More Information

Alright, so I know my blogs last week were often rushed and ranting. I thought I might give you a bit more of an update.

First, I am an aunt. On Thursday my SiL, Liz, gave birth via C-section to Edward James Paul. He's 4 lb, 7 oz and absolutely adorable. Personally I don't typically think that babies are cute until their about 3 months old, but I think he's absolutely perfect. And that's not just Auntie brain talking. He has a cute, little, round face (not too scrunched) and beautiful brown hair. Adorable!

Hans and I are talking about making a quick trip to Minnesota to see the newest Paul. I'm not sure if we'll be able to make it happen. Flights are expensive, and I have some dogs that need a lot of work right now. That being said, I can't imagine waiting until June to see him. I have some reasearch to do!

Lastly, I do have to talk about one worry I have, simply because it's on my mind and won't leave. I keep thinking about a Weimeraner named Weiser. He's such a sweetie-pie, but he's such bad separation anxiety. When left alone, he chews on his paws, rubs his nose, and yesterday he beat his head against his crate until the door came off. I don't think he's sleeping either, and we're having a lot of trouble maintaining his weight even though he's eating. So, I going to try something new. This week I'm going to take my bike down with me and take him for bike rides (I have a bike leash specially created for dogs that pull, so I'm not worried about that). I hope to take him for bike rides in the mornings and wear his butt out. If he's too tired to stay awake, he's too tired to worry. I know that helped with Cody, let's just hope it helps with Weiser.

I'm An Aunt!!!!!

Just a quick congratulations to my BIL and SIL for the birth of their son, Edward James Paul. I'm so excited. I never thought I'd be an aunt (that's a hard feat for an only child). Congratulations to you guys!!!

Crazy Week So Far

Alright, so you've read my blog from Monday. That seems to be the only normal day this week, and that wasn't normal at all.

Tuesday, Matt was bitten by a client dog (not one of the working ones, but a pet). It was deep enough where he probably could have gotten stitches, but there isn't any nerve damage, so he just decided to bandage it up and call it day (more on that later).

Yesterday, of course, was Ash Wednesday. After searching for the Catholic church for 45 minutes, I finally found the most depressing Mass I've ever been too. The cantor had no clue what she was doing, there couldn't have been more than 50 people there, and not a single person sang with the cantor. It was very sad. However, at least I made it to mass, and it gave me an excuse to be late to school. Actually, I feel like I didn't accomplish anything yesterday. Part of this is because I was late, but mostly it's because I felt terrible. I think I'm just really tired and a good weekend of sleep will help, but I still felt awful. I do feel better today, though, so let's just hope it stays that way.

All that being said, I'm sorry this blog was mainly a rant. Sometimes I just need to rant and it's nice to know I have a large audience to rant to. Thanks for listening!

Relaxing Day

Today was quite fun.

The first have of the day was completely normal. I worked with all of my dogs, and they're all coming along quite nicely. There are definitely some that I worry about more than others. Actually, there's one that I just want to take out of the kennel and bring into my room and let him sleep and play with Cody. I think he could (and Cody) could use the exercise, but I really thing he could use the relaxation. That being said, they're all training quite nicely.

The second half of the day, was much more exciting. I went with Tenille for an at-home lesson. I figured we were just going to some part of Sanford, but it was much more exciting than that. We went all the way to Raleigh! Ok, so that's only an hour away, but I got to go to Starbucks, I saw a Target Greatland (it has a full supermarket), and I was out of the office most of the afternoon. It was quite a good time. Plus, it gave Tenille and me a chance to chat and get to know each other better. I wish that could happen all the time. Of course, if it did, I'd probably get bored with it.

Anyway, I finished the day by going to dinner with Tenille and Matt. That seemed to make a good day great.

Oh, and for all of you who don't know, tomorrow is Fat Tuesday aka Mardi Gra aka National Pancake Day. Go to IHOP between 7:00 am and 10:00 pm to receive a free short stack of pancakes. This is not a scam or joke. I've done this every year for the past 3 years. They do ask for a small donation to the Children's Miracle Network, and you may have to pay a few cents in tax, but it's still cheaper than buying pancakes. You know where I'll be tomorrow!

A Nervous Time

I just found out some news that I'd rather not hear. My SIL, Liz, is in the hospital. For those of you who don't know her, she is 32 weeks pregnant. She's to stay in the hospital until the baby is born due to high blood pressure. I'm worried about her, my BIL, and their future baby boy (my nephew).

I'm also worried about Hans and how he'll handle this. I know he's just as worried as I am, and I feel bad that I'm not there to comfort him. Sure he's a big boy and can take care of himself, but in times like these it's nice to be together as a family.

Liz, if you read this, I have faith that everything will turn out ok. No matter what the outcome, however, Hans and I are there for you for anything you need. My only wish is that we were closer to you so we could prepare meals for Chris, run errands, or set up a nursery. Please let us know if there's anything we can do to help.

Back Home...Again.

Well, I'm home again for another weekend. I always forget throughout the week how much I love being home, and I always forget over the weekend how much I love school. This weekend, though, is a bit different. I brought school with me!

Meet Ella. I didn't actually train her, but I only live about an hour from her mom, so I offered to bring her home. Her mom's coming here today (should be here soon), but I have to say I've really enjoyed having her here. It's been really fun watching her and Cody play together, and this morning was super fun. Hans and I took her and Cody to the Richmond Pet Expo. It was great training for both of them and it was even better that both Hans and I had a dog to work with.

I really think that I'll miss Ella when she's gone. She's only been here for a night, but I've really grown attached to her. It makes me wonder if I should get Cody a friend. Would he bond to his friend or get sick of him/her? Hmm, I suppose if I'm honest, a second dog wouldn't work in my life right now. But maybe in a few years?

Missing Home

As I stated at the beginning of this week, I am now half way through my training. This week has definitely been a time for reflection. What have I realized? I miss home.

Here's the thing. I miss home. I miss Hans, and my friends, and the comfort of my own bed. I miss having an oven and stove, having a clean shower, having a vacuum! I miss working and making money, and I miss being able to drive a mere 5 minutes to Barnes and Noble and spending that money.

However, I've also realized how much I'm enjoying my time here. I'm enjoying the dogs and the work I'm doing. I'm enjoying the people and the friends I'm making. I'm definitely enjoying all the cop stories I hear, and I'm waiting to meet a cop from the Richmond area so I might have a way of avoiding a ticket. I know I'll miss teddy-bear Jeff, mopey Matt, pixie Kylie, the great and powerful Janet, ambitious Tenille, and hell-raising Gina. I'll miss them all.

Of course, that's the benefit of only being 4 hours away. Visits are fairly easy!

I'm Freakin' Awesome!!!

Ok, so I don't want to toot my own horn, but I'm really proud of myself.

As many of you know (and as some of you don't) I don't ever like to just do something. I like to be the best at it. In school, I'm the teacher's pet. In work, I'm the manager. I like to be the fastest, the strongest, the smartest, etc. Many times I'll fail, but I always strive to be the best. Such is the case here in NC. I want to be the best student, trainer, friend, whatever.

So, I put in extra hours. I ask questions. I listen as much as possible, and I always do my homework. Today, this paid off. I was allowed to call clients. Apparently, students never do this. Well, it gets better. I not only booked 1 client for training, I booked 3! To put this in perspective, over a 2 week period, one of the interns only booked 5. Yay for me!

Of course, I've let this go straight to my head. It doesn't help that everyone's telling me how awesome that is. I know my cloud nineness won't last for ever, but I sure am enjoying it right now!

It's All Downhill From Here

It's hard to believe that I am currently half way through my training program. Six weeks ago, I came to North Carolina unsure of what to expect. I didn't know if I would like it. I didn't know if I would be any good. I didn't even know if I'd be able to handle being away from home. Now I know the answers, and they're all good.

While the title of this post says it's all downhill, that's probably the farthest thing from the truth. Yes, I've finished my exam and school is pretty easy right now, but there are lots of other challenges on the way. I have a business to start and run!

This is where the real fun begins. Now there are a whole new set of questions. Will I be able to sell my service? Will I be able to achieve my goals? Will I be satisfied with what I do achieve? While I'm fairly confident about everythings, there's still that little part of me that's afraid. I really am enjoying this a lot. It would be such a let down if it didn't work out. Of course, I have the drive and the spirit. How can it go wrong???

So what else can I say? I'm really thankful for all the support so far, but I know I'll need more.

Dear friends,
Please be patient with me. The next few weeks (months? years?) are going to be super difficult. I may not have time to spend with you, but please know that I am thinking of you. I may be short with you and snap occassionally, but please know that I still love you and am only severely frightened. I may bore you with my incessant talk of dogs and training and future plans, but only know it's because I'm excited about everything going on, and I want you to be involved. I want you to feel my excitement. More than anything, know that I love you and I could not have even considered this without you.

Sincerely,
Your New Dog Trainer

He's Kind of a Big Deal

Today, the great and infamous Jerry Bradshaw is coming to Tarheel. Ok, in the dog training world Jerry Bradshaw is kind of a big deal. He is the owner and founder of Tarheel Canine and he is the co-founder of Protection Sports of America (PSA). He's coming down for a visit.

Yesterday was dedicated to cleaning everything. I, of course, am quite intrigued by this man. What's he like? What does he look like? Is he nice? Is he a money grubbing s.o.b.? Basically, this should be an interesting day!

Prayers

Let me start by telling you the story about Taylor (names have been changed to protect the innocent). Taylor is a sweet, loving, German Shepherd Dog of about 8 months. She was owned by a gentleman who passed away suddenly and his closest friends inherited her. About 4 weeks ago, Taylor was dropped off at Tarheel for training. Last Thursday she developed a running nose and cough. We took her to the vet and she was given meds. Today, there was still no improvement, so we took her back. She's developed pneumonia. We called her owner and suggested she pick Taylor up until she was better and we could finish training afterwards. The owner lives in VA, so I even offered to transport Taylor for her. The owner came right away.

Somewhat understandably, the owner was very upset. The problem is, she blames us. Taylor, due to being sick had lost a bit of weight. The thing is, we did everything right. We took her to the vet at the first sign of trouble (she wasn't even running a fever). We administered all the meds and kept a close eye on her. I personally checked her at least once a day.

So, my first prayer is for Taylor. I hope she gets over this pneumonia swiftly and starts to act like her old self again.

Next, I want to pray for Taylor's owner. She's hurting over a lot more than her dog being sick. This dog is the biggest memory of her departed friend. She feels she's caring for his child (which is pretty much true). I pray that she can overcome the pain she's feeling and learn to love Taylor as her own and not just as the dog she inherited.

My Day on Tuesday (aka Ouch!)

I'mnot sure if you can see it, but this is my arm right afterwards.

And 24 hrs later. Again,this is not the best picture, but you get the idea.

So, what do y'all think?

Dog Park Etiquette

Hello blog world! Sorry it's been so long since I last posted. Life has been hectic!

First let me start by saying that Cody finally met the girl who is playing Annie in TIV's production of (you guessed it) Annie. Things went really well between the two, and I'm looking forward to more visits. While at the dog park, though, there was a little confrontation between two owners (I wasn't involved). It has prompted me to write a little dog park etiquette.

1) Keep track of your dog. If your dog poops you should know it without someone else having to tell you. If you watch your dog, you can also see if he's about to get in a fight or cause other problems and can stop him before something actually happens.

2) Clean up after your dog!!!! There's nothing worse than going to a dog park and stepping in poop every other step. If you don't like to step in poop, don't leave your dog's poop for other people to step in.

3) Worry about your own dog and, unless things get violent, don't worry about anyone else's. Of course, feel free to pet other dogs and play with them, but don't flip out because a dog stole a dog from another dog. You don't know how the dogs typically interact and you shouldn't stress their owners out over things so little.

4) The same goes for children. Children at dog parks can get bored really fast and just try to find something to do. As long as they aren't hurting your dog, leave them be. If they are hurting a dog, that dog's owner can do something. But, again, the kid and the dog may already be friends and you may be interrupting their play time. Also, dogs play rough, so what may look like violence may just be a fun play time. That being said, if a dog hurts a child, and you know medical assistance, feel free to step in.

5) Don't take food or treats to the dog park. Actually, I break this rule al the time, but I need to stop. There are two reasons why this rule is important. 1. Some dogs can become aggressive around food and you don't want to be the cause of a fight. 2. Certain dogs have weak stomachs and an unfamiliar food can cause major problems. You really don't want to be responsible for making a dog sick.

6) HAVE FUN! The dog park is a good time for you to play with your dog and watch him have fun. You should enjoy it and make the most of your time there. I always work on obedience with Cody, just so I know the time is wasted.

That's all I have right now, but if you have anything else, feel free to comment. Really, the dog park should be a fun place, and as long as you're being respectful of everyone you should have a great time!