Bah.

Dog training sucks.

Growing pains

The consolation is that in the end, there will be a flower. Right?

Click click

When Raleigh and I found each other last summer, he was terrible on the leash. My theory is that he was loved and socialized and went through some very basic obedience as a young pup, and then somehow found himself a stray and [willfully?] forgot most of his training. He knew "sit" and "wait", and he compulsively sticks to my left side when on the leash -- even in the beginning when he pulled like mad.

I did my best with him, considering I've never really done any training before. Still though, I had high hopes for he and I, and I wanted more. I had been playing around with the idea of clicker training for loose-leash walking for several months now, even having gone so far as to buy the clicker and do some basic work with him (mostly just introducing him the the idea that click = treat). This week though, I told myself to nut up and just do it.

But it's daunting, I said.

See the thing is that I really want to do it right. I want to go at the pace he's able to go at, and get each step down before trying for the next one. I want to do everything I can to set him up for success. In the end, I want a dog that will walk nicely at my side, and not forget I exist even if there's a dog barking at him or a squirrel on the phone line of 50 bazillion feral cats in the Secret Garden park.

So we start small, right? We've been playing a lot of fetch to get warmed up -- both to get some of his ya-yas out and to prime him to the clicker. Then we walk, back and forth, back and forth, in the house. Away from distractions. And he's getting it! Yesterday we started in the house and then did some in the yard. This morning we skipped the house part and went straight to the back yard -- and he did great! For the first 30 seconds or so he was very excited (it's so many treats!), but he quickly remembered that he gets the most treats and praise when he walks calmly at my side. Today I also stopped rewarding him after I tell him to get back. He gets treats for doing the right thing on his own, not for me having to remind him what the right thing is. I think tomorrow we'll try walking back and forth, back and forth, in front of the house.

I just hope we have it down before we go to Ithaca in --crap-- two weeks.

Uh oh

Okay, so I know I can't get another dog until I can afford a) obedience classes and b) a car or zipcar to transport the beasts to green spaces and travel with me. And I know two dogs is a lot more than one (and probably harder to find dogsitters/people to stay with), but:
1. Raleigh would LOVE to have a wrestle buddy. He and Bijou love each other, but he does have to hold back with her. He needs a pup more his size!

2. I just. want. more. dogs. in my life. Some people get really excited about traveling all over the world and worry they won't be able to go all the places they want to go; I have minor anxiety about not being able to live with all the doggy soulmates I know I have out there!

3. Look at that face and try to say no:

from Petfinder

My prediction:

Janelle Monae.

Yall better recognize. That's all I'm saying.

sleepsleepsleep

I keep being reminded that I just sleep better in the winter than in the summer. In the summer (yes, it feels like summer some days here) I sleep with the window open, the fan going, and nothing heavy on my body. Too many noises, not enough weighing me down, and too much light. Then I wake up feeling unrested and dehydrated.

Bah humbug.

(so good)

i want to tell you how good i am at transcribing

(so good)

i hear a word and i'm like, gosh i don't know that word

and then i look up what it sounds like

and bam! i was totally right

words of the day:

culatazo (a kick)

ultrajar (to insult, abuse)

fregar (to annoy)