Saturday, April 12, 2008

Doggy School...


We have a pretty challenging dog. He is beautiful, and exceptional with the girls, and just plain loves people. The problem? Well, for starters, he doesn't seem to care for other dogs, which poses a little problem when we try to take him for a walk. Second, like I said, he LOVES people, but a little too much! When visitors enter my house, if we haven't been able to wrangle him into his kennel quick enough, they get pummeled.
So, we have embarked on a doggy school adventure. I'm still not quite sure why I feel the need to write about this, but I was sitting at my computer browsing around some stuff, and I just felt like I should.
Week one of school went pretty well. Just the basics. Walk, and sit. We could handle that, although big dog has REALLY long legs (Greyhound-Pointer long legs), and a TON of that greyhound energy, so i had a time keeping up with him. DUH! He's supposed to keep BACK with me. Ok, got it, now you try to teach a greyhound to walk slowly. My neighbors must have thought I was completely losing it, until we explained that we were just doing our homework.
Week two, we added a left hand turn - fun sometimes 'cause you get to give him that little kick he deserved when he ate the play-doh last week, or let himself out of the LOCKED sliding glass doors, leaving the door open and the 30 degree air pouring in! Well, it was fun until big dog decided that he did not like any of the other dogs in class. This would be where I exited as "teacher" and my dear husband has assumed the role.
You know that saying "Anything you can do , I can do better"? Well, I can't do this better. I lack the amount of strength it takes to control a large four legged creature who has decided it would be a good thing to rip out the jugular of his peers! So, after looking like a complete, Um, blubbering fool, I turned over the leash. The second half of class went much better! Oh no, this does not get me out of homework. If anything, it gives me more! I need to get big dog to show me the same respect he shows my husband! Ha! We're still working on it!
That brings us to today, week three. Today's lesson was "stay". This dopey dog has to now understand that when you hold your hand a certain way in front of his face, and move your right foot, he is to stay where he is. (oh, and the whole left - right thing - not as easy as it seems!) This task was actually easier for the dogs to master than any of the people holding the leashes! Also providing wonderful entertainment for the people running the class! Hence, we have our homework for this week, and big dog and I will be spending lots of time in the driveway!

Sometimes I wonder, particularly when I am trying not to lose my temper with this big dog, if God ever feels like I do when I am trying to get he dog to follow my commands. I keep showing him the same thing over and over, so why doesn't he listen! I almost chuckle out loud when I try to picture God saying, "I keep answering the same prayer over, and over, but she doesn't hear me!" Oh, I know that God has infinite patience with us, but this experience has caused me to really slow down and try to listen more carefully. I am proving to be a pretty unruly child, and I know it. So, I am going to do my best to follow the commands that God has given me, but more than that, I am really going to try to set my mind to doing what I know he wants me to do, but gives me the freedom to decide on my own.

1 comment:

Lisa said...

What a cool story. I love how you tied in the experience with Big Dog to your (our) relationship with God. Great visual!

Blessings, my friend!

Love,
Elisa