This is where I wonder how my brain works.... honestly, so many of my friends post up video of their Agility runs, the music is usually fast and boppy and yet I know that this is only 35 seconds of their life with their dogs. That is just a glimpse into the hours, weeks, months and endless learning. The journey that our dogs take us on, that has another soundtrack altogether.
So After a year of no blogging, I thought I would update or introduce the inside animals to you all. I have four dogs, and the youngest is Pocket, who is now six months old. Right now I think her song would be 'Get the party started' by Pink. She is pretty much the happiest, wildest puppy I could have wished for, she has been the perfect foil to what has been a really hard few years, pandemic included, where I have had to not only grow as a person, but as a dog trainer too.
Pocket also owes Tom some thanks, which I am sure she does not agree with when he has scowled at her for the tenth time that day. But I watch more, she is the first puppy we have made certain to feed in her pen, we have provided enrichment in her puppy pen and allowed her time to be there and be a puppy, on her own. The dog she is becoming is the result of our steep learning curve living with a separation anxiety dog. I do so much differently now, because of Tom.
As she is currently sleeping next to me on her bed, I can't help but feel we have had the luck of knowing more and being more accountable for our actions with how we raise her. And that is not to say that Tom didn't have great owners, we just had never experienced the level of stress he could rise to through being left alone. And that is after running a rescue group and personally fostering around 179 dogs in 7 years.
Tom's favourite song would be 'Don't leave me this way' The Communards version of course! It starts more low key and then just blows up. Yes, that is my boy. He has serious Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO), which escalates. So while he now sleeps overnight in his pen, and will often 'choose' his pen when life with three shelties is a bit hectic, he is still a work in progress. Those Separation Anxiety dogs, they just love so much, and I often think of how lacking we can feel in what to do about them. Just remember, their heart if full of love.... you know the words.
Clooney of course is 'You're so vain' by Carly Simon, he is great and he knows it right? The story there is that it was written about Warren Beatty, which makes me laugh, because while I named Clooney after George Clooney, there is a Warren Beatty-ness about him. Remember when WB opened the envelope as the Academy Awards and announced the wrong film for Best Picture? Then blamed the Academy for the wrong envelope? Yes, I love how Clooney will be so certain that I have it wrong and he has right, and often I do. But his supreme confidence that I am one who is screwing up and never him is a beautiful thing in a handsome dog.
Last of all is Scout, we think she would be a 'Delete' by the DMAs, she is so special, clever, wanders 'out through the rain and snow', and we just love her. She is our quiet achiever and while she doesn't love the spotlight of the Agility arena, she rocks her Nose Work, is a backyard Agility Champion and can wrangle that bit of Ziwipeak from under the lounge better than anyone.
As for the cats? Did you need to ask? Roar by Katie Perry of Course! Every single day....
So after a year of not blogging, I'm back, and if there is a takeaway from this one, if you have made it this far, is love your pets for who they are, where they take you, the lessons they give you, and enjoy the music on your journey and adventures together.