The best little dog in the world

My very good little (well, more medium-sized now) dog lies snoring on the armchair. What a different dog he is from a few weeks ago. Today I was so exhausted I gave him the run of the house with my disabled cat while I rested. I had no fear the dog would hurt or even threaten the cat. In my up moments the dog and I played tennis ball soccer in the hall and he was perfectly behaved – no biting or jumping. I can now go out into the yard with him and he doesn’t bite or jump up 95% of the time. When he does it takes only a short application of my new techniques before he reverts to a perfect gentleman, trotting calmly at my heels. I can sit on the couch with him and have a cuddle without being bitten or harassed.

I’m so proud. Not only of him, but of myself. Had I given up on him when he first started playing up, decided he was a problem dog or that the situation was beyond me, I would have missed out on all this fun and closeness. I feel a huge sense of accomplishment and pleasure at my success. It also reinforces for me that my general approach to problems works – keeping an open mind, believing they are solvable, gathering information, assessing pros and cons, forming action plans.

But the most important thing of all is that I didn't give up. Whether it’s dog problems or depression, I’ve learned that simply persisting in trying to find a solution is the key to succeeding. I know that just as with a badly behaved dog, depression can be tamed – there are more effective therapies out there than you can shake a stick at. It’s just a matter of trying different things until something(s) works. Then keeping on with it until it becomes a habit, just as coming when I say ‘come’ is becoming a habit with my sweet, well-behaved little, sorry, medium-sized dog.