why I love "story people"

why aren't people dogs? he said & I said because we can pick up newspapers with our hands & that made sense to him.

everyday I get a "story" from story people in my inbox, well it gets sorted to junk, but occasionally I retrieve it. Today it struck a chord, as it often does. Then I get distracted and a few keystrokes later I'm attempting early holiday shopping (well not really), but start digging around the site. I'm just so inspired by what artist, Brian and his "peeps" are all about. Read it and weep.

http://www.storypeople.com/storypeople/WebStory.do?storyID=1380&action=whoweare

fall sun

I think this is Sweet's favorite time of year. She basks in the sun, and opens her eyes when a fly or bee flies too close. Then a heavy chested sign and back to her nap in the sun. Tater meanwhile in his pumpkin colored glory looks a bit more red than usual, but it could just be the leaves. His newest terms of endearment- "pumpkin lips" or "bologna ears". Trust me, his ears are kind of bologna like ;)

big problem in Tater town

So trainers usually joke amongst ourselves that we always end up with screwed up dogs. And it seems like the dice have rolled my way...I don't tend to think that I live in denial-ville, and in fact was patting myself on the back for making proactive moves on my part. A phone consult with a great trainer, management, teaching some skills here and there. And sadly, the trainer has failed. I've failed to protect my dog and to take his issue seriously.

This morning on a hike, a man with a old chow on a flexi lead was walking towards us.
"Wait", I told Sweets and Tater (both off leash)
The obliged, stayed put while I leashed them.

The man with his dog showed no signs of slowing down...

We pulled off the path and this guy just let his dog come into their space.

Sweets is alarm barking...

"She's friendly."

"Well, they're not, pull her away."

By this point, Tater is in full on meltdown mode.

He pulls his panting dog past, I let my dogs go off leash and then start to cry.

Mourning that I have no bomb proof dog. Mourning that I have work to do.
I don't have dog park hopes, and never had. I do have attachment to how things "should" be.
And I can see that he was always uncertain even from a young age, this is not "new". It's intense as
he has gotten holder...

Off to work we go.