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About
 My first doggie kiss I grew up with dogs... and cats, rabbits, mice, fish, you name it. I never thought much about it as a kid, but animals have always been a part of my life. When I was five years old and hospitalized with pneumonia, my Dad carried me down to the front door of the hospital to see our new dog as an inspiration for me to get well. 
I only remember a few years in my twenties when I didn't live with an animal. As a young adult out on my own I found cats to be better suited to my life than dogs. They were easy to care for and were good company, although I could swear that one of my cats was really a dog in a cat's body. I'm pretty sure he saved my life at one time. I had a cat, in 1989, when I married a man who had never had a pet of any kind and really disliked cats. It wasn't long before I realized that the cat and the husband were not going to make it together. So the cat went to live with my brother and my husband and I discussed getting a dog. After all, how could I survive without an animal in my life? He said he had always liked the idea of having a dog so he was willing to give it a try.  Astro - Halloween '94 We did as much homework as we knew how to do at the time and chose a red, female Doberman puppy. Her name was Astro. Call it dumb luck but she was a wonderful dog. She tolerated a lot from me as I went through my learning curve. I tried to do everything right, beginning with enrolling us in a local obedience class. I was a good student and learned all sorts of ways to "correct" a sweet dog that just wanted to have fun. She took the brunt of that early traditional training phase — the choke chain, prong collar, and other means of punishment. She never lost her composure, but was unwilling to work for me under those terms. Our relationship was never what it could have been due to that early antagonistic beginning. She died of leukemia just before her eighth birthday.  Rio at 5 1/2 months When Astro was three we added a second red Doberman; a male named Rio. He was a cuddly puppy but he was all boy and full of himself too. During this timeframe I was switching over to positive training, but still had not quite let go of some old attitudes. I misinterpreted some of his behaviors and I believe that contributed to his aggression problems. Fortunately, he never bit anyone outside the family, and his bite inhibition was excellent, such that he only left bruises. I loved him dearly and at the time felt that I was willing to go to the ends of the earth to help him. My efforts included learning about alternative veterinary medicine and animal communication, attending many behavior seminars, changing the way I fed my dogs, and ultimately to the TTouch program. My search and TTouch changed my life. Sadly however, I was unable to find the answers I needed for Rio, and faced the most difficult decision of my life in 1999 when I chose to put Rio to sleep at 4 1/2 due to his aggression problems.  Tego at 20 weeks Tego joined my life in 1999. From day one she was my joy. She was a petite girl who loved life, other dogs, and rolling in the grass. We refered to her outdoor leaping and romping as 'dancing with the fairies'. She'd befriend any human with food and wasn't above doing some tricks to convince the person she earned it. We competed in conformation and agility together and dabbled in canine freestyle, but mostly we enjoyed going for walks together - especially in the woods. She kept me on track by reminding me to keep life fun and not to get too serious about things. She could be a bit of a diva at times, but always in a good-natured way. Her favorite place was a soft bed in the sun — I could totally see her point! If she had a bad habit it was whining to tell me it was
mealtime. She died suddenly during a game of fetch; one of her favorite things.
It was a huge shock for us all. She was 8 years old. 
Solo
Now Solo, he's a different story all together. He was born on July 4, 2000. Getting him was a leap of faith, and I continue to take little leaps with him each and every day. Everything about him makes me regularly think about and re-evaluate what I'm doing. He started out with lots of physical and emotional issues. He has developed into an amazingly handsome fellow but his emotional stuff can still be an issue at times. Homeopathy, TTouch, and training have helped. He has come a long way, and for years we had a blast playing agility and canine freestyle in the back yard. Our work with Bridge and Target training has finally gotten us to the point of trusting each other fully and helped him develop his confidence and self-control such that he is MUCH easier to live with and can enjoy more activities out in the world and he even has some dog friends these days. The silver lining in Tego's death is that Solo is doing much better 'solo'. I've found he has quite a sense of humor and enjoys 'messing' with me now and then. He still believes that I am the greatest thing in his world. He pushes me to the edge of my knowledge and understanding and begs me for more. He has solidified my belief that every dog comes into our lives for a reason. He's here to keep me on track in my personal progress. He never lets me be lazy. My husband has become a full-fledged dog lover and allows me to indulge my passion for dogs. He's even learned to accept cats… although I'm not sure he's ready to live with one yet I am certified as a Tellington TTouch Practitioner for companion animals and assist at TTouch training sessions whenever possible. I'm a practitioner of Healing Touch for Animals and continue to explore the many aspects of healing and energy work. I continue to attend training and behavior workshops because I believe that we are never done learning. Every dog I meet teaches me something! |
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    Pet Expertise |
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