Getting a bit of a break here from the bitter cold that blew through in October. This has my spirits on the rise, of course. I am going to have to man up for winter, as I have at least one dog to ready for obedience competition (and am going to try and give Leon a shot in March of 2012---Boris has to wait for UKC events). The great thing about winter is it's the least busy time of the year. The bad thing is it's usually very very cold, and this saps my ability to get up when I need to train My dogs. I need to do it though... Also I am determined to get some indoor legs. Boris and I take a Canine Good Citizen test on the 15th of November, and hopefully I will get that small satisfaction of getting an indoor something. It's ironic as most people have trouble with the outdoor trials, but of course that is where I train most of the time, so indoor trials give me angst. I bet a lot of it is the mental knowledge that I have not gotten an indoor one yet that holds me back. Your mental state can have a lot to do with your dog's performance, and I know when I really feel confident my dogs feel it and their performance shows that.
On a crafty creative note, I am determined to learn how to crochet or macrame collars for my dogs (eventually fancy with beading). This way I can have special holiday or dress up collars that I have made with my dogs in mind. I used to do Christmas homemade cards for family, but it has become a time of year that I don't enjoy (due to deaths of animals and family) so I don't get that amped up to do it anymore. So this is something new that I can do that does not bring up any sad memories. It is also something that my grandmother used to do (and I have some projects that she started knitting, but never finished, which I would like to someday), but I never paid attention when I had the chance to when I was young. I was more of a tomboy. So it will be done with the happy memories of my grandmother in mind, and kind of a memorial to her talents.
Life is good. I am not where I thought I would be when I was young, but I am in a better place than that:)
3 comments:
Life sounds good. I have always gotten great satisfaction out of obedience work with my rescue dogs. I think maybe people that were brought up by heartless/soulless parents thrive on the unconditional love we get from our canine children.
Never met a dog I didn't like, never owned a dog I didn't love to pieces...people, meh, not so much!
My six year old GSD, Schindler, has just been diagnosed with a rare, inoperable bone cancer. He's still pretty comfortable but when the time comes, I can honestly say I will miss him more than I miss my NPs.
So sorry to hear about Schindler. As someone whose dog, Neptune, had a serious heart condition that we knew about four years before he died, enjoy your dog now and try (easier than it sounds I know) to enjoy each day with them. I worried so much about Neptune, that once he was gone, I realized I should have just realized what would come would come, and enjoy each gift each day was before the end.
It truly is the one part of owning a dog that completely sucks (that they are probably not going to live as long as you do).
Truly, besides creating that partnership with a significant other (husband or daughter), creating that relationship with your dog is number one:)
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