If you read my previous post regarding the puppy, you may remember I promised that I would update the status of the situation in a couple of months. So here goes.
The biggest learning curve for me has been learning to change my mind. This adventure was not my idea, and all my objections were overruled. So, I needed to change my mind, accept the situation and make it work. Sometimes we can find ourselves in situations that we cannot prevent or change, and our only choice is to change is our thinking. I doubt that I am the only person who finds it difficult to change my mind at times, so maybe you can relate to how hard this has been for me.
The first step in changing our minds is to replace the old thoughts with new thoughts. So instead of thinking how much I did NOT want to raise a puppy at this time, I had to start thinking, what could I do to raise a good puppy? I replaced resentful thoughts with charitable ones. And I sought to find positives that I could keep in my mind. (She is really cute!) However, it is still a work in progress!
A puppy is a full-time responsibility and affects everything in your life in some way. So, besides remembering to pray a lot, the next thing I needed to learn was how to fit the puppy into my lifestyle – and not to fit me into the puppy’s lifestyle. This meant that I had to continue with my daily routine and not cater to the puppy’s whims. Oh, I have to stop what I’m doing and take her outside to “get busy” from time to time, but for the most part, I do everything I need to do, and she naps or follows me around. But I must always keep an awareness of what she is doing because if she is left unsupervised for a time, she might be chewing the furniture, eating a towel or trying to dig a hole in the wood floor. (All of which, she has tried at least once.)
I do need to walk her, but that is as good for me as it is for her. I am meeting more neighbors and getting some more exercise. She loves her walks, but she is afraid of big dogs, and there have been occasions that I had to carry her because of that.
We taught her to ring the sleigh bells on the door handle when she needs to go out and “get busy”, but she has learned that she can ring the bells whenever she just wants to go outside and play. She is readily obedient – when it suits her! She thinks it’s great fun to run away from us when we are trying to catch her, and she often does not come when she is called. She thinks everyone is her playmate and jumping on them is part of the game. She loves to eat grass, leaves, sticks, rocks, dirt, Spanish moss, you name it. She barks like crazy whenever one of us leaves the house, or when she is trying to get her way. The trainer told us to ignore her when she barks like that. And that we should even turn our backs to her, because that would hurt her feelings and she wouldn’t like that.
Late one afternoon, while I was preparing dinner, I wouldn’t give her what I was making, and she started barking. So, I turned my back toward her. Then she ran around to where I was facing and barked more. And I turned away from her again and she ran to my front again. This happened two more times before she finally stopped barking. (there has never been a question that she is smart!) It only takes a couple turns now before she stops barking. I will add to my story that even the trainer was amazed at how loud and shrill her bark is. It gives new meaning to the term, ‘piercing your ears’!
She still has much learning to do and so do we. We can’t give in and allow her to misbehave, and we can’t expect her to behave without being trained. So, the work continues. The next step in changing my mind has been to keep my eyes on the goal. I remind myself that repetition is a key to learning. And both the puppy and I are still learning. I cannot slack off in my training efforts and I cannot get angry when she doesn’t obey. Learning often doesn’t pay off right away but the fruit becomes apparent in time. Eyes on the goal! Time spent now will pay off later!
And like I said in my previous post, I like dogs as much as the next person, and there are times that I just love having the puppy around. She is cute, playful and smart. I remind myself to stay focused on her good qualities. I mean really isn’t that the way we successfully change our minds? Focus on the positives and refute the negatives. And I know that once these few wrong behaviors are corrected, she will become a nice addition to our lives.
The last part of changing my mind is to believe that I can do this. I know that the puppy is here to stay. So, the only option I have is to make the situation the best it can be. I must accept the extra effort involved in training and caring for a puppy and make it as much a part of my daily routine as cooking and cleaning. I don’t fight doing those things, they are “just what I do”. And being a dog owner has to become, “just what I do” too.
The Bible talks about us being transformed by the renewing of our minds. (Romans 12:2) Renewing the mind is basically changing your thoughts. Biblically it is replacing worldly thoughts with Godly thoughts. When we do that, we will be transformed like a caterpillar changes into a beautiful butterfly.
In practical application, we can use that principle to change our thinking from negative thoughts to positive ones; like from “I don’t want a dog right now” into “I’m going to do what it takes to have the best dog ever.” Change is seldom instantaneous. More often than not, it is the result of a faithful effort to embrace new thoughts. It is accomplished by repeatedly refuting the undesirable information and replacing it with the information that we want to have. And the process takes time.
So, the puppy and I are figuring each other out. She is learning that we are both happier when she does what she is supposed to do. And she is learning to behave so that she is not a constant burden. I am learning to be more patient and to accept my new role as a puppy parent. With God’s continual help, I can do this! And so can she.
Note to my readers: To all of you who just love, love, love your dogs, I look forward to being one of you. Thanks for reading.