So, What The Heck Just Happened?

Happy Mail!

Why is it that just when you think you're really getting somewhere something goes awry? For two weeks we have been rolling on a constant high. Playing games every day, being careful to reward, make it fun, watching videos and making notes and things were looking so, so good! The Boy seemed so much happier in himself, really started to look like he was enjoying it all ... even initiating play at odd times during the day. On walks he was staying closer, checking in more often than before. Yay! us.

So what happened this morning? I really would like to know. We got ready to go into town. He got in his crate and we set off. The journey in was uneventful. He had been for a walk already and had his morning ablutions. He stayed in the car, with windows down and in the shade, whilst I jumped in and out of the car to pick up the mail, pick up meds and go to the ATM. All fine. We drove to the park. Still fine. We started our walk ... I may just as well have been on my own for all the notice he took of me! No interest whatsoever in magic hand. No desire to stay close, or even come close when called. Even just looking at him you could see his whole being was anywhere else but here. He wasn't even focusing on anything else ... just staring around, panting, complete shut down. Clearly something had caused his bucket to totally overflow ... but what? The only thing I did different today was to give him a kong stuffed with bits of liver and some peanut butter thinking that just maybe that might make his short fifteen minute car journey a little more relaxing and pleasant.

And how did I feel? Honestly? Exasperated! I felt like crying. I felt like yelling at him,"what the heck is wrong with you today?" I felt like I had given him that little bit extra and this is the thanks I got. We were doing so well. I was so full of optimism, and now I felt like just giving up. Of course, I didn't yell at him. We just got back in the van and drove home and he whined on and off like he does occasionally in the van (the reason for the kong, I thought it would solve that one final issue). I pondered over bits and pieces from the live chat and the videos.

When we got home I left him in the van with the door open but in his crate, whilst I unloaded the bits and pieces ( I remembered Lauren said she would do that with her dog to get calm before release). When I had done that, all of about three minutes, he was sitting calmly so I opened the crate. He actually waited for the release cue! He then went to the tree to check out a squirrel, turned right back and came indoors with me. Go Figure!

Once inside we opened our happy mail! A new sheepskin tug for the Whip It game from Tug-E-Nuff and a lovely snuffle mat from BigCityBirdDog on Etsy. Lucky took his still half full kong with liver to his bed in the tv room and finished it off then calmly strolled over to his other bed by the window to investigate his new snuffle mat. Equilibrium restored.

I guess the universe just needed to remind me that whilst we have been on a roll not to get too cocky with myself and take for granted that from this day forward every day is going to be a great day. There will be days when The Boy just isn't on top form, and I may not always understand why. Maybe it was nothing I did, maybe he just got out the wrong side of the bed.

So, now I will take a break ... give him and me some space and a little rest from all the doing stuff and just be. Then maybe after lunch we can go outside with the new whip it with a renewed feeling of optimism! As another TA academic said last week, 'Time to pull on the Positive Pants and show the world' - Debbie Quinn