Thursday, July 2, 2009

Welcoming Carole and Jean from Canada/Hoobie's Owners

Hoobies owners have made the trek from Canada. There is a little known Inn across the street from our street called the Ridge Road Inn. They have efficiency suites or small apartments for a weekly rental. The place is fairly new, and the owner is a very nice lady that likes dogs. Due to the rain and their late opening, I don't think many other people have arrived there yet. So it should be nice and quiet, and a quick walk down to the ocean as well. Course I was hoping for , maybe, the rain to stop. Seriously, the weather is never like it is right now, that being non stop rain.

Just looked at the weather forecast, and it's not making me feel very confident that I will see the sun again. You know once it comes, it's going to be like BAM HOTHOTHOT!! So our Canadian visitors are going to be wondering why we like to live here LOL. Really, we are not usually surrounded by damp and fog. We have been spoiled in that normally, around this time of year, we enjoy some very nice weather.

So the first visit with Hoobie went well. We haven't started the lessons with the owners yet. The stories they tell of Hoobie ruling their lives are horrifying. Hoobie used to need to be moved from room to room, just so the owners could enter their own rooms! If they left Hoobie out in the house, and went out themselves but forgot their key----Hoobie guarded the house from his own owners! He guarded each owner from the other owner (which we will be watching out for now, he hasn't displayed that towards me or my husband). Hopefully someday they will be looking back on those memories and laughing about them.

So now the lessons continue with Hoobie, and begin with the other very important part of the canine/human relationship. After a board and train like this, when the owners are reintroduced to their dog, it's a frightening thing for the owners. While they may see improvements, they may also feel like suddenly they can't read their dog, because they are not feeling free to charge up and boss the humans around anymore. Suddenly this dog seems unfamiliar, and the predictability the owners once had a strange comfort in is no longer there.

I can imagine how strange it must be to once have a dog that you needed to watch every move around, suddenly not be acting the same way. After all, the owners have not been involved in the training process thus far, nor seen the changes that have developed. They aren't used to this dog that is capable of not running every aspect of their lives. So now the owner education begins!! Wish us luck.

And someone, please bring me the sun back. I am so sick of being damp and mosquito bitten.


Mannerly Mutts Dog Training
Mannerly Mutts Blog
mannerly_mutt@yahoo.com

5 comments:

Hoobie's Mom said...

OK....
today was suppose to be my firt day with Robin and Hoobie to start my training with them and guess what...I was not able to go cause I was sick. Nausea, stomac flu and vomiting. I start to feel like that at 5am and I was suppose to be at Robin place at 7am...MMmmm...strange! I tell my husband that it may be the clam I eat or the milk I drink but Jean (my husband) tell me " You may be just nervous" ...me nervoux? I rush a big no at him and call Robin to let her know I will be late today. Now it 11:20 and I m feeling a lot better, actualy I was feeling better as soon I call Robin to let her know that I will be late... =( ... how sad ... I WAS NERVOUS!!!

Anonymous said...

Hannah's Mom to Hoobie's Mom:
I know just how you feel! Just trust Robin and yourself. Do everything she says, even if you don't really understand why! LOL
Later, much later, you can modify (slack off), but only after his new relationship with you is established. I know you are a long way away, but periodic boarding has really helped Hannah stay on course. Being part of "the pack" really helps. Our girls don't have others to socialize with usually.
Best of luck to you.

Robin said...

Sherri, are you telling me you have been slacking off????? (G)

Our Canadian visitors are doing great by the way. They are on their first walk alone with Hoobie since dropping him off. I feel like a nervous mother hen, but most likely everything will be fine.

Hoobie's Mom... said...

Hello there,

We are just back from our walk with Hoobie. He did very well with a big smile all the way!

He did try his luck by trying to lead but we didnt let him have his way.

After our 45 minutes to the beach and back in the drizzle he seemed quite happy to get back to Mother Hen.

So far so good......

Hoobie's Mom to Hannah's Mom... said...

By the way Sherri...Thanks alot for your sweet and comforting words...

=)