Piper turned 4 last Christmas. She is a brilliant and complex dog. Full of adventure and energy, but with a very protective nature and super high prey drive. As a result, I've learned to be very careful to keep her safe along with all those she may encounter.
As a result of all that, Piper and I were able to enjoy lots of off leash hikes with the collar but had to stay isolated from most people and other animals. But I never forgot my sweet puppy who adored racing and romping on the beach and trails with her other puppy buddies. Her temperament changed with her first heat, but I know that girl is still in her because I can still see her. She just needs to learn self-control, boundaries and acceptable behavior. All things I couldn't teach her... until my friend Roxanne introduced me to her method of KMODT dog training.
We started the course the first week of January 2024. It's "only" 10 sessions, I figured we'd be done by spring. Oh my doggo! By spring we were only at week 5 and really struggling to achieve acceptable test results. I was completely losing my mind with the pressure of all of the spring commitments in my life, including this course, my first horse and a new ranch I run alone.
In one final fit of anger, resentment, fear, exhaustion and despair, I quit the course. Quitting goes against everything in my stubborn being, but I just couldn't take any more pressure. Roxanne said two things that kept rattling in my thoughts... 1) Piper now knows what it's like to work and her behavior will deteriorate quickly without it (I could already see the signs) and 2) that she would keep the course open for one year, but that I would need to start over at the first session. I knew down to my toes that I would NEVER put either of us through hell week again. lol
So I gave up. I hit my knees, prayed for hours and called in help from another friend. Up til now, I had been trying to control and muscle through all of the challenges and fears in my world, especially with Piper and my horse Sundance (their similarities and overlaps are astounding!) Roxanne and Jessi have been repeatedly telling me I needed to relax, stay calm and composed. But I was always uptight, scared of 1000 different things and barely composed. So I gave it all to God. I told him I couldn't do it anymore and that if he wanted me to stay the course that he'd need to lead the way.
Amazing things happen when I get in so much pain that I just let go and am willing to let him guide me. That is when God has room to finally work in my life. The shift was immediate. I would pray before and during each session (with both critters). I was finally able to see their "tells" and relax into responding to them. Roxanne likes to say Piper is very honest. It's true. Now that I can see them, she tells me exactly what she's thinking before she acts.
Everything has changed. We have just sailed through session 9 laughing almost the whole way and are actually considering the AKC trials as a capstone to prove to ourselves that we are truly a team. Who'd have thought!
Part B (much shorter!)
As part of my meltdown work, I needed to create a vision board to help me recapture and clarify my dreams.
My dream has always been to take my horse and dog(s) together out on adventures. Today I can almost see that possibility. My goal with the RC is to strengthen our bond, along with Piper's self-control, focus, boundaries and good decision making process. By the end of this course I imagine us successfully participating in the AKC novice/beginner trial in early November along with all of our other RC graduate friends!
Then Piper and I take a trip together to spend our first Thanksgiving with family and old friends in the city. We haven't been able to do that since she was a puppy because it was too chaotic and stressful. But I know now that those days are safely behind us. Thank you Roxanne, Jessi, Mary, Loni, Gayle and everyone else who has loved and supported us thorough this process!
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