Reluctant Dog Mama Grandma
I never thought I'd be a "dog mama" having shunned the life with pets to avoid the heartache when you lose them. It happened once. I vowed never again. But then one day, my son smuggled one into the house--a deed that could not be undone. She was a tiny chihuahua- terrier--not much hair, not so cute. He promised he would take care of it, and then he up'd and joined the army. He said "don't get rid of my dog," but its been 7 years and he still hasn't returned from the army to fulfill his promise. My son named her Dawby but I called her "the dog," careful not to get too close. Dawby and my husband bonded. They were inseparable which was fine with me.
They Save Me Everyday
Life tends to twist and turn with bumps along the road. When my husband passed unexpectedly, I thought my life was over too. But then I realized I was not alone. There was "the dog" who was mourning my husband along with me. We needed each other. For the first time, I called her by her name and let her sleep in my bed.
And Then There Were Six
Funny how twists and turns never stop. When I thought all was good, the immaculate conception happened. Dawby was pregnant and I had no clue how or when that happened. Bing, bang, boom! They were born.
I had raised four children who all left the nest, one by one and all of a sudden, I was a mama again! And yes, they all find their way into my bed at night and I love it--unconditional love and never alone. They are the reason for waking up and jumping in bed in the middle of them all is the best time of the day. I became the dog mama grandma and living life was easier, ya know? I called them by their names and spoiled them rotten.
Life Was Good Until It Wasn't
Life was good until they found a hole under the fence and got loose. They ran free for the first time and I couldn't catch them all. Unfortunately, Little Angel got hit by a car and died instantly. They had the control and I needed to change that, fast. They needed training but I had no clue and it showed. It was frustrating.
Taking Back Control - The Training Began
They were spoiled rotten dogs and had the run of the house. There was dog hair all over the couches, pee and poop to clean up and fear of getting sued when they went into attack mode when there's a knock at the door. But more importantly, there was always that chance they could get loose again, something I feared the most. What to do?
I spend a lot of time on YouTube watching dog videos but was confusing when one person said one thing and another said something else. I thought of hiring a dog trainer but the price was unaffordable, especially with 5 dogs and me on a tight budget. I was always trying new training techniques but sometimes often questioned whether I was doing it right or making it worst.
The video above was the result of 3 weeks of working on the "stay" command. It's a work in progress.
It is a daily struggle.Until I can find a better way, I must rely on YouTube. I did find one YouTube video on dog training that is easy to understand and follow. Dog Training by Kikopup shares a 3 hour training video with a variety of strategies. The trainer makes it look so easy. The dogs are really cute too.
It's a constant work in progress but the work and time is well worth the investment.
If I find a better way to solve this problem, I'll be sure to share it. Stay tuned!
Until then, take care and stay cool!
Aloha -- Abbie the Dog Mama Grandma
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