Winter has gotten in the way

Yes, it is an excuse but a real one.  My work hours change during the winter months and although I always make plans to spend Saturdays doing all the things that I miss the rest of the year, somehow it never quite comes to be.  I will also admit that Ivan and I have not been training but are barely maintaining.  Re-entry in March is going to be rough if we don't get to work.  Plus, last night we watched the Westminster Agility Championship.  Ivan and I gloried in the wonderful talents we saw both humans and canines exhibit as they raced through their courses. So it got me thinking about what we had been up to since our last post.

This post is not going to devolve into a rant on the weather.  I promise.  But SERIOUSLY what is with this winter stuff that just keeps coming?  I mean really!  OK rant over.  I started a new food and exercise plan in November 2013 and part of my regimen included running 2-3 miles every other day with equal length walks on the off days.  Ivan, of course, accompanied me.  At first, he thought these were Ivan-centric events but soon caught on to the fact that he had better eliminate during the warm up or cool down, cause otherwise we weren't stopping.  Smart dog figured it out and became quite the coach, waiting impatiently at the front door on those mornings I was moving more slowly.  Brown soulful eyes staring reproachfully at me when I tried to say, "Not this morning, boy."  And we were doing really well until January.  Mother Nature stepped in and did a number on us.

So, being the intrepid Northerner that I am, we changed format.  Ivan has added cross country skiing to his skill set, although he prefers to ride on the backs of my skis when the snow gets too deep.  This worked just fine until the ice started up.  I got a pair of Yak Trax and we did quite a bit of walking with them but I am a bit of a chicken about ice, so we did not run much.

We did participate in the 6th Annual Good Shepherd Run for the Gold, the first of the Frankfort Trifecta events.  I think we did pretty well.  There were lots of people, dogs, strollers, etc. and Ivan handled it like a champ.

Well March came in roaring like a lion but I am ready for spring.  Let's hope it goes out like a lamb soon.

Ivan's first hayride

Ivan (far left) and friends

On the scale of human excitement, I rate hayrides around 2.  I like them and all but, let's face it, the tractor goes about 5 miles an hour and the most exciting thing that usually happens is you get whacked in the face with a branch.  But when St Johns does its annual hayride, they throw in a bonfire, hotdogs and s'mores.  How could I resist introducing Ivan to all these fall traditions?

We sit on the hay bales, right Mom?

Farmer Ann

We got to the Richmond's after a full day, which should have left any normal dog, well, dog-tired.  Not Ivan the Adorable!  After most cars had arrived, I let him off the leash and he ran around like a maniac.  You would have thought he had never seen tall grass.  He bounced, cavorted, gamboled and generally enjoyed himself greatly.

And then it was time for the ride.  We loaded up and made ourselves comfy one the straw bales.  Ivan was content to snuggle with Betty Gill until the tractor started.  Then he was all about driving.  He supervised each twist and turn and his tail never stopped wagging.  Once the trip was over, he jumped down, inspected each of the tires and ran off to chat with his new friends Winnie and Gabby.

Seriously, Mom, let me drive!

Then it was time for food and Ivan thought hot dogs and chips sounded great. He even followed the example of the big dogs and stood under the hay wagon collecting chips and other glorious tidbits as they fell off people's plates.  The bonfire lighting did not even faze him although I never had to warn him away from it. Favorite part?  Possibly the sticks we used to toast the marshmallow sticks!  Ivan thought they were wonderful.

When it was all over, we loaded into the car and Ivan slept all the way home.  He woke up briefly for his bath and brush out (it was not possible to bring all the burrs in Woodford County home with us, but we tried).  As soon as he was dry and fed, he sacked out again and has not yet woken up as of 8:15 this morning.  Awesome day!

Blessings

Well, it has been quite a while since I have posted anything, so this blog will mostly be catch up.  Looking at the last post, I can tell you that a lot has happened since then!

Ivan and I survived his ugly teenage stage without too much damage but I am sure glad that is over.  About three weeks into it, I came home for lunch one day and released the hound from his crate.  He bounced and pranced and kissed the cats and I thought, "we haven't seen this kind of joy in weeks.  Happy Puppy is back!

That was at the end of August, and September flew by with preparations to head off on vacation for the first two weeks in October.  I was having work done on the house and the critters were going to have to vacate the premises for the duration.  My neighbor kindly agreed to take the cats, but Ivan still required a potty break every 4 hours, which meant he needed a vacation spot with a dog door or a person who is home all day.  Plan A fell through at the last minute but I was able to call upon a wonderful couple from church who thought Ivan might just provided them with a little entertainment.

Texas is sulking, Ivan is fine.

Off to summer camp with Ivan

I don't know about you, but I have returned from trips to find sulky, bitter and downright pissed off critters waiting to greet me and to tell me how much my absence has disturbed their daily routine.  I expected it with the cats, I feared it with Ivan.  I need not have worried.  I am not sure Ivan had time to give me a thought after the first night.  In fact, when I stopped by to pick him up, he wanted me to move in with Ron and Kay so that he could have it all.

Father Phillip blessing Ivan

While I was gone, St. John's had their annual Blessing of the Animals on St. Francis's holy day.  Not all churches do this, I think it really depends on how much the rector likes animals. Luckily, Father Phillip likes them all.  I am sorry to have missed it but Ivan was in his element, with dogs galore, one very alarmed cat and one pony.  I hope he communed with God and told him how sorry he was about the whole teenage thing and that it would never happen again.

Since my return, jet lag, recovery from construction and that dratted day job have curtailed much adventuring.  We did make it to the Woodford Humane Society's Canine Olympics, and Ivan has requested that we go next year and participate rather than spectate.  I, myself, am looking forward to getting back to our routine with Lord's Legacy Ministries and our other therapy work, so stay tuned for more on that this fall.

So who knew dogs go through a "teenager" stage?

Not me, that's for sure!  Seriously, two weeks ago I had a cute little dog, always cheerful and eager to please.  He sometimes had  opinions that differed from mine, mostly about squirrels, but nothing we couldn't talk through and resolve.   And then, chango! presto! I woke up one morning with a sullen, willful, little snot. 

I thought at first he was sick.  I worried that he had eaten something at the barn or on a walk that was making him feel sick.  Surely, my sweet little cheese wedgie could not be ignoring me.  And then he poked his nose at me and turned his head away.  I just about laughed out loud.  Well, actually, I did laugh.  The first time.  Not so funny the second time.   Or the third.

I tried repeating myself.  Bad idea.  Now I have broken a cardinal training rule, ask once.  Once.  But by day two of this horrible stage, I could not even get my dog to sit on command.   So I looked around on line but even Google was defeated by "why is my dog suddenly ignoring me?"  I am not ashamed to admit it, I went back to obedience class.  I really thought I was the problem.

Turns out, many dogs go through a stage, somewhere around 16 months, that looks a lot like the human teenage years.  You know the human symptoms: they roll their eyes, they sigh, they look anywhere but directly into your eyes.  You talk to deaf ears, you beg for a response, you get a shrug.  Now try it on a cute little dog with cheese wedge ears.  Not pretty.  Not pretty at all. 

The very supportive folks at Pawsabilities Unleashed were awesome.  They reassured me I was not loosing my mind, yes, my dog was ignoring me.  They gave me advice:  just be patient and go back to basics.  So, I got a new bag of treats and went back to food rewards (which we  have not really used except while working at therapy appointments for weeks.)  And I have been gently but immovably consistent on his making eye contact.  We have been doing a lot of "watch me" and "follow my hand."

The first week was rough.  I spent a great deal of time counting to 10 over and over again. I hoped that the stage, which can last 1 day or 1 month depending on the dog, would end.  This week is better.  He is happier, playing with his toys again and wanting to cuddle.  But he still wants to ignore any verbal command even when there are treats involved. 

If it only happened at home, I would be happier, but Ivan has been just as grumpy at work with his friends at Lord's Legacy Life Ministries.  Oh, he is happy enough to greet each person and to present his ears to be rubbed.  But when it comes time to "go place" and get down to business, Ivan has been pretending I am not there.  Since I have learned what is going on, though, the group has been helping me by not laughing, even when Ivan shakes his head at me, the little knot-head. 

We will get through this.  Others have survived, and so will we.

Ivan visits Scott County Cooperative Extension for Reading Camp

I love getting emails for Ivan. This one asked for help with the summer reading camp in Scott County.  How could we refuse?  Ivan was thrilled to help.

This was one of the biggest reading programs Ivan had ever worked with.  Almost 20 kids in groups of two or three.  Ivan was a trooper.  He greeted each kid, handed out kisses and tail wags as needed and got down to business.  

He listened attentively, occasionally putting a paw out to show concern with a possible mispronunciation.  Ivan loves a good tail, er tale, and has a special fondness for stories about dogs and other animals.

I love to see the interaction of the kids with Ivan and the books.  The reading dogs are part of the "pleasure reading" station at camp.  The kids get to choose what they read to the dogs and, boy howdy, are they excited!  And then they get to do something we adults rarely get a chance to do: read a story aloud to an adoring audience.

Do you remember when reading was an adventure?  Learning new words, figuring out the patterns that make up language, deciphering the messages on each page?  Do you take it for granted now?  I mean, when was the last time you actually thought about reading?  Watching these kids dive into the adventure of reading brought it all back to me.  

So here is my challenge to you:  go looking for a good book, dive into it and read it out loud to someone who adores you.  It is a blast!


     


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Ivan takes the Phantom Tollbooth to World Book Night

I love the concept of World Book Night.  What is there not to love?  They give you a box of the books you most want to give away and you get to give them away.  This year the list of potential titles was awesome.  I was having the hardest time deciding until I saw Norman Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth.

I first read this book as a kid, and then re-read it in college, and periodically I take it down off the shelf on a rainy weekend and read it all over again.  It is just that kind of a book.  Timeless, with a thread of humor that is just wicked enough to make you giggle to yourself.

So I selected the Phantom Tollbooth and thought about all the ways I could share it with others. My church does a yearlong reading program with fourth and fifth graders and I thought this might be the perfect place.  Luckily, the program leaders agreed to both the book and the idea of Ivan helping to pass it out.

I tried to make cookies for the event in the shape of letters.  Epic fail!  They puffed up and out and all over.  No longer recognizable as letters.  Wrong sugar cookie recipe for crispy edged letters.  So luckily the local grocery store had some.  Nabisco to the rescue!

Ivan was thrilled to be there.  The kids were a bit of a hard sell on the book.  It was going to be a stretch for them but it is such a great book, I still think it will be a book they come to treasure.

After we read the first chapter, introducing the kids to Milo, we went on to the real reason they were there:  Reading Club.  The kids split into small groups and paired up with an adult reader.  Ivan got to read with each group.  He still does not quite understand why anyone would pick a book over playing with him.  But he was a good sport about it and the kids loved him.

It is so much fun to watch kids get into reading, playing with words, thinking about meanings and translating the message into something relevant to their own lives.  I don't remember learning to read per se but I do remember sitting in my Dad's lap reading the "funnies" each night in the newspaper.  I loved our together time and the feeling of security being held in his arms.  Hopefully, Ivan will eventually come to understand that sitting next to someone while they read you a story is one of life's wonderful moments!

Ivan goes to church

One of the things they stress in therapy dog training is to make sure your dog is comfortable and well-behaved in various settings.  Even before your pup is 100% accurate at home, you should take him out in public to re-enforce all those commands.  Easily said.  How many folks out there have had their placid little Fido turn into a ravening beasts at the sight of Fidette at the park?

So Ivan and I took to the streets.  We walked through crowds.  We introduced ourselves to complete strangers with and without dogs.  To this day, I have not been able to convince Ivan that he can wait to be introduced.  Although now, he confines himself to trying to sit on a tail wagging so hard you can barely see it.  Still I keep taking him out in the hopes that he will catch on.

So one Sunday not long ago, we got ready for a full complement of weekend activities.  I dressed for church but packed for a horse show later that afternoon.  Off we went.  Arriving at St. John's Episcopal Church in Versailles, I was fully prepared to tether Ivan to the jungle gym but got talked out of it by the other usher who thought Ivan would be an ideal Greeter.  Well, okay, I thought: ideal opportunity to practice "peaceful greeting."

Ivan, of course, thought this was grand.  Seriously, everyone thought Ivan was adorable and Ivan thought they had all come to church to tell him so.  We remained on the front steps until the choir filed in and then prepared to head off to the jungle gym.  But my fellow usher convinced me that Ivan was up to the challenge.  I was skeptical that Ivan would behave once we go into the church.  I should not have worried.  Ivan was a complete gentleman.  He stood when we did, sat when we did, and lay down when we knelt.  He thought the exchange of the peace was heaven. Who knew Ivan was Episcopalian?

After church we headed off to the horse show.  I was riding high on Ivan's success in church.  I should have thought about how tired good behavior can make a puppy.  Paying attention and behaving is exhausting to a puppy.  Ivan was tired going into the show and being left with others or being tethered was just too much.  Ivan whined and whimpered all afternoon long.

Mea culpa.  None of this was his fault.. I should have known that he was going to reach his limit at some point during the afternoon.  Lesson learned:  puppies need down time in order to become geniuses.