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It’s a gorgeous sunny winter day (the upside of global warming). I have a fire going to warm the icy corners of the living room, but my view as I sit at the computer is of a bushy green tree with olive tints in the neighbor's yard, dappled with sunlight, blowing in the wind. As I sit I muse over the problem with the dog. From being a playful, docile little puppy almost three weeks ago he has gone to being an aggressive, bitey little beast. I know this is what IT people call a ‘user problem’ – the fact that this happened after he came to live with me cannot be a coincidence. I watched him grow up at the house across the road and he never bit anyone there. This is not what I envisaged when I offered to buy the dog because they were having difficulty keeping it on their unfenced property.
But I will
not be giving up any time soon. If there’s one thing I have learned from three decades of learning to transform depression into happiness, it is (as they say on that goofy film Galaxy Quest) to ‘never give up – never surrender’. (I think Winston Churchill might have 
said something similar during WWII, although his version went something like ‘never, never, never, never give in’ and wasn’t applauded by aliens on their inter-galactic space ship. As far as we know.) I’ve learned that while tenacity does not guarantee success, it sure as hell makes it a lot more likely. I wouldn’t have achieved the happiness I have today if I hadn’t got up every time I fell over and tried again. In the immortal words of Chumba-Wumba:I get knocked down
But I get up again
You’re never going to keep me down.
(They also sang ‘pissing the night away’ but that’s not so apt here. My apologies to those romantics who thought the lyric was ‘kissing the night away’). So it’s back to my bible – ‘The Dog Listener’ DVD with Jan Fennell – and on with the various techniques she suggests. Experience suggests that if I just keep trying and looking for new information I’ll solve this problem, just as I’ve solved the problem of my depression.
Bonjour Kaye,
ReplyDeleteThis post is quite funny and did like Galaxy Quest too. There's no doubt in my mind that you'll fix your dog's behaviour issues. After all, you're a specialist of behaviour modification!
Warm Regards
F.
PS: I just looovvvveee your poetic descriptions of the weather. You do have a way with words!
Hehe! Thanks for making me laugh this morning, Kaye. I remember being in England, working in a pub kitchen to that song by Chumba-Wumba, and no doubt dancing to it at clubs, too.
ReplyDeleteWith the dog, I would highly recommend the Dog Whisperer - Cesar Millan. He is absolutely amazing!
Thank you both for more lovely comments. I'm glad you like the way I write about the weather as I'm very keen on describing nature. I've got some more lyrical descriptions coming up next week. Also gratifying to know I made you laugh. And that song is just so sing-able.
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