Dog Gone It!
pitbull rescue
My FIL’s dog
Opal of my Eye
Lessons from my dog:
Find a quiet, sunny place to sit and just enjoy!
Jump and run even if you’re so sore afterward that you can hardly walk.
Eat with gusto and no regrets.
Forgive quickly and stay faithful.
Always go for walks and smell flowers along the way.
Naps = good; stress = what’s stress?
Dog is my Pilot
Little black canine – my loving shadow
O Growler of Other Dogs and
One of Insatiable Appetite
Your spirit is ceaselessly bold
yet your haunches have caused affright
Tamed
A month ago, they were fighting so much we had to muzzle them when they were in the same room.
What changed?
A slow transition to unmuzzled company.
Daily exercise.
Firm but loving handling: sitting before going out a door, sitting before feeding, etc.
Immediately redirecting any aggressive behavior.
Lots of positive reinforcement of good behavior.
Dogs are a lot like humans!
Flavor of the Month
“My kids are around pit bulls every day. In the ’70s they blamed Dobermans, in the ’80s they blamed German Shepherds, in the ’90s they blamed the Rottweiler. Now they blame the Pit Bull.”
―
Down Dog
Want Fries with That?
Unlike Opal, it appears that Olive was not abused in her former home. It’s a mystery. She’s not afraid of sticks or the hose…she can sit and shake on command. Aside from near-starvation and ticks, she is a pretty happy dog.
And curious.
Maybe her last home did not have a lot of technology. Olive is still surprised when she hears the ice maker and irrigation system. Yesterday, my daughter wanted me to bring Olive to her work so that her co-workers could meet her. First, though, she wanted me to pick up a Crunch Wrap from Taco Bell.
I went to the drive-through window and rolled my window down. I spoke to the black box. It spoke back to me. Olive jumped in my lap and looked for the man. She whined when she couldn’t find him.
“Sit, Olive!” She sits back in the passenger seat, still whining.
Next window, there he is (!) to take the money and give me the bag.
Ah, life makes sense again.
Projects
Just a quick doodle and post today. I’m interviewing two people tonight for my research project on “First to Graduate from High School and/or College.” It’s my hope to compile a series of inspiring stories for graduate hopefuls and get those rates of retention up!
On the dog front, Olive is on Day Four at our house and is doing well, although she and Opal can argue when they don’t see eye to eye. Mostly though, they are pretty chill:
Devotion
Our daughter came home last night, crying. She accidentally slammed her hand in her car door. On the couch, she recounted the event to her father.
Olive, our pitbull rescue who has been in the house for three days, walked up to her, put her head and one paw on Josie’s lap and looked directly in her eyes.
Who knows what this dog has experienced, and the suffering she has endured. Still, she was able to show affection in this new and strange home.
Often, animals display more kindness and “humanity” than humans!
Kismet 