Through the Seasons

Doggie Update:

Jonathan and I have learned of two different companies that specialize in international pet transportation.  Hooray!  Both have been contacted and now we wait…  But it seems as if we’re in a better position now than we’ve ever been before.  The benefits of using a service for this are numerous.

1.  We don’t have to use up our luggage limitations with the dogs and now have more room for the things we need to take with us from here.

2.  We don’t have to worry about getting kicked off the plane because of disobedient dogs.

3.  We don’t have to take a crazy flight path centered totally around dog policy.

4.  We will be able to have the dogs shipped well after we leave so they’ll go directly to living with us again instead of being handed off to someone I don’t know in a country I know nothing about.  That’s a huge problem solved.

5.  Also, the likelihood of getting both dogs over there has increased astronomically.

6.  Because this is what the company specializes in, I can rest more easily in knowing they’re being taken care of – not as well as we would take care of them of course – but well enough.

7.  The company we use will handle all paperwork, documentation, research – everything – that needs to be taken care of as far as Tanzania is concerned. 

So.  The good news is that getting the dogs to Africa is looking reasonable and so is using a company as we know of other missionaries who have used them.  The prayer request is that this will all work out smoothly!

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Jonathan said, “We WILL take Theo to Tanzania with us.”

I said, “You know what just happened in my brain.  That was my guarantee and I’m no longer worried about it.”

Jonathan said, “Good.  We’ll make it happen.”

So that’s settled then.  I’m not sure how but he said it would happen so it will.  No more ‘maybe’ or ‘I hope’. 

Just know that if something unforeseen happens where we don’t end up taking him, I’ll be a mess. 

So.  I started walking the dogs.  Remember?  Well.  It hasn’t happened again since that first time.  It’s cold outside!  Yuck.  But somehow I need to brave the weather and start back up again.

As for Teddy, I’m not sure he’ll be able to go.  It’s not looking good for him.  But I’m still holding out hope.  We’ll see what happens.  I don’t have it in me to think about it right now.  In the words of Scarlett O’Hara, “Fiddle-dee-dee, I’ll worry about that tomorrow.”

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Today is the first day of the rest of an obedient pooch’s life. 

Per Cesar Milan, the Dog Whisperer, the order of things is Exercise, Discipline, and THEN affection.  I can safely say I’ve had these out of sync.  Way out of sync.  But, in order to take GOOD dogs with me to Africa, I will do my best to get things back in line and become Pack Leader.

So I took the dogs for a walk yesterday.  I took them each separately for about 25 minutes each.  It went pretty well.  Teddy is much better behaved than Theo.  Teddy wants to look around a lot.  Theo wants to run ahead.  Dominate Poodle I call him.  Cesar says that when you regularly walk your dog, and control the walk, they will learn you are the leader.  So hopefully I can keep this up and they will get the idea.

Then I went on to discipline.  Here’s the problem.  Theo just does whatever he wants to do.  But what he wants to do is usually what I want him to do, i.e. jumping and lying on me.  I like it.  What can I say?  But, per Dog Whisperer, they need rules, boundaries, and limitations.  Limitations?  My dogs balk at the word!  I’m trying though so I don’t let Theo jump up on me now until I invite him.  When I tell him to sit he throws his little butt down and stares up at me trembling.  This is going to be harder than I thought.

The third on the list is affection.  I don’t need help in this area.  I’ve got it down pat.

So that was my first day of rehabilitating my dog, training myself.  I’ll keep you posted. 

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