We took a different route on our hike this afternoon. We hiked for an hour and fifteen minutes. Some of the time we were not exactly sure where we were. We had a general idea, but it is easy enough to get turned around. What do you do when you and your hiking partner do not agree on which direction you are going? You download a Compass App and find out. Isn’t technology great?! There is little chance that we could actually get lost in the area we were hiking. It’s just a matter of how long until we get back to the car.
None of the dogs cared. They are happy to hike anywhere and for as long as we want. They did enjoy this particular hike because we were in the woods all the time and we didn’t encounter another person the entire time. And only Zekie cares about other hikers, bikers, etc.
We hike with five of our dogs. I walk Shelby and Claire, the two shelties, and Zekie the Keeshond/Sheltie mix. Hubby walks our greyhound Cassius, and Baxter the Lab/Rottweiler mix. We often elicit oohs and ahs at the sight of our pack. Little Nikki, aged 13, stays at home in front of the fireplace soaking up the heat.
Although our hike was a little over an hour and slightly more than 2.5 miles, it tired the dogs out. Even Zekie the Wonder Dog is resting for the evening. Zekie the Wonder Dog Until our next hike…
In an ideal world, everyone would spend a lot of time teaching their dogs many things. And I have many friends who do. But if you don’t have unlimited time to train your dog, or want more control NOW!, teach your dog to sit.
The sit is one of the easiest commands for your dog to learn and for you to teach. I won’t spend time here telling you how. There are many sites to do that. I want to share why I think it is the most essential command to master.
Everyone likes an obedient dog who sits when told. And it is so useful. Your dog jumps on you at feeding time? Tell him to sit before giving him his meal. Jumps up when you get his biscuit out? Have him sit. Jumps on you when you try to put his leash on? Sit! Are you getting the idea?
The sit command can be used to to interrupt and redirect many unwanted behaviors. Some other times you can use the sit to get control of your dog are, when someone comes to the door, when small children approach, when traffic is passing, when you are out on a walk and encounter someone you would like to have a conversation with. I’m sure you can think of many others.
My favorite use of the command is when we come across a cool photo op. See some great photos I took of Zekie, using the sit command on a walk around our property. Training With Zekie. Just position your dog in front of the really awesome plant, building, etc. and snap your picture! It is trickier to get three dogs to do it like in my photo here, but still not all that hard. Ideally your dog should hold the sit, until he is given a release command. This is something to build up to. I use the word “ok” to release my dogs from whatever command they are doing.
Teaching your dog to sit, or to perform any other requests, lets them learn so much more than the command itself. They learn to pay attention to you and that they are not free to do what they want all the time. It helps to form a bond between you and your dog. Over time, you and your dog will forge a closer relationship when you work together.
Many people do these days. Coronavirus keeps us from group gatherings and meetings so we are often using the computer to conduct business. We even see family for holidays and visits by Zoom or FaceTime. We are fortunate to have technology to use in this way. It makes our separation more bearable. Not pain free, but still more tolerable.
This picture sums up how I appear at some point during most of my conference calls. Zekie hears me talking and not paying attention to him. So he ensures that I do pay attention to him. When he comes leaping into my lap, and into camera view, he is always good for a laugh from the audience. They can see him saying “Momma, I’m here.”
I consider myself lucky to have such a social, friendly, and interactive dog. And as you see, he can also be quite a clown.
Claire has been with us for a year now. She came to us as a foster dog last January. She was turned in with four other dogs from the same owner. The elderly owner knew that she was reaching the point where she could no longer give the dogs the care they deserved. So she made the heartbreaking decision to turn the dogs over to our sheltie rescue group. I really felt for this lady because these dogs were members of her family.
Claire became a permanent member of our family over the summer. She was with us longer than expected because of the pandemic. When there was finally a serious inquiry into adopting her, I couldn’t bear it. I couldn’t let her leave. Luckily for me, that adoption fell through, so I didn’t have to let her go. I remember when things were up in the air. I spent an afternoon sobbing while weeding the vegetable garden and thinking about her departure. The neighbors must have thought that I had received bad news and had some dread disease the way I was crying. So, once it was determined that she wasn’t leaving, we adopted her.
She has undergone a transformation in her time with us. Not only has her coat become shiny and plush, but she has developed an outgoing personality. Upon her arrival, she was quiet and shy. This lasted the first few months. She kept to herself and didn’t interact much with the other dogs and did not seek attention from us either. Boy, have times changed. Now Claire comes up to us and pokes us with her nose for attention. She is very persistent. And she will put her front feet in your lap and sit beside you demanding that you pet her. If you don’t, you get “nosed” repeatedly.
Claire relaxing with daddy
We are still working on obedience commands. She has mastered the sit. And when I tell her to come, she approaches me and stops at the half way point. Any thing else is currently beyond her. We continue to work on commands and know that one day, she will get there.
Claire and Baxter playing in the snow
Claire has recently developed enough skills that she is a pack member, playing with our five other dogs. At first she didn’t understand respectful boundaries in regards to the other dogs’ food and toys. Fortunately, our other dogs our quite tolerant of new dogs. They have survived enough foster dogs that they cut a new dog some slack until they learn the ropes.
I just put the dogs outside for a minute. Claire and our sheltie mix Zekie (Zeke the Wonder Dog) were chasing each other in circles and playing. And when the other dogs play frisbee, Claire tries to join in. She has yet to grasp the idea of picking up the frisbee, but she has a grand time running and barking with the rest of the pack.
I’m sure the changes in her will continue and we will enjoy watching the development. We are blessed to have her.
A tired dog is a good dog. This is Zekie, my problem child. Can You Tell Which Dog Is Reactive? You can read more about him at the link. This is Zekie resting after today’s walk.
All dogs’ behavior will be at least a bit better if they expend some energy. Here are some ways to do that which allow you to maintain social distance from other people.
Walk your dog. You can take a mask along incase you encounter others. There are many trails that should provide good opportunities.
Play frisbee or ball. You can play in your yard or in a field at a school. Enclosed tennis courts may be an option if your dog needs to be confined.
Kick the toy. Rather like the child’s game kick the can. We play this indoors, down the center hallway of our house when the weather is inclement. Extra points if we can get the toy past the dogs and down the basement stairs!
Obedience or trick training. This expends more mental energy than physical, but this is also tiring.
Hide and seek. Played indoors. Have your dog sit and stay. Or someone can hold your dog. When you’re ready, say ok, find me.
Hide and seek variation. Confine your dog in some manner while you hide treats for them to find. Make the first ones easy until your dog gets the hang of it.
Provide chews such as nylabones, rope bones, antlers, etc. Monitor so your dog does not swallow small pieces. Chewing does not use as much energy as running around but it does help.
Walk your dog.
Dogs are social, active creatures and need to be provided an outlet to burn off energy. Finding a way to do this make both of your lives happier.
Hanging out with Claire while waiting for better times.
I have spent a lot of time recently focusing on how to survive in a pandemic world. In retrospect, most of these ideas are good to apply to our lives in general. But most of us are searching for extra help and guidance right now. When we are spending so much more time and energy just to slog through our daily lives, there is little left over for getting beyond that. See my post giving you some ideas on how to cope. My Top 10 Ways to Deal With Isolation During the Covid Pandemic!
Rather than offer more ideas on how to cope, I would like to offer some words of comfort here. Life is cyclical. There will be good times and there will be bad times. Neither will last forever. The trick is in remembering that. The ecstasy that we feel when we are just married or newly in love, is a beautiful thing. We need to cherish moments like these as they occur. They are a positive experience that we can put into our emotional bank account. Something to draw on and relive when times are tougher. Because they will get tougher.
I think of life experiences as a mathematical sine curve. Positive and negative events go up and down balancing each other out. If time are rough, I think of the curve and know that they will swing up again. Life is not static. Times will get better.
I think it is safe to say that times and events are in a low part of the curve right now. Life is harder for almost everyone. I can’t imagine anyone that Covid 19 has not touched in some way. Those who have become ill or lost a loved are the most affected. But others’ lives have altered too. Businesses have lost income, people have lost jobs. Something so common as going out in public to get food has become a changed thing. There are now masks, sanitizers, and social distance to consider. Nothing is as easy as it used to be. Even when my husband and I take our pack of dogs out for a hike, we worry when a fellow hiker passes. How close did they get? Were they breathing heavily and expelling lots of breathe? Is the air movement good? We carry masks with us and use them as we deem they are necessary.
Hiking with Dogs
I feel confident that we are at a low point on the curve now so that means that things are going to get better. The roll out of a vaccine is a stepping stone to moving on to better times. Hold on a little longer, better times are coming. I will offer one coping mechanism here that can be used to get you through. Rather than wallowing in the negativity of our current low, spend time thinking about the blessings to come. Make plans for them. I made a previous post about that here. Coping Mechanisms
Our lives will be changing again, mostly for the better. We will be able to safely go out in public again. Not all at once, but each step along the way will be a return to normalcy. We will congregate with friends and family members again. We will share hugs, and I know mine will be long ones! I can see these times in my mind’s eye, even now. Hang on, I know you can do it.
Today is the beginning of the New Year. I have never been one to make New Year’s resolutions. After all, it is just a day, the same as any other. Why wait until a new year begins to decide on changes you want to make to your life? It just puts off what you could be starting earlier.
If you need or want to make changes to your life, do it when you realize the opportunity. Say you decide in November that you want to lose weight, the most common New Year’s resolution. If you wait until January 1, you have already lost two months of change. Add these up over a lifetime. You have lost years of improvement.
New Year’s Day is an arbitrary date on the calendar. It shouldn’t hold sway over the way we live our lives. We are free to change the path of our lives at any time. Readjust our sails at will. It takes time to realize the benefit of change and the sooner you start, the sooner you will notice a difference.
On the other hand, if you find change hard and need an impetus like the new year to get you moving, charting a better path at any time is better than not at all. If you fancy a symbol like a new year to motivate you, the time is NOW. Make your lists and goals and get started! If you find this overwhelming, remember that a tiny change to the sail on a boat results in a huge change in direction after a bit of time. You are in charge of your life. Take control. Make it something you are proud of.
And if you miss the new year to start on your goals, or your plans go awry, do not despair. The date was arbitrary. You can begin at any time or start again as needed. Tiny changes add up. Spend some time in contemplation and make your goals good ones. The thoughts you put in your mind will guide and change your life.
Here is the post from last New Year’s. Welcome 2020, Happy New Year! Wow, life seemed much simpler then, before we had even an inkling of the pandemic to come. Never forget to enjoy where you are. And never fear, this pandemic will pass and life will be normal again. Although we will probably only see it as normal in retrospect!
Blessings, peace, and good health to you, my readers!
I think all of us have reached the point where we are thoroughly tired of Covid 19 and its effect on our lives. I know many have it worse than me, those who have suffered losses of loved ones, personal illnesses, and financial woes. But that doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t have valid feelings of sadness and emotional distress as we struggle to make it to the post-pandemic world. So I am sharing with you, some of my coping mechanisms.
Keep a Journal
Mine is a journal of things that I want to do, but can’t right now for some reason as a result of the coronavirus. Here is a link to what is in my journal. Ways To Deal With a Pandemic That way I won’t miss out on things I wanted to do but couldn’t at the time. You could also keep a journal of your thoughts and feelings during isolation. Whatever suits you.
2. Get Outside and Enjoy Nature
The View Along One of our Walking Routes
Nature has a way of healing us that defies explanation, but it is proven to make you feel better. Surrounding yourself with plants, trees, and wildlife can bring a sense of peace. I find something magical about knowing that the greater world around me goes on, no matter what is happening in my life.
3. Exercise
Exercise can help relieve stress at any time so it’s no surprise that it will work during a pandemic too. I combine my exercise with #2 above and hike or walk in nature. We attempt to take our dogs for a hike at least five days a week. If we are running late, the dogs let us know that it is time. They look forward to the outings too. People may be missing their gym workouts these days, but you can always walk. Just find a secluded area and keep your mask handy.
4. Train Your Dog (or cat if you’re ambitious!)
These may be trying times for us but our four legged friends are enjoying that extra time we spend around the house. Give them some extra attention and brush up on their obedience skills or teach them a trick. It will strengthen your relationship and the two of you will come out of this closer than before.
5. Read
If you know me, you knew this was going to be on my list! Reading can take you away to other places and teach you something in the process. You can read non-fiction and learn about new things or places in our world. Or you can read fiction and get sucked into a good story. Either way, reading occupies your mind so that you escape for a bit from your current reality which can be a real treat in these trying times.
6. Take a Nap (Get extra Sleep)
The act of sleep rests your body and mind so that you are better able to deal with whatever comes your way. Also, if you are stuck on the “worry train” and distressing what ifs, or actual bad times, keep playing through your thoughts, sleep can break that cycle and reset your brain.
7. Work on a Hobby
Candy Cane Shaped Breadsticks for Christmas Dinner
Hobbies, especially artistic ones, occupy us so that it is hard to think about anything besides what you are currently doing. One of my hobbies is cooking. I especially like to bake and kneading bread dough is soothing to me. Working and shaping the dough is fun. I was working on breadsticks for Christmas. They got too long to fit on the baking sheet and as I was turning the end to make it fit, I thought that reminds me of a candy cane. So I made all the breadsticks in the shape of candy canes just to be festive.
8. Watch a Movie (especially comedy)
How often does anyone encourage you to spend more time watching television? In this case I think it is warranted. Letting yourself become absorbed into someone else’s life, especially in a positive scenario, may provide you with some mental benefits as you escape this Covid riddled world for a while.
9. Make a Phone Call to a Friendor Family Member
We can all feel a little lonely in these times of social isolation. Even me, and I don’t generally mind being by myself and am not a phone call kind of girl. I usually avoid the telephone and am often happy to spend time by myself. (For me, by myself means with dogs.) I have been making an attempt to keep in touch by phone with family members. And I make more effort to text and message friends. You may be helping other people when you reach out, because we are all in this together.
10. Don’t Give Yourself a Hard Time
We are all doing the best we can. You may find yourself being a little short tempered or down in the dumps, and not doing as well as you normally do. Cut yourself some slack. These are not normal times.
And in closing, be aware that there is light at the end of the tunnel! We still need to socially distance and wear our masks for a while longer. But the end is in sight. People are being vaccinated right this very minute. You have been strong enough to make it this far so you are up to the task of surviving what we need to do for the rest of this ride.
This is what Christmas looks like in our family. And from our family to yours, Merry Christmas.
We wish for you, that everyone in your family survives this pandemic and is with you for your holiday celebrations next year. And if it is already too late for that, I hope the coming year brings you peace.
This year was unusual for us, as it was for so many. For the first time in my life, I was not able to see my brother for the holiday season. I also was not able to see my daughter. We are staying separate so everyone stays healthy. Doing our part to stop the corona spread. We did see my mother in law as she is like us and stays home nearly all the time.
I anticipate that next Christmas we will all be together again for the holidays. And what a joyous celebration it will be.
Hanging out with Zekie, which I often do while reading.
1. Game of Dog Bones-Laurien Berenson
Melanie Travis solves a murder with her canine friends. This time at the Westminster Dog Show while Aunt Peg judges at Madison Square Garden. This was a fun one.
2. Snowball’s Christmas-Kristen McKanagah
Tiny kitten Snowball plays her part in trying to bring Lukas and Emily together for a future at Weber Haus, a Victorian family bed and breakfast.
3. The Twelve Dogs of Christmas-Lizzie Shane
Ally Gilmore moves home to Pine Hollow to help her grandparents run the dog shelter. As she struggles to find homes for the dogs, things go awry.
4. The Finders-Jeffrey B. Burton
Mason Reid has 4 cadaver dogs that specialize in finding human remains. The youngest, Vira, turns out to have extra special abilities.
5. A Dog’s Perfect Christmas-W. Bruce Cameron
The Goss Family works their way through an emergency and trying times, accompanied by their puppy and senior wolfhound. A happy ending.
6. 500 Miles From You-Jenny Colgan
Lissa is a nurse in London and Cormac is a nurse in the Scottish countryside. Lissa needs quiet to recover from witnessing a crime and Cormac wants a training opportunity. They switch places and come to rely on each other for advice.
7. Pumpkin Spice Peril-Jenn McKinlay
From the cupcake shop murder mystery series. Melanie helps solve a crime to discover who killed her artist friend.
8. The Secret Ingredient-KD Fisher
I got a bit of a surprise with this book. It is a book about two chefs and their restaurants and lives. The surprise came when it was apparent that the main characters are homosexual. Not necessarily a bad thing but I did not pick that up from reading the back cover. I read the book because it was a good story and I wanted some insight into friends and others who live this lifestyle.
My favorite of these was The Finders. It was an excellent book. Beyond that, you really can’t go wrong with any of these books. I enjoyed them all. The Twelve Dogs of Christmas is an enjoyable holiday read.
Sanctuary Acres 