Plenty Attention
Today will mark the completion of Asher’s first week at the lake. It’s fair to say he has adjusted pretty well to all the combinations of people and other animals that swirl around the Wildwood property in general and Friswold’s “cabin” in particular.
He is getting big love from all of Cyndie’s family and learning how to not bark at every movement of other people he can see from his lofty vantage point out on the second-story deck.
Cyndie and I have experimented with different attention exercises for Asher that we learned about in the obedience classes.
Tossing morsels of his dog food into a tub filled with toys requires that he push around items that may have fallen from his interest to find the snacks he can smell.
That tends to renew his liking for some items he had begun to ignore.
Asher has a remarkable inclination to push his squeaking tennis-style balls underneath furniture. When he tries that game out on the deck, the ball tends to roll off and fall to the ground one level below. Yesterday, I went down below and initiated a game of catch where I would throw the ball back up over the railing.
It proved to be an exception to the norm of so many other games where he tends to be the only one really enjoying it. I was having a blast trying to catch the balls he was nudging over the edge and then tossing them back up in a manner that gave him a fair chance of catching it with his mouth.
Beck devised a modified chew toy combination that has become my favorite. He forced one of the larger Kong balls in the middle of a hard chew ring.
It makes it harder for Asher to pick up but he seems interested in the challenge because he can almost get his teeth on the half of felt-covered ball that sticks out of each side.
Asher was flipping and kicking it around with great fervor yesterday. It seemed almost too hard for him to separate the two toys at first but now it is getting easier with practice.
With all the fun and attention Asher has been enjoying up at the lake this week, I’m starting to wonder if his eventual return home will become a disappointment for him.
Not that I’m projecting how we feel when we get home onto him or anything…
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Relative Something 
Hmmm… John: why shouldn’t you expand on the love, rather than think some situations aren’t appropriate – you know, your choirs and hard grinding work take on a certain heaviness at times. When I come to think of it, you have been the most successful when you turn the seemingly demanding routines into something else… artistic play and joy at being alive. Maybe, Ash is here to convince you of your own merit and amazing ability to turn things around and make then joyous. A dog is truly future oriented! (Not to say, we don’t have a job to keep up and only later come to understand that a dog is our best friend… eventually). Ash seems to have grown and looks amazing!
Ian Rowcliffe
July 7, 2023 at 7:56 am
I treasure your perspectives, Ian. Helps to reset my focus at the right times. Our patience is definitely getting a workout in the adventures of reining in the wild energy of our large rescued pup.
johnwhays
July 7, 2023 at 6:13 pm