Tuesday, October 14, 2008

This and That

I think we are drawn to dogs because they are the uninhibited creatures we might be if we weren't certain we knew better. They fight for honor at the first challenge, make love with no moral restraint, and they do not for all their marvelous instincts appear to know about death. Being such wonderfully uncomplicated beings, they need us to do their worrying. ~George Bird Evans, Troubles with Bird Dogs

The weather the past few days has been just incredible... so I've been doing a LOT of walking. Wish I could store up the exercise for the winter when I can't do so much.

I think it's been good for the dog and for me. I was watching "The Dog Whisperer" (I really enjoy that show) the other night and he said a couple things that really hit home.

One: Be CONSISTENT. If the dog has to behave a particular way, train them to behave that way all the time. For instance, if I want Dakota to not be psycho at the door, then I need to make sure I cause her to be calm for EVERYONE when they are at the door, not just the people who are not dog people.

Two: Active dogs need a lot of exercise, or they misbehave. And they need directed, intentional exercise. The guy Cesar was talking to on the show said, "They have this big back yard, and I take them to the dog park once a week." He got smacked down -- the dogs need WALKS (or, actually in this case, he rode his bike so the dogs could run alongside) every single day.

So, I'm working on it. Being consistent can be frustrating and time-consuming, both for me and the dog, AND for the other person involved. I also have to fight against friends who "don't mind" if Dakota jumps on them.

And, we're walking daily for an hour or more (and even then she isn't tired) and I'm trying to have her play with one of her friends every day as well (usually the English Bulldog, Bugsy -- they are, strangely enough, quite evenly matched).

I don't remember Bailey being this hard.

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Only two weeks until NaNoWriMo! YIKES!! I'm not quite ready. Guess I'd better get a move on, huh? I have an idea for my beginning, and some scenes, but I really want them to be funnier. I've been walking around for two days, mumbling to myself, "How can it be funnier?" At this rate, I'm going to be put in the loony bin.




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You Are a Beagle



You are good natured. You enjoy spending time with people and animals.

You have a wild, independent streak. If you're left to your own devices, you get in trouble.

You love to eat and enjoy food of all kinds. If you don't get enough physical activity, you tend to have a weight problem.

You are very stubborn. You don't like authority, and you tend to do your own thing no matter what.



Hmmm... about 50/50....

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7 comments:

Ceri Hebert said...

I really need a dog. For me. So I can get out on long walks. But I live in an apartment and even though there's someone pretty much always here, I wouldn't do that to a dog. My neighbor had 3 dogs in her apartment. Too much!

I'm having my own NaNo struggles, but better now, before I start to write than after when I find what I wrote doesn't work and I hit a block. The drama queen in me is coming out. One of these days I'm going to write something humorous, but I'll have to write in 1st person. It's the only way I can be funny.

Keri Mikulski said...

I signed up. :)

We love our doggie. I know what you mean about storing this weather up for the winter. It's absolutely gorgeous.

groovyoldlady said...

Hey, I'm a beagle too! Wanna go outside and dig holes together? How about...Oooo...what's that smell?

A bug! A bug!

Is that a skunk?

BaaaRoooooooooooooooo!
BaaaRoooooooooooooooo!

I know, when they call us to come, let's just stare at them like thy're insane and then run the other way!

BaaaRoooooooooooooooo!
BaaaRoooooooooooooooo!

I'm ignoring NaNo until after my totally insane and overbooked weekend upcoming. THEN I'm going to do some serious preliminary chocolate eating.

Judy said...

I'm a Boxer....
You are playful and energetic. You bring joy to everyone who crosses your path.
You are hyper to the point of being a comedian. Everyone is wondering what you will do next.

You energy can get the better of you if you're not careful. You can have a destructive streak when you're bored.
You're very strong willed and powerful. You get you way without even trying to.


And... I'm already preparing with MY chocolate stash so I can deal with YOUR insanity come November.

Dru said...

I know you've been working with Dakota..I hope these measures help.

You Are a Bullmastiff

You are confident, reasonable, and very calm. Nothing shakes you up.

It's likely that you were a bit wild when you were younger, but you've gotten that out of your system.

The only time you get aggressive is when someone tries to threaten or harm you in some way.

There's a little bit of wolf underneath all that sheep's clothing!


THis is more or less me.

Anonymous said...

I asked the Hubs about what sort of dog he thought I'd be after seeing that question on the cover of Bark Magazine. He said I'd be just like our dog, a collie/malamute and possibly wolf mix. From some of her behaviors, we can tell that she had a close ancestor who howled at the moon. She's a bit shy, a bit prissy and ladylike. Domesticated, but could probably easily revert to wild and quite capable of taking down her own moose if we didn't put her dinner in a bowl. Since Freya is my heart dog, I thought that was about the best answer the Hubs could give.

I did take your quiz here. I'm an American Bulldog, but I didn't copy what that meant.

Brandy said...

According to the quiz I am a BullMastiff. *G* Of which I always thought were cute! And can kind of agree with the results. But, I'm a kitty person. *G*
It's 80 here right now. I'm ready for Fall weather.

I hope you have a good day!