A Look Back

Boxes unpacked, mostly; The Bears settled, somewhat; Me and Eddie in a new routine, this will ALWAYS be in flux.  I’m grateful we are moved into our new home and I’m happy we received our belongings and have tucked them in their new nooks and crannies.  Now, its a time a reflection for me, a bit of a debriefing to assess what worked and what can be improved upon for next time, as you know, there will be a next time, the military will be doing this to us again!

First, the things that worked and I will be doing again in our next move.  I will be boarding Jack and Bernie or utilizing daycare when movers are packing and loading the truck.  I know the act of putting our stuff in boxes and moving them out of our old home by strange people, caused a good deal of stress on them, especially Bernie.  We were fortunate we had two days of packing and boxes left in our home.  I boarded them for those two days.  When Jack and Bernie returned home, they maybe took about 5 minutes in sniffing all the  boxes and doing their own survey of what just happened.  They settled down pretty quickly.  Our furniture was still set up, so I guess it wasn’t a total and complete change for them.

The loading of the moving truck was more of a shock for the Bears.  We were scheduled for one day of loading, so I utilized daycare for them which was necessary.  I waited until all was done and picked them up.  When we arrived back home and they both saw everything was taken out of our home, this shocked them.  They spent about several hours just going around and investigating and they couldn’t settle down.  We kept their crates and I placed extra pillows down on the floor so they could snuggle on them since their usual resting place was taken away without their knowledge.  Jack eventually accepted the reality and found his bed and chilled.  Bernie on the other hand, was sitting looking all uncomfortable and confused.  We refrained from giving any additional attention we carried on as though nothing changed, but Bernie was on to us.  The next day, Eddie and I ran some errands and left them behind.  We left them stuffed kongs and other chewies.  When we returned home, Bernie was whining, pacing and needing more attention.  He began sitting by the front door indicating to us he needed to go out.  So, we obliged him.  When we would come back, he was right back at the door wanting another walk.  He continued doing this for the next couple of days.  The frequency increased of going by the door and he would eliminate every time.  His behavior made me think of people who get anxious before a speaking engagement or a big event and the sudden urge to go to the bathroom.  Bernie was anxious and since I couldn’t explain in verbal language we’re moving, Eddie and I really tried keeping the same routine.  We did our daily runs and walks.  We kept the rules in place and for the most part, both Bears coped.  Bernie only displayed the need for frequent bathroom breaks between 6-9pm each evening.  He would sleep through the night and the day time was easy for him.

Eddie and I made the decision in boarding Jack and Bernie while we left El Paso and went to OK to look for a house.  We were lucky this time around that our new destination was only 9 hours away.  We could return to El Paso after finding a new home and save Jack and Bernie the stress of living in a hotel for an undetermined amount of time.  Let me just say, this little decision granted huge rewards for both us and the Bears.  Eddie and I were more relaxed in going about our busied days setting up our new life in OK.  We had appointments which we attended with ease and I know Jack and Bernie were loving life while they were vacationing at Howl A Day Inn.  Since Melina does a great job of establishing play groups at HADI and having all the dogs out playing all day, I knew the Bears would be sufficiently tired in our final drive out of El Paso to our new home. This is exactly what happened.

Now for a bit of reflection on what didn’t work.  Well, the only thing which I wish I could have avoided was human error.  In an effort in keeping things low key while we are out and the Bears are left at home, we Bear proof.  We ensure tid bits which we think could be enticing to them aren’t left out.  I put stuff up high or in rooms where I shut the door, so I can manage their environment when we’re away grocery shopping or doing whatever.  Well, this time, I didn’t double check myself.  I discovered when we returned home, my office door was open and I knew I shut the door when I left.  I found that one or both of the bears pushed the door open and tore into Christmas candy.  Let me just say, I called a vet to see if this was an emergency situation.  It wasn’t and Eddie and I are both relieved.

Happy New Year!

Happiest of New Year to you all!  This post will be a bit brief, since we are still trying to get our bearings in our new home, which we have that includes a backyard!  No real mishaps on our way from Texas to Oklahoma except for my prized possession, my Scott bike left on the side of I10.  That story is for another day.

Let me just say, Bernie Werns LOVES it.  After we picked them up from Howl A Day Inn, we arrived  several hours later at our home.  We came home to a light dusting of snow.  It was beautiful.  Bernie went out to the backyard and was galloping all around it.  I felt his happiness and his release of energy.  I’m happy he’s happy and I enjoy watching him explore.  Jack, on the other hand, he’s a bit more people oriented and enjoys being outside, if we’re outside.  This is something we are currently working on, so he’s not sitting by the door if we go inside, waiting to be let back in.

We’re still waiting on our furniture and other household essentials, but we picked up a few things for our new home and Eddie, Jack and Bernie just love it 🙂

I’m in the process of setting up my own dog training business here in OK.  I look forward to sharing this process and the experience with you all!

Again, Happy New Year!  May 2015 bring peace and new beginnings to you all!

A Heart of Gratitude

I’ve been wanting to write this post for awhile, probably since Eddie received orders to move us away from El Paso. For me, receiving PCS orders is like spoiling your own surprise birthday party when you hate surprises. I find comfort in routine and if my younger self ever heard me say this, she may try shaking loose and go off the beaten path. Now I find moving a way of forced reflection. I’m a pretty introspective person, but having these marked times in my life to take a look back does make me pause.

Before we moved to El Paso from Germany, I was beyond apprehensive. Everything from the change in routine, lifestyle, friends, employment, climate, community and whatever else frightened me. I knew we had a fixed amount of time in Germany and I really took advantage of my time there and felt I lived more in the moment. So, when Eddie received PCS orders, I expected them and felt prepared. I wasn’t prepared for the destination being El Paso.

We arrived in El Paso during the summer of 2012. I looked for work and I believed I applied for every job I knew I was both qualified and under qualified for, but to no avail. It was the first time ever in my life where I found such difficulty in finding work. In the meantime, Eddie deployed and I was left figuring out what I truly wanted to do professionally while also attempting to meet friends and create a life for myself here.

I decided on volunteering for the Humane Society of El Paso. It was a sensible way of developing a routine and building a network in the community. During this time, I also went to the dog park, before I really understood the problems with them. I met some lasting friends and my interest in dog behavior grew.

A year later, in the late spring of 2013, I spoke with a fellow Humane Society volunteer.  She shared with me about ABC’s dog training program and I thought to myself, this will help me in transforming Jack’s anxious and frustrated behavior.  Without hesitation, I enrolled in the program in April and finished the course work in June of the same year.

The ABC dog training program put me in contact with two very special and invaluable people, Glenda Herrin of Heeling Hounds and Melina Garos of Howl A Day Inn. These two women are paramount in my learning and shaped my understanding of dog training and dog rescue work.  My heart is filled with gratitude for these two women not only for their openness in sharing their knowledge and demonstrating their skills, but also being strong women who successfully own and operate their own businesses.

Glenda Herrin was my ABC mentor and she is the owner of Heeling Hounds, the dog training business I’ve had the pleasure of doing contract work during the past 9 months. As an ABC student, I attended Heeling Hounds dog training consultation alongside Glenda. The knowledge I gained from attending these appointments shaped my overall understanding of canine body language, owner relationships with dogs and confidence building in dogs.  Glenda is a deeply committed in ensuring the relationship bond between the owner and his/her dog.  This is paramount with any dog training client.  Glenda’s approach is consistently and reliably positive reinforcement based and her friendly disposition is one to be admired.  She’s built Heeling Hounds from the ground up and it has become a popular and highly regarded dog training business in El Paso.  I’m beyond grateful for Glenda and our relationship.

Melina Garos of Howl A Day Inn contributed tremendously in my learning.  Melina is a dog trainer and has done so for the past 15 years.  She got her start dog training with her first dog, Paco.  She began attending dog training classes and seminars and worked her way up to working with Paco in the search and rescue arena in Germany.  Currently, Melina is the owner of Howl A Day Inn, a premier boarding and training center in El Paso.  She conducts board and train session with client-owned dogs, offers regular boarding and daycare services and rehabilitates abandoned, rescued and owner surrendered dogs. She also rescued over 30 dogs from a hoarding situation in 2013.  Her expertise in reading canine body language truly amazes me.  Wherever I move to, I will continue to be inspired by Melina’s dedication, commitment and absolute love for all the dogs in her care, especially for the senior dogs which are the ones most readily being abandoned or surrendered to her by their owners.

In two days, Eddie and I will be making our departure from El Paso to our new home, in a new state.  I feel more prepared in starting my own dog training business and I know I have the support from Melina and Glenda.  There were many doors opening for me here and I have hope I’ll have even more opportunities where I’m headed.  My heart is warmed by the gratitude I feel for both Melina and Glenda.  My wish for 2015 is for both of these fantastic women in continued success and appreciation.