Cross-Country Road Trip Reflections
Being back from this cross-country road trip has been bittersweet. There's a part of me that really misses the open road. The not knowing where we'd end up each day, what we would see, and who we would meet. I also deeply miss the people we met along the way. Kind, warm, true-to-nature, genuine, salt of the earth folks. Meeting people like this was something I'd long been craving. True, authentic connections. Who (and what) we (choose to) surround ourselves with impacts and greatly influences us in many ways. These types of connections are food for the soul.
Intuition and Instinct in Dog Training
Intuition: a deep knowing or feeling not based on "logic" or "proof", and transcends "conscious reasoning".
Instinct: an innate, natural genius or inherent ability to respond in a specific way without logic or complex reasoning.
The difference between the two is feeling and response. Feeling and knowing, and acting based on that feeling and knowing without question.
A wagging tail doesn’t always mean a friendly dog…
Dogs are always sharing information. Every body part is communicating what their emotional state is (how they feel about any given moment, set of circumstances, who's around them, etc.), as well as their state of mind (level of arousal, excitement, and - most of all - *intensity*).
Let them Sniff…
A question we often field in regards to sniffing on structured walks is whether or not this is "allowed" and, if so, "when"?
Grief and grieving.
“Grief, I've learned, is really just love. It's all the love you want to give, but cannot. All that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go.”
― Jamie Anderson
Grieving is really a process; and - I don't know about you all - but, for me, has been a very (very) different experience than grieving for a human.
I awoke last night to your presence….
I awoke last night to feeling your presence. It was strong...I knew it was you, and it brought tears to my eyes. When I fell back in sleep, you came to me in my dream….
Time is funny…
Time is funny. I'm looking at all of these pictures, and... it all seems like yesterday. Where did all this time go?!?
The missing is fierce. It's…
I wasn’t planning on adding another dog to the pack.
This first picture is the first picture I ever saw of you. I wasn't planning on adding another dog to the pack...and another puppy, at that. I already had 3, and Levi was still a puppy himself. But.... there was something about you. Something I couldn't explain. It was like I was being drawn to you.
Tomorrow we say goodbye.
Tomorrow we say goodbye to our incredibly treasured, most beloved Chip.
After a string of "good days", "bad days"... and everything in between, Chip sent me "the sign" everyone's been talking about.
When to know when.
...I've been waiting for "the sign" from Chip and Todd both that their bodies are uninhabitable any longer...has it been received? I don’t know.
Stimulation vs. Engagement
I conducted an IBAC with a family the other day that inspired this "aha" moment; and the longer I do this work, the more I see this in play: over- and inappropriate use of "stimulation" vs. under-use of engagement.
The “quality of life” talk.
I just had a "quality of life" discussion with a vet about Chip... and Todd. It's not just about the biological things still working and functioning (eating, pooping, etc), but more about day-to-day functioning and feeling. She said she didn't feel "quality of life" was in existence for either dog at this point.
His eyes filled with blood again.
Caution: vulnerable post. These are not "pity" posts. Writing is how I process and navigate emotion, and it's always my hope any of it reaches someone it may speak to, so.... update on Chip.
Chip's eyes filled with blood again yesterday and he completely lost his sight. I gave him the eye drops from our trip to the ER, and his CBD/THC - and the blood receded after a night's sleep, his eyesight restored this morning.
You’re growing more and more tired by the day.
You're growing more and more tired by the day.
Walks have become more laborious, though you still rally for them. You still want to be included and do our "routine" with us.
Every moment is a gift.
(Red light therapy is going on which is why the picture is reddish)
Every moment is a gift.
Every moment is a treasure.
Every moment is truly sacred.
Have the lymph nodes…shrunk?!
Update on my beloved Chip... and the rest of the pack.
Last night was not a good night of sleep. Chip woke me up a number of times with intense hacking, coughing, and wheezing.