End of year ponderings

Again we are entering a time of year when fireworks are widespread. I am fortunate that the blue boys are completely unbothered by fireworks, but I know this is not the case for many dogs. All we guardians can do for the scared dogs that we don't have time to work with on desensitisation is ensure that they have somewhere they can hide, talk to your vet about medications to help calm them, and reassure them if they are scared and come to you. Do not just ignore them to show them 'there is nothing to be afraid of' because as far as they are concerned there IS something to be scared of. Comforting a scared dog will not make them think something is even more scary, it will make them feel better. Remember - fear cannot be reinforced.

I am not one of those people that makes New Year's resolutions, mostly because I know full well that I will have good intentions for about a week and then everything starts to go to hell! (Although the exercise bike and treadmill are very handy for drying dog beds and blankets on in the winter... 😂)

With the long hair on these two, we can get through some towels just drying off after walks!

Instead I have been spending some time reflecting on the way that things have changed in the last twelve months for me, my dogs, and the path my life is taking me. The short answer is a lot! I started this blog eleven months ago, at the end of January 2018, as a sort of diary of life with my two blue boys. Thanks to the things that have happened in the time between now and then, the entries have become longer, more informative, hopefully more interesting and an awful lot more scientifically based and correct. I have been fortunate enough to have been given access to a much larger audience of like-minded people, thanks in large part to the lovely people at Canine Principles. I am so proud to be a member of the CP team and trusted to find content for the Facebook page.

The high point of the year from the blog perspective is, without question, the entry posted in October, 'The Emotional Toll of Reactivity.' The response to what was essentially a stream of consciousness venting about how life with Finn makes me feel and the ways in which it has changed my life really blew me away. In the aftermath of posting, I made contact with a lot of people in the same sort of position and being able to show people just starting on this journey that there are people that empathise and have been there has been immensely fulfilling.

In terms of the journey with Finn over the year, I suppose many people would say that not a lot of progress has been made. I disagree. Although we still walk in the wee hours of the morning, he has progressed a lot watching the world from home. Our neighbours can even speak to us from their driveway now without him being upset, so long as he is viewing the world from his safe zone behind the gate, although all bets were off the other morning when the neighbour was standing on his garage roof! That required a couple of Finn's newly discovered 'big boy barks' to register his distaste, but nothing more than that, even for something so strange to him. Small children can go past on the pavement at the end of the driveway and are viewed purely with interest from this safe place of his, so we are letting him enjoy that for a while before challenging him with the world in daylight again.

He looks ridiculous when he sleeps like this!

Red, the older (and still the best) blue boy is still going at the grand age of fourteen. He's doddery on his back end and more than a little batty now. Barking solves everything in his world, which is a contrast for a dog who has been mostly quiet through his life. He is very opinionated about what he wants and when he wants it. I am not ashamed to admit that I pander almost entirely - he's an old man, he has earned the right to have what he wants when he wants it!

He really does love his new bed (just a single 13.5 tog duvet folded in half but he loves it!)

This blog has become so much more than a diary or repository of splodgy collie tales now. The perspective has skewed to a much more informational basis, particularly as my knowledge has increased. I am hopeful that my writing skills are improving with use as well! This is the direction in which I want to keep developing, sharing the things that I have learned along the way. A great many of the topics I consider are of course reactivity and fearfulness based, and I am aiming to branch out into a wider range of subjects, encompassing as much as possible useful information to help a healthy, happy bond develop and be maintained between dog and guardian. Reactivity and fear will always be a topic of interest however, and may well develop more content as time goes on. I am currently trying to work on a list of topics for next year, along with some other exciting developments that I hope to have news on soon. Things are potentially afoot in the blue merle world.

Whatever the next year brings, I hope it is a good one, both for us here in the Blue Merle Minion household, and for anyone that reads and enjoys these blogs.

Happy New Year!