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With the arrival of the puppy imminent (you know, a few weeks off), I've been reading the training books like a crazy person. Almost everyone I've spoken to swears by the monks. Most of these people have great dogs themselves. However, the monks freaked me out. FREAKED ME OUT. They had me convinced that there was no way I could go to work everyday (thereby allowing me to bring home the kibble) and raise a healthy, happy, socialized puppy. If I was going to do this, I needed a six month vacation.
Now let's not be hasty. I'd love a six month vacay to hang at home with the poocharoo. However, see aforementioned "kibble". See also: mortgage. Oh boy, how do I love a good "See also". Nerd. Moving on. Obviously the monks are not for me (though I will definitely be trying some of their techniques, I'm just not down with the whole philosophy--any dog training book that makes me feel bad about myself can be returned to the Library! post haste). Monday night I started reading the right puppy training book for me. The approach just makes sense! The philosophy is pretty much from the instant the dog comes into your home, you teach him how to be the best member of YOUR family possible.
You teach him to respect you and your friends and family. You teach him how to entertain himself when you are not home. You teach him appropriate ways to play, eliminate, and interact with his new environment. And all of it happens in a way that from where I'm standing feels very organic. It is a training method that will work with my already established life. As I was discussing this with Mammacita, all she could do was laff and laff and laff. I know she's just waiting to point, chuckle, and say "I told you so". she knows from experience that all the planning in the world doesn't change the fact that every pooch is different and pretty much nothing is going to happen just as I want it to. While this is possible (and in fact probable), the way I operate works better if I have a plan to be tweaked rather than figuring it out as I go.
Just last night my good friend Jennifer was up at my place for some chatting and knitting. I was trying to finish some socks (monkeys for my mom--shhh top secret) and Fern was making up a top-down raglan cardigan. While actively chatting with me, she realized that her idea was not going to work out quite as expected. My approach to this catastrophe would have included totally dropping out of the conversation (or perhaps more politely waiting until my guest went home), pulling out graph paper, hitting up some ravelry forums, and totally overthinking how to solve the problem. Jennifer's approach? Was to just knit a totally different sweater. With no planning. And by the time she left it as obvious that a) the sweater was going to be totally cute, and b) fit her really really well. If I had just wung it, that wouldn't have been the result. No-way Jose.
I think my approach to dog training is the same way. I'm a planner, an overthinker, a strategizer, and maybe just a titch anal. Obviously, the best thing for me to do to maybe become a little more relaxed about things (which is probably necessary for me to have a happier and healthier life), is to adopt a dog.
Czech!
Nice layout!
I am definately looking forward to meeting Scoresby, or Reginald, or "The Spanish Word for Year", or Cheapo/Affordie.
Regarding my infallible knitting technique, the lack of planning seems to have been a poor idea THIS TIME. I will be unravelling several rows of my cabled fair isle. I'm also reconsidering my anti-swatching position...
Wow! You have been busy updating your blog and busy with life! Glad things are so good. And yea to daddy-o for all the help...gotta love those helpful dads!
