A Pup Stop

What a year, or so, it has been! And I do not say that with a positive sort of excitement. I’m sure others have had their days, or months, where you are on the brink of utter discouragement. That’s why we are mixing things up here a bit at A Pup Stop. Like I mentioned in the previous Update, there are some changes being made in order to be more productive–in our pack and, hopefully, yours. This idea came about during a down time. In that valley I discovered the wisdom of the dog.

To be more productive and reach more people, we must get a bit more personal. So, you’re going to read stuff on here that I likely would tell only my closest friend. My greatest hope is lives are touched and lifted up. Alongside that, we have some pups to train 😉

Now let’s get to it!

What in creation is going on?!

Over the past year and a half, as I mentioned before, I have had some health issues. Gosh… I am to “that age” where I use the phrase “health issues” regarding myself! Anyway… These issues, mainly migraines, caused Hanani’s training to be less consistent than a dog like her needs. I explained all that before but what I left out was the full picture of all the things breaking down around me.

Ever have that time of your life where you just want to give up on everything? I’m not talking about suicide, though, sadly, some may take it that far. What I am talking about is just the fact of every stinking time you get up something comes along to knock you down again. Sometimes it hits you further down than where you started (again) the day before. And that cycle just keeps churning its wicked wheels, squeezing the life out of you with each turn.

Whether finances pillaged by some unforeseen dilemma, or “health issues”, or other people’s drama taking huge bites out of your plans, every day there is something. Trying to properly train and maintain a high drive pup, while learning to train for HRD and implement what I’ve learned, alongside all the certifications I need, etc…. All the while another issue flies in to set back any progress that could have been made…. Ug. That is the only thing that has been consistent this past year and a half.

Now, I’m not complaining here. Just trying to set the stage, so to speak, that you may sit in my chair for a moment.

And then my dog bit someone.

She had nipped before but it was nothing like she did at the end of December last year. The circumstances and people involved created a prime situation, so I do not fault my dog entirely. I’d say it was a 50/50. But that is another topic.

My point for sharing that here is, again, to sit you where I was and have been the past few months. Imagine for a moment in the midst of trying to rebuild faster than everything crumbles, then your dog bites, health department calls…. Hot damn! Happy New Year, eh?

Ever cry so much you can’t see straight? That’s where I was. And still, I had a 90 pound pup that was so terrified…which made her dangerous.

What changed?

Never have I encountered a dog I could not train on my own. Since I was 13 years old, I trained my own dogs and those of many others. In the late nineties I was a Human Officer and successfully reconditioned even some “mean” or “terrible” dogs. Not to say this in pomp, just stating some facts to express the quagmire of turmoil I was in. Something I know I could do, had done successfully many times before, I suddenly could make no progress. So, on top of financial distress, on top of “health issues”, on top of the humiliation, on top people’s bs and everything else, I was a mess. To put it mildly.

This is why you didn’t see anything new here at A Pup Stop for two months. I did not care anymore. Why share when so few, if any, read it anyway? What was there to share? I certainly was not going to share these failures! If this cannot be a help to anyone, why waste the time?

My pups, Mia and Hanani, are very close and personable with me. We have such a bond. Hanani, more than Mia, is hyper-attentive. Go figure! Any time I am upset, no matter where she is in the house, she will run to me. Especially if I am crying, she will press her large, hairy body into my leg, lean on me, try to crawl into my lap, paw me to get my attention. Oh, of course, the famous Dutchie nosing (pushing with her nose, fully unaware of how strong she is) is her most favored ploy. This drives my husband nuts! Admittedly, it can be aggravating, but I understand she is nervous that I am upset.

Then one day as, again, I was crying–an absolute mess–Hanani comes running, all wiggly, hopping and nosing. It was like she was saying, “Hey! Pet me! Pet me and you will feel better!” Suddenly, I chuckled, still teary, and scratched her back end, just above the tail. We call that “itchy buns” in our house 🙂 Then I chuckled some more as Mia joined in, laying her head on my lap with her tail wagging.

Now, no matter what is going on in life, who can resist this?

So “what changed”? I stopped for a moment and listened to what my dogs were “saying”. Hanani proclaiming time and again, “Pet me! Pet me and you will feel better!” was the truth. It’s times like these that cause me to marvel at God’s creation. I cannot even begin to explain why or how it works. I just know that it does, indeed, work. Giving in to my ninety-pound bundle of wiggly joy helped me get beyond what was bringing me down. How God designed this is amazing!

The clouds parted and began to fade. Then it was revealed to me again why on earth I started this in the first place: To serve the Lord, Jesus Christ.

Moral of the tail

The moral of this tail… Oops, I think that’s supposed to be tale 😉 The moral here is to simply make sure you make time to enjoy what God created–and entrusted to you. With deep breaths and “itchy buns”, marvel at Him…especially when life gets overwhelming. Marvel at God’s wisdom in His design of the dog.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” 

Philippians 4:8

Please Share!

Please share your own stories! Either a few lines below or, if you’d like, send me an email (apupstop@gmail.com) and I’ll showcase it in a separate post.

As always, thanx for hanging with us today 🙂