If I had one suggestion...

If someone asked me what got me through losing the 24 Paws of Love, I would have never thought it would be a pillow.   

The summer after Zappa died, a friend of ours gave Mark the above pillow of Zappa and him.  You would not believe the relief this pillow brought us.  We could hold it, talk to it, squeeze it, kiss it and cry into it and it was if Zappa was right there.  It was something tangible to hold on to and it made it difference in our grieving process.  

The following Christmas I got pillows of all the 24 Paws.  It was hard to believe that a pillow of the dogs could make such a transformation as we muddle through the loss, but it did.  There was something almost real about it.  

I know for some a pillow might not be your first thought, it wasn't mine either, but that gift from our friends, changed the way we thought and grieved.  I still hold them every night as I tell them good night.   

Maybe it could work for you. too.

Just a boy and his dog

One of the joys of having Chevy is watching Mark and Chevy's relationship develop.  They are like two peas in a pod.  They sleep together, they sit on the couch together,  they take their morning walk every day and they have snacks together at night.  Chevy follows Mark everywhere waiting for the next adventure or treat.  The happiness between the two of them is heartwarming.  Mark took the death of Zappa and the 24 Paws pretty hard.  Zappa was his dog and the last to die.  And while Mark loves all dogs, I wasn't sure how he would feel getting another dog.  I still can't believe he said, "Let's go get him tomorrow," when I showed him the picture of Chevy.  It has been miracle after miracle with these two boys.  Chevy is the kind of dog boys dream of having. 

 

WOW! What a game changer!

 

If you've followed our blog for any length of time, you may remember that training the dogs to walk on a loose leash isn't my strong suit.  In fact, I am horrible at it.  For the most part, when I walked the 24 Paws of Love there was tension on the leash.  Which meant there was tension on my arms and body and I paid for it.  Well, I swore I wouldn't do that with my next dog.  Enter Chevy...

Now Chevy is a good walker and basically keeps a loose leash.  Then he started getting comfortable here and began pulling, especially when he would catch a scent in the leaves.  He would actually lunge to get to that scent and follow it, dragging me behind.  And he does the same thing when he sees people or dogs.  My body was feeling those old pains again and my frustration level was rising on every walk.  

Several years ago when I mentioned my walking troubles with the 24 Paws, Carrie Noar suggested doing some training before a walk.  It sounded like a great idea and I may have even tried it a couple of times, but I didn't have the time or patience to do it with all the 24 Paws.  So, I blew off the idea until now with Chevy.  

Wow!  What a game changer!

The first time I did it, I noticed that Chevy was more relaxed.  He wasn't as anxious or wired up and for the most part he was starting to listen to me.  It was like his brain was rewired and he realized I was there.  This meant I also had to be aware and pay attention to him, instead of letting my mind wander.  I did that by continuing the training on the walk itself.  This kept us both engaged with each other.  

I've been doing this training/walking exercise for the last couple of weeks and what a difference it has made.  (Hot dogs and cheese also helps)  We are both getting to know what the other wants and expects of each other.  Chevy will go into a heel position several times throughout the walk without me telling him.  He has even started staying in that position even after I give him a treat.  While we rarely see people or dogs out this time of the year, the few that we have seen we have passed successfully.  No lunging, pulling or stopping.  It has been great!    

It isn't perfect, but our walks have improved quite rapidly.  I still don't know how to handle the side jerks to a scent, except by watching his body and anticipating it.  I have also found that the longer the training is, leads to a better focused walk for both of us.  It has been amazing what a little extra effort will do.