...but here I am crushing it!

Nope. 

I never thought I'd be the owner of multiple dogs, living in a brand new townhome in the middle of a construction zone, with no fenced yard and a yet-unfinished basement, in the sub-freezing temperatures of Utah in December...but here I am crushing it!

Well, mostly. Yesterday, I wasn't so sure. Our two dogs present different challenges. My dog Waffles (yellow lab/Chinese Shar Pei) likes to sniff around forever in order to select the absolute perfect location to go to the bathroom. "Come on, dude. I'm cold. I wanna go home. Do this thing." Shulamith's dog Woofie (Aussie shepherd/poodle) is much quicker to comply, but he's also extremely protective of me and can be crazy aggressive when he thinks we might be in danger. Which is basically every time another human or canine creature comes near. Holding onto the leash for dear life as I struggle not to slip on the ice while he pulls me forward barking ferociously: "Nooooo! Woof! STOP!" 

Our friend Tia, who is a wonderful and experienced dog owner, offered Shulamith some advice, which we began trying last night and today. We take food like hot dog bits and cheese bites out with us. Not boring dog food. For Waffles, we give him a treat every time he goes to the bathroom. "Yay!!! Good boy, Waffles. Here's a treat." For Woofie, Tia told Shulamith to reward him every time he sees a stranger and begins to feel agitated but before he goes into attack mode. This way, he learns to associate people with the positive experience of getting treats. Holding on tight to a very short leash: "Yes, there's a person, Woofie. Good boy for not barking. All is well. Here's a treat." 

Good news is this seems to be working already, after less than a day. We have many opportunities to practice because everywhere, all around us, are construction workers just waiting to be attacked by an 85 lb. dog. Thank you, Tia! You are my salvation here.

Last night, though. After a long day of multiple walks in the cold wind, I took Waffles out first. By the time we returned and I went to grab Woof, he had managed to pull down their bag of dog food, rip it to shreds, and eat all that was left in it. Fortunately, it was nearly empty, with maybe enough food for one or two more days, but still.

I never thought I'd be the owner of multiple dogs, living in a brand new townhome in the middle of a construction zone, with no fenced yard and a yet-unfinished basement, in the sub-freezing temperatures of Utah in December...but here I am crushing it!