I’ve been thinking again – dangerous, I know. I’ve been thinking about being “a dog person” and what that means. My good friend from the Netherlands, Mila (who knew me first and most in my BC – before Chico – years) is in the States again, and she decided to finish up the trip with a few days relaxation in the woods at my house. More a cat person than a dog person, Mila is gracious about accepting what she must consider to be Chico’s personality quirks. I realize that to those who have known Chico since I got him he is such a vastly improved guy, in so many ways, that he can hardly do wrong. For some folks, even the new and improved Chico does things that make him hard to live with. It’s good to have someone around to help me look at what (of Chico’s behavior) is acceptable to me and might not be to others.

Sunday on the way to a trial (footage and comments in a future post, there’s lots to talk about), I had a call from a friend who is doing things for her Corgi that a lot of people wouldn’t do. The dog has lost use of her back end, she pulls herself around with her front paws, less and less all the time. But she can tell my friend when she needs out, on a gentle slope she “scoots along like a little otter” with a sparkle in her eye. She eats and drinks with pleasure. My friend has family visiting and one part of that family recently put down a dog that needed lots of “elder care” services, a dog that they determined was suffering and my friend fears being judged by them for doing what she feels is right for herself and for her dog. I assured her that in the world of dog people she is being perfectly reasonable.

At the trial, I was parked, for at least the second time this year, next to nice woman I now know is named Caroline (or was it Carolyn? Oh dear, I thought I knew her name). Her little terrier goes nuts when the car is approached if she is in the car and not when she isn’t there (so familiar, but Chico is louder). She was saying how much better he is now than when they started (gee, that’s familiar too) … anyhow, we got on to what must other people think about our dogs and how we treat them and what we consider to be OK (like, sometimes, when a behavior is even one iota closer to goal than it was last week this is a huge victory). She says she thinks people figure she doesn’t have a clue.

Caroline and I agreed that what is being done for that Corgi is not at all out of the ordinary. Not in our little part of the world.

Coming soon, video and a report on last weekend’s USDAA trial.