Katsolo's Journal, 19 December 2023

Glad to hear you are feeling better !! I am going to share an experience I had with a close friend who adopted a sheltie with what was likely a rough couple months/years with the breeder. I will call my friend by her name which was Carol. For weeks and months I listened to and watched her frustration on trying to train the dog like others she had in her past. Basically what they teach you in dog training classes. She was using a very strong firm loud tone even when commanding a come request. The poor puppy would shrivel up and seem to be having flashbacks. I imagine his early life likely was filled with people yelling at him. Carol also mentioned he peed like a girl not a boy which indicates he was dominated by other dogs. When Carol mentioned returning the dog I intervened even though the amount of time I had spent with them was not significant. I said don’t do that I will take him home. I had never owned a dog in my life. In my soft voice almost in a baby talk voice I bent over tapped on my thigh and said “ come here sweetie”. His tail went straight up and he came to me. Walking almost thirty feet from across their open floor plan. Carols husband said they had never seen his tail up and it had to be fluke. He wouldn’t respond to their “ come” command because they were basically “yelling “ at him. Every time they had to walk him or let him out they were going to him because he wouldn’t come. I did it again, and then again. I think he came to me over and over again because he wanted to show his people parents he could respond. Meanwhile Carol was running to the kitchen to get hotdogs to reward him. I said no hotdogs. All I did was give him some head rubs and in the same baby talk tone said good boy sweetie. So all I am saying is maybe he needs a different training technique. Not that what you are doing is wrong. 

P.s. and when I was tapping on my thigh her husband said “ he doesn’t know that command”. Well he does now !! He is a good boy and gets lots of love in their home. 

That’s called a soft dog, which is what Shasta was. Dogs that need soft tunes and positive personal reinforcement. This one is totally fine outdoors and scared of everything inside. She has selective hearing, meaning that she likes to do certain things, but panics very easily. Not food driven. Learning to be a dog. Very obviously beaten at some point. 

Katsolo I have never owned a dog in my adult life I prefer cats. Only because when I was working I couldn’t provide the outdoor needs for potty or exercise breaks. I would like a dog for the added plus benefit it would give me for activity. But I know JoJo at 17 wouldn’t adapt easily to a doggie in the house. But it would seem your puppy that her early life was spent outdoors and this inside life is new to her. Pets of all kinds just need us human caregivers to figure out their personality. I have had two cats. One was so social and friendly to people who came into our home. The other runs to their hideout. Ironically the one who was home socialized freaked out on vet visits. The one who hides out when others came in our home my vets call the best cat ever. It is almost comically seeing her run and hide at home but at the vet she is so well behaved and receptive to others. My beloved Bulls Eye would jump on your lap when you came in his home but hiss, spit, and bite at the vet. 

Purchased a smart scale. I need to get my metrics going again, haven’t since my gym took away their body scan device. Hope the cough improves enough to get out to see the lights! 

that nice... i like it  

I really do love the smart scale, hope you enjoy yours just as much. 

Hope your cough goes away soon! Ugh Those Christmas 🎄 lights are pretty!! Never heard of a smart scale.