Harry Report
Mr. Harrison T. Harrier is doing far better than anticipated, or even hoped for. He's super-freindly to every dog he meets. He's still gentle and loving and loves to take naps with me, but he is getting really energetic and playful too. We are working, just a little bit, on his tracking skills. I'm teaching him to "smell" (to check out a scent) and "find". He's gotten so much better with his house training, that we were able to let him sleep on the bed with us last night, rather than having to lock him up. I'm glad of that. He doesn't know "sit" yet, but I haven't had a lot of time for training sessions. The smell and find comes easy with him because he is a tracker by nature.
I'm beginning to wonder why on earth anyone would go through life without a dog. It's no surprise that dog owners live longer. Not only is it an emotional panacea, but he's a great excersize plan. I now walk 30-40 minutes every day, and that is on the increase. I try to go a little further each time.
There's certainly a lot of responsibility, since I have to be home with him enough that he is never lonely, walk him enough that he never gets frustrated and destructive (plus to keep him healthy) and give him outlets for his instincts (like tracking), but I firmly beleive that such responsibilities are crucial to the human psyche. Living for one's self creates voids in one's motivation, self-discipline, and can make someone so egocentric that they are never happy. (anyone who lives for their own happiness will always find it harder and harder to possess it, I've noticed).
Personally, I probably have an even stronger need to have someone to take care of than most people. My self-esteem demands that I be of some use to someone, and to be protector and caretaker are instensely fueled by my hormonal make-up. Also, I find that having just one person who has faith in me to do right by him, no matter what, gives me the confidence and strength to be whatever it takes to earn every drop of that faith. That strength and confidence builds up momentum and seeps into all parts of life. I would probably be a better house-keeper, now, too, if it weren't for all the excessive hours I've had to work this week.
His vet visit went well. Apparently, he is supposed to be super-skinny like he is. He's just a very lean breed of dog that is supposed to have that big bowed-out chest and very little fat. The vet said he is actually at his optimum weight. She also said he is probably between two and three years old. I was guessing much younger.
I'm beginning to wonder why on earth anyone would go through life without a dog. It's no surprise that dog owners live longer. Not only is it an emotional panacea, but he's a great excersize plan. I now walk 30-40 minutes every day, and that is on the increase. I try to go a little further each time.
There's certainly a lot of responsibility, since I have to be home with him enough that he is never lonely, walk him enough that he never gets frustrated and destructive (plus to keep him healthy) and give him outlets for his instincts (like tracking), but I firmly beleive that such responsibilities are crucial to the human psyche. Living for one's self creates voids in one's motivation, self-discipline, and can make someone so egocentric that they are never happy. (anyone who lives for their own happiness will always find it harder and harder to possess it, I've noticed).
Personally, I probably have an even stronger need to have someone to take care of than most people. My self-esteem demands that I be of some use to someone, and to be protector and caretaker are instensely fueled by my hormonal make-up. Also, I find that having just one person who has faith in me to do right by him, no matter what, gives me the confidence and strength to be whatever it takes to earn every drop of that faith. That strength and confidence builds up momentum and seeps into all parts of life. I would probably be a better house-keeper, now, too, if it weren't for all the excessive hours I've had to work this week.
His vet visit went well. Apparently, he is supposed to be super-skinny like he is. He's just a very lean breed of dog that is supposed to have that big bowed-out chest and very little fat. The vet said he is actually at his optimum weight. She also said he is probably between two and three years old. I was guessing much younger.
posted by TwistedNoggin at 8:03 PM
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