Chasing Hope

Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Yesterday afternoon, my dogs and I walked along our favorite trail alongside a canal. The group played happily, as usual, although my puppy, Chase, seemed a little different to me, in good ways. Despite his enormous energy, he might have been bugging his running companions a bit less than usual, and most noticeably, when we bumped into other people walking with four or five dogs, Chase didn’t react aggressively. Maybe routinely walking in a public place encourages his willingness to socialize.

I’m off from work for a couple of days, will leash Chase and take him to a dog-friendly shopping place. Not HD, in case he becomes a handful; maybe to Lowe’s, where it doesn’t matter how anybody in the store perceives my dog’s behavior. If Chase can’t behave in a cool manner in our first venture, his future routine will include “routine shopping” with me.

Calming this Rottweiler/Shepherd puppy’s tendencies to be aggressive has consumed much of my time and energy. I’m encouraged to keep working with him upon noticing his improving behaviors in our trail walks. I hope that ongoing training will reduce his worries upon meeting other male dogs, and accustom him to being around lots of humans.

Dear Friends: Like everything worthwhile, my impulsive adoptee needs TLC. Diana