First, there is some discussion about whether to make the Assistance Dog Blog Carnival bi-monthly.  I have not yet decided how I feel about that, but if you have an opinion, feel free to chime in and leave a comment here.

Which leads me to my latest thoughts, because they were prompted by the same blogger, Sharon at After Gadget.  I was reading her post titled Roadwork! (Walkin' and Talkin') and can totally relate!  Cura can get pretty bonkers when she doesn't get regular runs.  I don't know HOW Sharon has done it with an adolescent and no means to really exercise him! 

Some of you may know from previous posts that my method of running the squirrelies out of Cura is to use a golf cart.  The darn thing can get up to 20mph -- and Cura hardly breaks a sweat (figuratively speaking) unless it is the height of summer and then it is more the heat than the running that does it.  Being in New Mexico, even early morning runs can be toasty in Summer!

I have seen Cura go full out a couple of times and it is a sight to behold!  I swear that she can hit speeds in excess of 40 mph!  I would LOVE to find a huge field with a really high fence and just let her go!  Her running is why I used to think that she had Greyhound in her -- I was very surprised when the DNA test results came back and Greyhound was not in the mix.  But, she is still a hound and a runner.

So, when life gets away from me and Nona Ear Rubs and I can't get it together and run Cura regularly (three times a week usually does the trick) Cura lets us know.  With her exercise, she has better concentration.  She is able to deal with the "down time" more easily and patiently because she is able to move and work out the squirrelies on her runs.  Of Cura's needs, this is the one that I find the hardest to accommodate, but it is one of the most important.

Here is hoping that the golf cart stays healthy (anyone following our Tweets knows that it recently had a little glitch -- though it was quickly fixed) and we can keep Cura on her exercise schedule!

Bye for now!

It's Carnival! Let's Party!

Well, here it is . . . Sharon over at After Gadget is sponsoring the first Assistance Dog Blog Carnival and here is my entry! The plan is that the Carnival will take place quarterly with a different theme each time. The theme for this 'edition' is Firsts. My first thought was to tap imto one of the many 'firsts' that I have written about in the past -- there have been a ton of them. But, after what happened the other day, I decided to go ahead and write something just for the Carnival.

Why? You may ask . . . well it is because Saturday we experienced a first in a series of firsts and all of them had to do with Hot Air Balloons. Cura does not really like Hot Air Balloons. Not only does she not like the noise made by the burners, but she does not like seeing them floating in the sky -- near or far. Now, this would not be a problem in many places, but here in New Mexico it is a bit of an issue, especially this time of year with the Balloon Fiesta which just took place.

For those of you who are new to Cura's Corner, Cura is an owner trained Service Dog. Well, owner trained with professional guidance. She came home in March of 2009 and worked very hard together to become the team that we are today. But this is not about Cura's first days with me, it is about her changing attitude toward balloons.

Because she spent so much time in a shelter before being adopted, she had not been socialized to a number of things. The first time we went for a walk when there were balloons in the air, I thought I was going to lose her. She pretty much paniced and it was all I could do to get her home. She literally couldn't think -- all she wanted to do was get away -- to anywhere! She was panting, tail between her legs, ears back, head frantically swiveling from side to side . . . Obviously, this was something that needed some work!

Fast forward several months and we had another balloon first! It was the first time we went for a walk with balloons in the air where she was able to think. She was still not happy, but less frantic. She walked by my side in the proper place and listened to and performed the tasks that I asked of her. But her posture was unchanged . . . still panting, tail between the legs, ears back . . . but not so much head swivelling.

Finally, she got to the point where she could walk down the street with a bit more confidence when the balloons were out. Her tail was still down, but not tucked between her legs, and her body posture was better, but still not happy. Her solution was to go out, do what she had to do, and get back home as quickly as possible. No dallying, doing everything that was asked of her, not rushing, but no messing about. I can't tell you how pleased I was the first time I realized she was becoming better able to cope when there were balloons in the air. I respected her discomfort with the balloons and usually let her choose to walk the short route rather than the longer one on those mornings that they were out.

Then, there came the First that prompted this post. This morning there were several balloons in the air when we went out for our morning walk. Although she was aware of them, she was in quite a perky mood. The entire walk her tail and head were held high and she was obviously having a great time. We came to the point in our walk where, if we were taking the shorter route, she would turn to go home and she just kept on going! For the first time, she wanted to be out and about while the balloons were up in the air! It was a wonderful walk! All of that perseverence seems to have paid off!

So, that is the story of our Balloon firsts . . . like all of our challenges, it looks like one more has been overcome through dedication and perseverence. Having a Service Dog may not be a walk in the park but I think all the hard work is worth it. Cura has changed my life. She is my first Service Dog and I frequently wonder how I managed without her. Before her, so much energy went toward managing my life and now it goes toward living it!

It's flippin' HOT!

Happy Fourth of July!

Yesterday, Cura and I spent part of the day sitting around and answering questions at a nearby garden shop.  Okay, so I answered questions, Cura hung out.  We were in a covered area and I made sure that Cura was well fortified against the heat.  Her cooling coat was doing wonders -- keeping her core temperature down -- but after a bit, it became clear that her head was a bit warm.  This was my solution . . .

She was quite comfortable and I was happy to forego wearing my hat since the sun was not beating down on me directly.  I think I may have to look into getting her a hat of her own! (One that fits a bit better and doesn't fall off every time she moves her head!)

With the weather being as hot as it has been, making sure that Cura stays cool when we are out and about has been a big focus for me.  I think that I have mentioned that she is usually unwilling to drink while she is out working -- so making sure she doesn't get overheated is important.  I always know when I have failed in that mission because the few times she has gotten uncomforatable, she has actually taken a few laps of water when she is offered -- but only a few laps!  At least I know if she gets too hot, she WILL drink -- and it is a good gauge of how she is doing!

Still, even with all of the equipment to keep her cool, I am very careful not to have her out too long and we both are looking forward to the monsoons when the temperatures will drop a bit!

A Party!

As I mentioned previously, we have been working to improve Cura's performance while around other dogs.  Yes, this happens to some extent at her weekly group classes, but that is on neutral ground and we are now working on situations where Cura may be visiting others on their turf.  Specifically, we were preparing for an upcoming party that I was going to attend.  After the time spent preparing for the gathering, I was fairly confident that all would go smoothly -- little did I know HOW smoothly!

Yes, this is going to be another 'my dog is awsome' story.  I try very hard to notice all of Cura's little successes which is very important for the training process.  But this time it is not just a little success that I am sharing -- this one is significant!  Sure, she and the other dogs did wonderfully togther as anticipated which is always a good thing.  On top of that, the party was outside under a covered area and, at one point, Mother Nature decided to up the ante and throw in a short period of rain, lightening, and thunder.  For about 30 minutes we had a lovely summer storm.  Some of you will remember that lightening and thunder are particular challenges for Cura.  She had shown improvement over the last 15 months, but they still bother her.  (Though now, instead of heading for the bathroom to cower in a corner, she usually just stays by my side, panting and shaking for awhile until she calms down.)  However, this night she was AMAZING! 

She had already spent quite some time laying quietly at my side, dozing.  When the first lightening flash happened, her head came up, shes stood up, turned around in a circle, and then resettled.  Within a couple of minutes, her head was back down and she was dozing again -- that was the extent of her reaction to the storm.  On top of that, there were some guests that, after arriving and socializing for 10-15 minutes actually asked me where Cura was.  When I showed them that she was laying at my side, they were quite surprised because they had not noticed her until I pointed her out.

So, all in all, it was a VERY successful evening.  Many previous efforts came together and contributed to my having a wonderful evening out -- a truly relaxing, enjoyable evening!  Thank you, Cura!  You're a STAR!

Romping in the Garden

Frequently, I am asked if Cura gets any 'time off' or if she has to work all the time. As you can see below, she can play just as hard as she can work.  Watch as she speeds by Nonna Ear Rubs.  Then, of course, there is Skye who starts to jump into the fray and then gets camera shy.  Enjoy!

 

Oh, and if you are wondering about those straps you can sometimes see, that is her anti-jump harness -- if all goes well, by the end of the summer, she will no longer be wearing it!

Spring is coming!

It is time to prepare the garden for the next growing season . . . which means we get to spend time OUTSIDE! The temperature rose a bit and Nonna Ear Rubs and I decided that it was time to begin making the garden ready to receive all its goodies. Now, it is still way too early to put seeds or plants in the ground, but there is still much to be done.

There are several things on the list such as pruning the trees for the first time and pruning/cutting back various bushes and plants. The trees are now going into their third year -- finally, we will be able to walk under them and only have to bend down a little instead of crouch down almost on all fours! Well, maybe not Fuzzy Face . . .

Then, there are the 'big' projects planned for this year. We have to remove a bunch of gravel from beneath the trees and create planting beds instead so the trees can breath properly; create climbing trellises in beds along the back wall for various squash vines and other climbing vegetables; and this year we are going to build a cold frame (can you say veggies all winter?) I can hardly wait. It will be hard work at first, but the rewards are going to be great!

So, day one in the yard was spent pruning and cutting back. I am happy to report that we managed to complete it all! But, you may ask, what does this have to do with Cura? Ahh . . . be patient my lovely readers -- setting the stage is everything!

Last year, Cura was not allowed in the back yard unless she was on some kind of lead. Being the little fence jumper that she was in her previous life, combined with her single wall vaulting incident over the back wall (the one with a 12-14 foot drop onto a cement sidewalk or the sharp gravel surrounding it) last year relegated her to being leashed at all times. Just before the weather turned last year, I got her an anti-jump harness, but we were only able to use it a few times. Now that we have had our first day in the back yard, I believe Cura will have many more lovely days to wander the back garden off-lead.

Of course, she was wearing her anti-jump harness the entire time, but she spent about three hours outside with Nonna Ear Rubs and me and did nothing but enjoy herself. She laid and rolled around in the Puppy Pad (a little grass bit we installed last year for the dogs) and managed to get all sorts of bits of dry grass on herself. She investigated the various cuttings that Nonna Ear Rubs and I were accumulating as we meticulously made our way from one side of the garden to the other. She selected some of the choice tree branches that were available after pruning to chew on. In fact, she and Skye played the "you walked away from it, now it is mine" game with one particular piece of wood. Neither one ever took it from the other, they just noticed when the stick was sitting alone, all forlorn and unloved, in the middle of the yard and picked it up and chewed on it and/or carried it around for awhile.

Cura was very interested in the occasional rustling noise in the raised bed under the straw (we have four-legged fuzzies wintering over in there -- but now that we are starting to mess around out there, they will likely move on soon, at least they did last year). Both dogs had a blast -- well, except for that moment that Skye got 'bit' by a plant of the prickly variety -- she didn't like that and may never go in that particular flower bed again! Cura made no attempts to go over a fence or a wall. She would look out front through the fence a few times, but just look -- no excitement, just curiosity. Needless to say, when we were finished and came back into the house, Cura and Skye both curled up and slept for the rest of the day (and yes, Cura snored, a lot). On top of all the good fresh air that day, we also ran the dogs that morning so they were done in!

Long story short, if this first day of gardening is any indication, this summer will be filled with lots of relaxing time out in the back garden -- no fence jumping, just fun!

Ack . . . BALLOONS!

The other day, we woke to a wonderfully, clear day.  The temperature was lovely and the wind was non-existent.  Perfect Hot Air Balloon weather -- and boy were they out in force!  Of course, I knew immediately upon waking that there were balloons outside.  How, you may ask?  Cura knows they are there before she even leaves the bedroom.  She doesn't even have to see one out the window . . . she just knows.

When we headed outside for our walk, there were 15+ balloons in the air!  If I were to guess, most of them were within a 2-3 mile radius of the house, and many of them were within a mile.  Not only that, but they were on the low side so instead of appearing as small objects in the air, they were VERY BIG and we could easily hear the whoosh of the burners as the operators opened the blast valves.  They were a beautiful sight to behold (and me without my camera -- yes, again).  However, beautiful or not, Cura was having none of it!


Actually, that is not completely true.  The fact is, she did very well, considering.  We went on our walk without too much difficulty.  She was not happy and had a difficult time keeping her head forward and eyes front.  But, she was focused on getting up the street and back as soon as possible while trying very hard to stay in place by my side.  I wish that I did not have to attend a meeting that morning -- it was a perfect training opportunity if I only had the time to take advantage of it.  One of these mornings we are just going to sit outside in the back yard and calmly watch the balloons go by.  Like everything else, we will help Cura to work through this . . . she is already showing improvement, it will just take time and patience.

Playdate in the SNOW!!

First, I want to make sure that everyone checks out the 'technical' post that went up on Sunday -- it is unusual for me to post more than once a week and I want to continue to add to Cura's Blog and Blog Button lists, so please check it out!

Second, I want to take a moment to thank Service Dog Team #1 for letting me use their names in my blog (so much nicer than having to refer to them as 'Team #1').  Like many bloggers, I shy away from using peoples actual names, preferring to come up with some pseudonym instead (my attempt at maintaining some kind of anonymity on the web -- both my own and that of the people in my life, however involved) and will have to spend some time thinking one up for you.  If you have any suggestions and/or preferences, let me know!   It was good to see you guys in class yesterday . . . Ginger was so cute with her 'down' without her shoes!

Now for this week's fun . . .

If you have been following this blog, you know that Cura is a rescue and she spent at least thirteen months in a shelter.  Actually, it was longer than that, she was at her last shelter for thirteen months, but we know she was in a city pound for some time before that -- who knows how long.  Because she spent such a long time in shelters, she came home with no understanding of how to play.  It took some time for her to figure out what to do with a dog toy and longer to figure out that she could play with other dogs.  One of the tools we have been using to help Cura learn how to have doggie fun is the 'playdate'.  

Cura's jumping ability combined with her flight response when stressed, meant that early playdates did not involve much in the way of 'play' for her.  Instead, we spent a lot of time working on my concern that she would bolt and jump the fence and shifting Cura's response to stress from flight to 'stay by mommy'.  It took quite some time, but Cura gradually started reacting to stressful situations by moving closer to me rather than fleeing the situation.  I became the 'safe place', which is what we were working toward.  On our last regular playdate, we introduced an anti-jump harness which removed my concern that Cura would jump the fence and allowed her to have some real off-lead time without increasing my anxiety levels.  It helped that, by that point, Cura's was responding fairly well to her recall command so I was more confident that she would come when I called.  (Rick and Heather have always been confident that Cura was not going to go far from me -- I was the one whose confidence was shaky on that issue).  

When the weather was warmer, playdate was scheduled for every other week but since it has gotten colder, we have only had a couple of get-togethers.  After all, who wants to stand outside in the cold supervising doggie play every other week?  Actually, it is not so much the temperature -- it is the wind-chill factor that is the deal breaker for me.  So, playdates have been less frequent since the weather has gotten colder (as have, I must admit, Cura's golf cart runs -- though she has not been enthusiastic about being out much, so we are managing).  Despite their lower frequency, the playdates we have had have been very fulfilling.  The anti-jump harness has given Cura a chance to really engage with both the other dogs and the environment.  Plus, I get to practice her recall at greater distances and off-lead by periodically calling her back to me (which, I must admit, I tend to do about every 5 minutes -- or maybe less -- I am sure that everyone gets tired of me constantly calling Cura to me!)  

Our most recent playdate was last Thursday.  It had snowed the entire day on Wednesday and Rick and Heather's Thursday evening session had cancelled, so they suggested that we take advantage of the snow covered ground and get the dogs together for some fun.  Skye (Nona Ear Rubs' Cairn Terrier) LOVES the snow (one of these days I am going to get "Little Miss" on film frolicking in the snow).  The first year she came home she was not so keen, but this year is a completely different story.  In fact, if there is snow on the ground it is difficult to get her to 'take care of business', if you know what I mean, she just wants to mess about in the cold, fluffy, white stuff.  Cura is pretty much in the 'not so keen' stage.  But then, prior to this last week, she had not really been given the opportunity to play in snow.  Usually, if there is snow on the ground, she is in her boots (about the only time she actually likes her shoes).  She, too, has difficulty 'taking care of business' but mainly because she is in her boots -- making such actions challenging -- and because the snow tends to change the way things smell so she can't find 'that perfect spot'.  But, for the most part, Cura has reacted as if snow is . . . inconvenient . . . undesirable . . . foreign.  

While this did not change completely on Thursday, there was a little ray of hope . . . 

Actually, there were a few things that Cura did on the playdate that brought a smile to my face.  Yes, there was the usual 'digging for China' and running about investigating the arena (Rick and Heather's name for the area of their land on which the playdates take place), but there were additional things that I saw as 'developments' and/or 'progress'. Actually, one of the things I noticed was that Cura usually returned to me before I called her!  This meant that, while I still did call her back to me frequently, she also chose to check back with me frequently -- so, in reality, I was not calling her as much as I normally do.  If she happened to be out of sight (there are a few obstacles to line of sight in the arena), she tended to want to 'check in' with me as frequently as I called her back to me -- reinforcing Rick and Heather's stance that Cura would never stray far or be away for long (BIG SURPRISE!!  -- btw, you should read a lot of sarcasm/irony in that last bit -- the trainers have it right, go figure!).  "Check in" did not just involve seeing me, it required coming up to me and having physical contact.

Cura also discovered that big sticks are a joy to chase and chew.  She did not grasp the retrieve aspect of 'mommy' throwing the stick -- but she did run for it and had great fun chewing and generally messing about with said thrown stick (I had intended to bring my camera, but somehow managed to forget it -- hopefully, next time I can provide pictures).   Actually, 'stick' is not really an accurate description of what she was chewing . . . more like tree branches and small tree trunks!  But she had a blast!  In fact, there were situations where she tried to get a bit possessive about some of the sticks.  Now, I am not saying that I want to encourage possessiveness in Cura -- that would be counterproductive, and when she attempted to be possessive, I took steps to counter it -- but I am glad that she is showing some interest and passion in 'play' things.  

The final amazing thing only happened for a few seconds . . . Cura frolicked in the snow!  No other dogs or people were around and she pranced and jumped in a circle, just enjoying the snow.  I wish I had managed to film it for you -- it was a beautiful thing to see, however brief.  Hopefully, there will be another snow before Spring breaks and there will be an opportunity to get her on film frolicking and just letting go -- being her doggie-self (I must remember my camera if there is a next time this winter!).  

Long story, short -- not only is Cura learning how to perform her job, she is learning how to have fun and be a doggie . . . may she continue to excel at both work and play!

Welcoming Access

I have alluded to the fact that Cura and I are frequently warmly welcomed by most businesses. There are a couple of incidences that I would like to highlight at this point -- particularly since I have posted on my difficulties in this area before (without identifying the businesses, of course, given our litigious society). Some information will be very specific while others will be less detailed. However, unlike my posts dealing with negative experiences -- I will happily provide specific information about those businesses that, in my experience, have either welcomed or encouraged my patronage as a person with a service animal.

I have frequently been met with smiles and compliments at the Walmart on Unser in Rio Rancho as well as the one on Coors in Albuquerque -- there was one incident of a challenge, but most times I was welcomed right off the bat. I frequent both of these locations often and have almost always been welcomed warmly initially and am convinced that the only 'challenge' that I experienced was either an innocent or a legitimate concern by an employee that had not registered Cura's vest (I still find this a baffling, but legitimate reaction) or was overly exuberant about their responsibilities since, once it was brought to the employee's attention, we were welcomed without further protest.

Hello Deli on Jefferson NE in Albuquerque on Monday 27 July: We descended upon them with several challenges: a grandmother using a walker, a service dog (Cura), AND a pet dog (Skye). They not only welcomed us all to their patio, they graciously volunteered to bring the dogs a bowl of water! After the initial offer, at least two other members of the staff came out and asked if anyone had brought the dogs water -- this was a rather hot day (somewhere in the 90's) so this attention was very appreciated. While I always attempt to insure that I have Cura's needs taken care of to the best of my ability (yes, I manage to forget things once in a while), it is VERY pleasing when a business is willing to provide for my service dog while they are providing a service to me. Hello Deli certainly managed to do this when we were there -- thank you very much!

Scalo on Central SE in Albuquerque 28 July: OH MY GOODNESS! What a lovely experience! Once again, we were on the Patio, but only because the person who arrived first thought that Skye would be with us in addition to Cura. But, because of our plans for the day, Skye was not with us -- while there is a possibility that Skye will, eventually, become an assistance animal, that decision has not yet been made and she is not in a training program as of yet, so does not have the same access as Cura. First, I would like to compliment Scalo on the patio environment that they provide -- despite rather high temperatures, the patio is quite pleasant. On top of that, our waiter graciously asked if he could provide Cura with some water. Unfortunately, I neglected to note the name of our server (something that I have now vowed to remedy when I am out and about from now on because I want to give credit to individuals when it is warranted -- and this server DEFINITELY warranted it!). All I can do is try to give as much information as possible in the hopes that this individual will be recognized by his employer for his excellence. Prior to my disability, I was a server at a restaurant and I am both sympathetic to the stresses of the job and I also have very clear expectations of what warrants exceptional service, and what we received that day was, without a doubt, exceptional (even my father of Scottish descent, who frequently conforms to the monetary stereotype, loosened his purse to acknowledge the service we received this day). As I am sure you have already figured out -- our server was male. In addition, he sported a closely shaven/bald head and a crucifix around his neck. We were the only party on the patio at the time. There were four of us in the party along with Cura -- one of which was my grandmother who, while physically challenged, is very decisive and alert. In addition to making sure that Cura's needs were taken care of, our server also gave me ample opportunities to reinforce Cura's training. Not only is she supposed to be friendly in public when given permission, but she is also supposed to avoid contact and distraction. Our dog-loving server gave me the opportunity to reinforce both responses to public overtures. Thank you!

Satellite on Alameda in Albuquerque (several instances): While there is nothing overly exceptional here -- it is just as important to me to have a 'normal', 'uneventful' experience as it is to have an exceptional one. Every time I have gone to Satellite, I have had a very calm, normal, unstressful, experience. We have always been on the patio because Skye has been with us, but I have always been the one to go in and order and not once has anyone reacted to Cura's presence. Thank you, Satellite, for helping me to feel just like any other customer!

Flying Star in Bernallio on Saturday 25 July: Very similar to my Satellite experiences, this breakfast at the Flying Star was very mundane. But it is VERY important to realize -- from my perspective, having a rather mundane experience is actually desired. Ultimately, I wish to have the same service as any other customer at a restaurant -- the difference is that "I" includes both myself AND Cura. So, making sure we both have a comfortable experience goes a long way in my book. Flying Star managed to provide a pleasant experience for both Cura and I when we visited. While it was not an exceptional experience, it WAS a normal one and, in my life, normalcy is warmly embraced!

These are some of the local businesses that are providing me with normal or exceptional experiences. Thank you so much. Regardless of whether it is a "normal" or an "exceptional" experience -- BOTH are greatly appreciated. I will gladly recognize future positive experiences with details and share less than positive experiences by providing ambiguous details -- just stay tuned!

Shoes . . . (and fences)

Yes, again . . . but it is the training focus at the moment which means that shoes are what is foremost on my mind so that is where I am going to begin -- who knows where I will end up!

In addition to her walks, Cura wore her shoes from about 9am to about 1pm yesterday -- almost four hours non-stop. For the most part, she did really well, but she did have her points of protest. This time it was getting in and out of the car. All of a sudden, she couldn't jump up onto the back seat or from the back seat onto the ground. Adjusting the shoes did nothing to solve the problem and ultimately she managed the maneuvers -- but I certainly felt like the Wicked Witch of the West making her do it despite her protests. Maybe I should clarify . . . by protests I don't mean that she was making any protesting noises (no whining, barking, grumbling -- nothing like that). Instead it was just Cura pitifully attempting to make the 3-ish foot jump into the SUV that completely fell short of the mark.

Now, before any of you start feeling sorry for the poor puppy who is being ruthlessly forced to do the impossible, let me give you some of that 'history' I told you I was not going to go into in the first posting but would probably have the opportunity to share in later posts. On Cura's adoption paperwork it specifically says that she needs a yard with at least a SIX FOOT FENCE. Why is this necessary, you ask? Apparently, she is capable of jumping a six foot fence FROM A SEATED POSITION with hardly any effort whatsoever.

Now, we do not have a six foot fence, however, on the other side of one of our five(ish) foot block wall is about a twelve foot drop to a concrete and gravel surface. Since Cura had formed such a strong bond with me and was going to be in an environment that was constantly challenging her, the fact that our wall was not 6+ feet was not considered a problem -- and for several weeks it wasn't. Rick and Heather made sure to tell me that any time Cura looked at the top of the fence/wall she needed to be corrected to counter her conditioned response to fences -- which was to jump them -- and the few times that she looked, I did correct her, but there was no real attempt to jump the fence and leave the yard . . .

And then I started getting confident that she WOULDN'T jump it. Within two weeks of me commenting on the fact that, while her paperwork said that she bolted out doors and jumped fences, I had never seen such behavior -- she did BOTH! Just goes to show you that the universe is perfectly content to teach you a lesson immediately! Well, the powers that be decided to pretty much put me in my place in short order. Right about the time I realized how different (in a positive way) my life was now that Cura was with me -- even though she was not fully trained in her job -- I was put in two situations that made me face the possibility that I could lose her, however remote a possibility that might be. (Rick and Heather are PRETTY DARN CONFIDENT that Cura is simply NOT going to take off).

First, she decided that she was going to bolt out the garage as the door was coming down. It took about ten minutes for me to get my hands on her. To top it off, and this is the part that was frustrating for me, whenever she turned a corner, she would keep peeking around it to make sure that I was still following her! It was one of the more difficult moments in my life when she finally responded to my command and didn't prance out of my reach. The fact is that she DID (finally) do what I told her to so I HAD to praise her for her obedience or I would be undermining the command -- but, because of the merry chase she gave me, I just wanted the throttle her! I am happy to say that I managed to shower her with love and approval -- but it was a close call!

Then, about a week later, we were in the back yard and (I found out later) a man was walking his dog along the sidewalk behind our block wall -- the one with the twelve foot drop. She started to rapidly pace the wall and, before I could stop her, she jumped onto the wall and was precariously balanced there for what seemed like an eternity. I like to think that she didn't actually INTEND to go over once she saw how far the drop was. She managed to balance on top of the wall for a bit, but not long enough for me to actually reach her and stop her from going over. That time was scarier for me because people race down that road entirely too fast and I had to actually lose sight of Cura in order to go around the block so that I could get my hands on her. Once again, she led a merry chase -- though shorter in duration. Lesson learned -- she is not ready to be in the back garden off-lead.

However, given the jumping rebellion we had today -- maybe putting her out there off-lead in her shoes would work just fine!

Inside vs. Outside

I mentioned that Cura was a Rescue Dog . . . because of this, we have had some interesting challenges when it comes to Inside vs. Outside. Hmmm, I used the past tense and that is not exactly accurate because the basic Inside vs. Outside issues continue, though the way they manifest is constantly in flux. Many of Cura's reactions are completely understandable, given her experiences.

When she was in the shelter, she was in an outside pod with a metal roof. One of the first challenges we had to work through was her dislike for the indoors. Whenever we were in a building or room, she wanted out. It didn't really matter to her what route -- window or door -- any way that led Outside was her focus. Her favorite method of attempting to achieve Outside was to lay down as requested and then inch her way toward the nearest opening. If I had a nickle for every time I had to get her up and put her back in the initial spot . . .

That first round of basic training that we went through when she was still living at the shelter was frequently more focused on working Cura through her anxiety about Inside that working on the obedience commands. We tended to work on obedience in those initial days with much more success if she was Outside, so the actual classes were more about getting her to feel more comfortable Inside. Since the classes took up only a small part of our time together, there was plenty of time to enforce the commands. Even by the time she came home, Cura was not overly pleased about being Inside. I was not sure how she was going to react to being in the house -- but, for the most part, I need not have worried.

She became comfortable Inside very quickly. In fact, the second or third day she was home, we were out walking and some hot air balloons were going up. Once I convinced her that running away (in ANY direction) was not an option, all she wanted was to get Inside! Now, if we are out in the back yard and she doesn't like something (the weather, balloons, noises, whatever) she makes a beeline for the door to get in the house. But, one of the things that I have to do is get her to be comfortable in these kinds of trigger situations, so she can't just go Inside if something bothers her. In order to help her get over these things, I can't just let her in the house because she is freaked -- that would accomplish nothing but enforce the anxiety. So, she has to stay out for at least a little bit before she is let Inside.

Now, I am not saying that there were not some rather funny moments involving Inside. For example, about three weeks after she came home, Cura noticed a recessed light in the ceiling of the family room. Who knows why she had never noticed it before or why it bothered her so much all of a sudden -- but she didn't and it did. It took about 10 minutes to get her to stop grumbling at it (having now heard her growl, I would not call the sound she made at that time growling, exactly) and another 20 minutes before she began to stop looking at it and eventually ignore it completely. That is about the average time it takes Cura to work past things that do not involve noises. If the situation involves noises that she finds disturbing, the process can take much longer -- some of them are still challenges after almost twelve weeks, though Cura's reactions are getting better.

In some cases the progress is slow and it is important to recognize the 'little successes' and ALWAYS end on them (something that is not always easy -- I am getting pretty good at recognizing the 'silver lining' -- this whole process really reinforces a 'glass is half full' mentality). In an ideal world, I would NEVER end an experience on anything but a positive note for Cura -- ending on even a little success makes the next situation that much better for her. But, this is not an ideal world, so that is not always possible. When that happens, I just remind myself that tomorrow is another day and I approach each situation AS IF she HAD a little success last time. Believe it or not, frequently that actually works -- who knew! It is true that attitude is most of the 'battle'. If I am confident, calm, consistent, and persistent, Cura does well. If I am uncertain, anxious, scattered, and give up, it affects Cura's success. We are a team and I have to hold up my end of the bargain so that she can learn how to consistently hold up hers. She already knows that she has a job -- I just have to help her understand exactly what it is and help her to always be comfortable regardless of whether she is Inside or Outside. A tall order -- but I do my best to fill it.