Registered

How sad is it that despite going into a store and knowing exactly what I wanted to buy off of a gift registry, I still took an hour and a half to complete my purchase! I blame that on slow customer service and poor store layout and not my inability to shop! There's got to be a better way of doing these things!

Puppies

Trainer issues: 

Four puppies.

Two can play together, but only with each other.
Two others could play together, but don't.
Managing two play groups when not well matched = grr!

MHD

Mental Health Day

Acting

I started an Intro to Agility class tonight. I wasn't overly impressed with the curriculum, but was thankful to have an outline to follow knowing that I can tweak it however I see fit. It feels like years since I've been involved in Agility (ok, it has been years), and I can't remember the last time I actually taught it or thought of a course layout. So yeah, class was a bit nerve wracking. 

Despite my first day jitters, my students responded well to the basic exercises, and seemed to enjoy the equipment prep.The best feeling was, despite learning only the targeting basics and some foot and body work, my students all left with smiles on their faces and shared the group consensus that, "Class was fun!". Phew!

I'm always relieved at the end of a class. Not out of dread, but rather, I want to make sure that clients are satisfied and it's solely on me to make sure of that. It's a pretty big responsibility. I was poignantly reminded this weekend by an ex-teacher that being one (a teacher) is all about acting. And she was right. I can't allow my tiredness, any sickness or ill-feeling to shine through. I must perform. And the best thing about "performing" is, no mater how badly I feel physically or emotionally going into it, by the time class is over, I usually feel 100% better. 

Trainers

10 Things You Didn't Know About Dog Trainers from The Modern Dog Trainer. I love numbers 2, 7 and 10 in particular!

1. Dog trainers love dogs – sometimes their humans not so much.

2. Dog trainers don’t like being asked at parties what to do about your dog eating his own poop (or insert any dog training dilemma “here”) any more than a doctor likes being asked about that suspicious bump.

3. Dog trainers see the good, the bad, and the ugly – and wake up to do it all again every day.

4. Dog trainers’ dogs are not perfect by any stretch of the imagination – we have the same struggles as every dog owner – please don’t expect perfection from our beloved dogs.

5. Dog trainers are human. We have our strengths and weaknesses, our passions and our “eh” moments.

6. Dog trainers have working hours, and non-working hours, just like any other profession.

7. That emergency training problem you have that was months, or maybe years developing? It is not going to be “fixed” on a Sunday evening at 9:00 p.m. for Monday morning.

8. When you don’t have money for dog training and want your dog trainer to give you a discount or a free session, we don’t pay our rent, our bills, or buy groceries. For many dog trainers, this is their livelihood, not just a “hobby.”

9. Do as your dog trainer says, not as s/he does.

10. When what you’re doing isn’t working, try doing what your dog trainer suggested.

Being a dog trainer takes a certain kind of person. They must love dogs, enjoy working with people, be self-motivated, and compassionate. We salute all dog trainers who pursue education and modern practices to improve their service to their community.

Why

I started this post once or twice over already. Bitching and kvetching about the weather and it's related delays. I'm really trying to find the gratitude in today, but just can't seem to get there. Just yet. I'm hoping as the day goes on, that I'll find something more positive to focus on. But right now, I'm sick of the cold. Wet. Ruined shoes and traffic delays. Which makes me question...

Sunset

More sledding this past weekend and another busted sled to show for it (ok, this time it was an inner-tube). But check out this gorgeous sunset. Happy Monday.