Get Out of the Rut

You're not going to believe this, but I kind of like my dog, yes - Daisy.  Although, she just let out a loud bark at 6:20 am and that may land her quickly back on my bad list.  I get into bad parenting ruts with her.  I was letting her dictate how things were going to be.  I have taken back the reins and things are going so much better.  Total side bar: someone hid her shock collar (Patrick?).  I've realized how easy it is to get into a bad rut, but how easy it is to also get out!  It's all about recognizing the rut for what it is....

Daisy is a 56 lb black Standard Poodle.  She adores me and pretty much me only.  My twin teenage boys have tortured her in little annoying ways for years.  Of course, they have personally tried Daisy's shock collar on each other to see how that feels (brilliant!).  They used to put the electric fence collar on and push each other through to see how that felt.  And you wonder why I like a little glass of chardonnay on a regular basis?  Daisy retaliates with peeing in the boy's rooms or the third floor (which is pretty much their domain).  It was really grossing me out.  She also has a very weak stomach and I think we have previously established she acts like a goat with regards to eating many things dog shouldn't (example: tampons).  So she's a puker which can also lead to loose stool as you might imagine.  Sorry to be so graphic, but I just need you to feel a little of my pain of what I have had to clean up. 

Last week we got new carpets.  Last week we made some big Daisy changes.  We gated off  the third floor so she couldn't get up there.  Previously, we had a gate blocking the 2nd floor, but she would nip at the kids leaping that gate because it seemed like a game and they didn't try to deter her.  The gate was always falling down, tearing up the wall, etc.  Anyway, we also started seriously crating her.  The crate was in the garage basically being unused.  After 2 days last week she got a little sick and I realized it was too hot for her, so I brought the crate into the dining room.  Not my first choice for aesthetic reasons, but I can live with it rather than her having free roam of my newly carpeted house.  So the rule is the last person in the house before leaving takes her out and then puts her in the crate.  The first person in takes her out of crate and takes her outside.  This I know must seem very simple.  It is.  And it's working beautifully. 

We used  to have her water bowl in the kitchen.  She is a very messy drinker and would somehow splash water every time she would drink it, sometimes she almost seemed to be trying to swim in her water bowl.  We had hard wood floors.  They didn't do well with the constant splash of water.  We never moved it.  I have no idea why.  So, as many of you know last summer my new refrigerator leaked and caused extensive kitchen damage.  We had our hardwoods redone.  We moved her water dish into the tiled laundry room.   What an epiphany! 

The thing is - I think we do things in daily life and we know they aren't right but once the damage is done we just continue.  Or we just keep doing the same action not thinking about why or what would be better.  We don't stop the action - bad reaction behaviour.  Maybe it requires a new purchase to see how  to make the change.  That's why I think we have to always be trying new things to motivate us exercise wise.  You never know what you might really like unless you try it.  And maybe it requires a new outfit to really get you motivated.  I'm going to try to be more conscious of my behaviour that could be more positive for myself and others.  I'm going to really be in the moment and not afraid to stop a negative action.  Join me!