to transfer some of her affection over to me. What a sweetie.
We have one more trip outside, then I am going to put her in her crate for the night, and I am going to get some work done. I think she will do well at the office. She is laying very nicely under my desk and settled down very quickly.
So ends my first day with little miss.
Last night ended with the little party, and then I came back to my room and worked for a couple of hours. It is strange needing to find time to squeeze in work, too. My boss was incredibly supportive, though, and he told me that if I accomplish nothing more than meeting and getting to know my dog while I was out here, that was just fine with him. His support compels me to strive harder to fit in time to get work done.
I guess I am going to go take a shower so I can go pace around the hotel, or something like that. Dogs are coming in a little over three hours!
It is 9:20 AM, and I hear the excitement of others as their dogs arrive. Still no nose and paws beside me, though. I don't mind being patient, though. I think I am just starting to let myself get excited. I had a terrible dream last night that my trainer came to my door without a dog. She told me she had gotten loose from her crate and was dashing around the parking lot. They couldn't catch her and she was headed for the highway. If I could catch her, she was mine. She told this all to me in a rather matter-of-fact manor and didn't seem too concerned about what happened to the dog. I woke up before I could try to catch her and proceeded to have a bunch more dreams about over-sleeping and being sent home. I also had one dream where time started going backwards instead of forwards...who knows. I know I've at least got a few more minutes, as I just heard my instructor take a dog to one of the other students in my class.
I feel so aloof and disconnected from everything in this class. This is no fault of anyone else here. I just think I am still a little bit on emotional lockdown. I also feel very empty without a dog around. I have not been completely dogless for such a long time. I always have a puppy in training or a terrier or someone with me...or I am going to a friend's house where there are dogs. I'm not sleeping well, and I think that is probably due to the fact as I said before to the fact that I am used to having a little Ruckus dog sound asleep in my arms all night.
This morning, we had a lecture about correction and praise, and we also talked about dog fear reactions and how to handle them. I think the biggest thing that no one should lose track of is the fact that the only paycheck these dogs get is praise and affection. It is selfish and foolish to not give it as much as possible. Correct if necessary, but always let that dog know how much he or she means to you. It breaks my heart when people stop praising their dogs and begin to take all they give for granted. Part of me hopes my dog instantly locks onto me, and the other part hopes I have to fight for it. I think that right now, I would benefit from the distraction of the challenge. Whomever comes to my door in a few minutes, I will be sure to thank him or her for all he or she has gone through to be at my side...for no matter how long that time may last. It is not his or her fault that I have been through a lot of losses. As far as this dog is concerned, I am his or her first, and he or she is my first, too. It is not fair to make this dog suffer or to give less because I have lost someone I love. I promise to be the best I can be as often as I can. Now I am ranting to fill up time, so I am going to save this and make sure one last time that my room is in order.
The he or she is a she. She is a little female gsd named Vrona, and she has decided to stop imitating a party horn, at least for a few minutes. My instructor is her trainer, and they are in love. I am completely okay with that. That means we will be in love some day, too. It sounds like she is a bit of a spitfire. She had so much fun in the kennels that she sort of beat herself up. She has a small bump on her head from trying to run under a closing kennel door, and she had a hematoma on her hip which had to be removed from darting and dashing all over the play yard and slamming herself into things. I like the ones without grace out of harness, because their work in harness is that much more impressive. Little woman has one ear that tends to stick out to the side a little funny, so she is unique which makes her even better! We went for a short walk, and it took a lot of talking, but I was able to get her going, and her pull was lovely when she was focused. I really like her so far, and she is resting on my feet as I write this.
Our first workout was just up and down the parking lot driveway, so I am sure deciding where to go was even more confusing since there was no clear path to follow. She did it quite well, though. At this point, my instructor has a leash attached to Vrona's collar so that corrections will not be coming from me. I am just her praise and encouragement machine right now.
We are taking a trip into town this afternoon. I think I really like this new schedule. I like that the first day is much more full. It lessons the hurry up and wait that can sometimes be part of class. I sense that TSE has done it again for me. Another lovely little lady for Meghan!
Lunch was...interesting. The food was good. Vrona tried to leap up and dash to her trainer, but I was standing on her leash, so she didn't successfully escape. She stayed in place after I resettled her. On our way out, she tried to investigate my plate from dessert, but I caught her in the act. I would be pretty excited to have a dog who is willing to eat on the first day...haven't had that happen yet. She will certainly keep me on my toes. What a little character! I am now waiting for our trip into town.
We just got back from our trip, and this little girl did very well for her first real trip with me. The first block or so was a little sloppy, but who can blame a girl? She wanted to look back to her trainer for approval, which totally makes sense. At this point, why on earth should she see me as the bringer of good things? After a block or so, she seemed to really get into the groove. At one corner, she even stepped across my body and did a little hop to nudge my hand. Her trainer said that at curbs, she gets so pleased with herself and sometimes feels the need to dance a little bit. I was so excited to see her asking for praise from me! She has a fantastic pace for me. I am going to try a shorter handle tomorrow, though that will give her a little more pull. Why not try, just to see what works best. She is currently perfectly quiet at my feet while I am typing. She even laid down in her kennel earlier for a nap while I tidied up in here a little bit. We will feed them in half an hour or so, and then we will run them outside once more. Then we get to feed ourselves. I am sure we will have ups and downs over the next couple of weeks, but that is why we are here to work together.
She ate all of her dinner in record speed, and she was very cooperative at her evening park time. Tonight, she didn’t get up during dinner, and she didn’t try to check out my spot at the table when we got up. We did work with the gentle leaders, which are head halters to allow for better control of the dog’s head. Vrona thinks they are a terrible idea, but after several tantrums, she complied…mostly. She is a very sweet girl, and she has already begged for a couple of belly rubs from me. It is rewarding to see her already begin to transfer some of her affection over to me. What a sweetie.
We have one more trip outside, then I am going to put her in her crate for the night, and I am going to get some work done. I think she will do well at the office. She is laying very nicely under my desk and settled down very quickly.
So ends my first day with little miss.