Sometimes in life, we find ourselves having to go back to Square One. It’s nothing unusual – it happens to a lot of trainers. Because, every dog is different, and sometimes, going back to basics is what has to happen in order to help the dog. But there are also times when it happens in life; when we find ourselves at a point where we either have to start over completely, or we have to almost start over completely. This is where I am at now: Starting over completely.
Last Friday’s scheduled training session with Chucho did not happen. I got a call that morning from the client, who tearfully told me that she had to return the dog to DINO. Without going into detail, Chucho bit two children – one of them was the client’s youngest child – and then went after another dog. Chucho is in a rehabilitation center now. I hope the trainers are able to help him become happy and balanced, and I hope he finds his forever home.
Then, there is Lacey, who I have been working with pro bono for the past few months. Late yesterday afternoon, I got a call from my client telling me that things were not going as she had planned and she didn’t know when that would change. We talked about the situation, and we came to a mutual agreement to suspend Lacey’s training until things improve. She has a reasonable idea about what to do with Lacey, and if she has any questions, she knows she can call me. I wish her the very best of luck and hope things will get better for her sooner rather than later.
What this all means is that I am back at Square One. I’m not happy about it, of course, but experience has taught me that when things like this happen, it’s usually because an important challenge is about to arrive and I need to be able to respond to it.
So, while I wait, I am going to work with my own dog, honing her skills and teaching her new ones. I hope you’ll continue to follow me as I take this side journey with my own dog while I’m waiting for the next challenge to arrive. 🙂