Fueling the Chill

Food. Something that should be so easy....but isn’t. It’s controversial and at times uncomfortable to even talk about. Yes, I know what it’s like to be given the blank horrified stare because I feed my dog kibble and not raw. I want Chili to get the best, but the best must also be what I can afford. I mean really, we have to eat and live too. There should be no shame in knowing when to say I’ve spent enough. Everyone has their limits. What if someone is feeding their dog a lower quality food but that’s the highest quality they can afford? What if that dog is given the absolute best life in all other ways? Does that make them bad?

To our standards, Chili eats well, probably better than we do. I do a lot reading and ask a lot of questions before coming to a conclusion about what I buy her. Also, Your Pet Pals where I now buy her food only carries well-made, high quality brands. They don’t sell a brand just because it’s popular, they sell what they feel good about selling. It’s like another line of defense in weeding out the bad.

Until this point, I only had to worry about getting Chili a great food that she liked. Now, Chili has mild pancreatitis and it’s imperative to find a diet that will meet her new needs. This is where it gets really difficult. I have never stressed about food more in my life than I am stressing right now. It’s overwhelming. I like to make decisions that I feel good about but I’m finding it difficult to put it all together. The more I read, the more lost I feel. Low fat, low carbs, high protein, raw, dehydrated, and it goes on. Oh yeah, and she has to want to eat it. Add to it that Chili is a high energy dog and needs her fuel. I can’t have her starving. She’s at a perfect weight and doesn’t have any fat to spare.

I don’t think for a moment that I’m the only one who thinks this sucks. Chili is not impressed at all. She’s not impressed when she doesn’t get her chips, she’s not impressed when she doesn’t get her spaghetti, and she’s even more unimpressed when she can’t have her absolute all time favourite Kraft dinner. You’d think we just tortured the beast. To be honest, we miss sharing with her too.

I find myself just staring at her sometimes. Willing her to tell me what to do, watching for signs that I’ve made the right choice, or the wrong choice. If it’s wrong, I hope I catch it quick enough before it causes her any pain. I don’t like this at all, watching and waiting. So, when I switched her food and started noticing that she was chewing on her paws and rubbing her ears and eyes I knew I made the wrong choice. Now we are trying yet another brand of food and the watching and waiting starts over. The girls tell me this particular food has performed well for other dogs with mild pancreatitis so I’m hopeful. I won’t know if I don’t try.

No matter how much you think you already know, every dog is different and what they respond to is different. Like with training, you take the experience of others, mix it with some of your own, add some new information and hope you’ve made the right choice. Chili doesn’t expect anything more. I have to try. She’s not going to improve if I’m not willing to make changes and trust myself. A part of that is accepting that I might make the wrong decision sometimes but at least I made it with good intentions.

The True Power of a Powerful Dog

I love big, solid dogs. That’s not to say I don’t love all dogs, because how could you not, really, they’re all so cute and unique in their own way. But it’s the big ones that catch my attention. I like a square nose, broad chest, a big happy smile, and a deep bark. My love of big dogs doesn’t come from feeling a sense of greatness because I have one. I just love a dog I can wrap my arms around and give forced hugs to. A dog I can play with and body check. There’s a lot more of them to love.... and clean up after. The point of today’s post is power. Although Chili has made me powerful, I didn’t get that power because of what she is, I got that power because of who she is and what she’s taught me.

Getting any dog is a big decision, that’s a life you’re taking responsibility for. People mistake the power of a dog for breed, size and strength. That’s just physical, although it can carry a certain amount of intimidation with it. Their true power comes from who they are on the inside. Some say that if you’re lucky, you’ll get a really easy, laid back dog. OK, I agree. I also believe if you’re lucky, at least once in your life, you’ll get a handful that will push you to your limits and teach you a few things about yourself. The catch, you have to be open to it.

To benefit from having a large, powerful dog, you must first abandon any idea that just by having this dog you are somehow powerful. That in itself is a lie. The least impressive thing is a dog owner standing tall and proud behind their pulling, out of control dog because they feel a sense of power from the tension, or from how uneasy it makes others feel. I feel for these dogs, not being allowed a sense of peace. Vulnerable to the inevitable consequences their owner has created for them.

For me, the power of inner strength, compassion, patience and endurance is what Chili taught me. Not just for dogs, it’s spilled over to other parts of my life and I’m better for it. Who’d have thought that a dog would break me down and build me up again? I didn’t. I thought I was already strong and powerful. What did I know? I did have people along the way who helped me see what a great thing was going to come from the chaos of me and Chili. What a concept, asking for help. Another lesson learned. I didn’t have to do it alone. There are actually people out there who want to help, out of the goodness of their heart. Wow.

I laugh more now and don’t take myself as seriously. Sometimes training a dog can make you look and feel like a bit of an idiot. You really do have to get over yourself. I was boring to Chili until I finally let myself just have fun. After all, that’s what Chili loves, fun. She didn’t think I looked like an idiot. The hardest lesson of them all for me was relaxing. Slowing down my mind and just naturally managing whatever situation Chili gave me. It felt so unnatural but in the end, it’s less stressful for both of us, and more effective.

So, that’s the power that I’ve gotten from my big, strong, powerful Boxweiler. I think it’s reasonable to say it’s a good power. In my mind though, I don’t have a power breed, I have a dog, and her name is Chili.

Brattier Chili Week

Every now and again for about a week Chili decides that nobody rules her, she doesn’t answer to anyone and she’s the boss of the world. Like most other things she takes on she’s dedicated to her cause, unfortunately for us and anyone else in her path. You’d think it would be one of those isolated things where she just rebelled against us. Kind of like when your dog behaves for everyone except you. But no, Chili doesn’t discriminate. She pushes everyone around equally. No one is immune.

You might be wondering how it’s even possible for a bratty dog to be even brattier. Well, it’s possible. Believe it or not, Chili is quite predictable and for the most part well trained. Stop laughing. I’m serious. She may be crazy, but she’s predictably crazy and that’s how I get the upper hand. I usually know her moves, before she makes them. I can hear the meatballs rolling around in her head and formulating a half-cooked plan. She can’t get much past me. Even when she goes into Bratty-Bossy Chili week, it just means I have to pay attention that much more.

So what makes a bratty dog brattier? It goes something like this:

- Loss of ALL commands and a whole lot of avoidance. (She knows them all but somehow forgets them, and she’s a master at ignoring you.)

- Every sound and every movement requires barking. (This is just plain annoying. I mean really, do you have to bark at the hummingbirds.)

- It’s impossible for her to walk beside or behind us. She MUST be in front and she must ensure there is tension on the leash. (She usually walks great on leash, at my left.)

- She barges past everyone to make it through a door or gate first. It’s like a dance, block with your left, block with your right.... (She almost always waits. I don’t even have to say anything.)

- Going out for a pee or poo takes FOREVER. There something in the bushes or something was in the yard, or there’s something down the street, or hold on I need to just find something to bark at. Squat, change her mind, squat, change her mind. The problem here is, if I take her inside before she’s ready, I have to bring her right back out an hour later. It’s better to suffer through it until she’s done. (She’s never quick when she goes out to the bathroom, so this just makes it worse)

- Worst of all, she’s on high alert, which takes all the fun out of walks. (She’s been doing so well on the Halti, but during this week, I have to actually cover her eyes when we walk by another dog)

The poor girls at daycare. They have to deal with her all day while we’re at work. At least we get her back tired. When I was waiting to pick her up the other day I heard the door open, then I heard a bit of a commotion. I shook my head, I knew what was going on. Then Chili bound around the corner and Angie comes behind her telling me her and Chili are not friends today. I laughed. She said Chili was bratty all day. I wasn’t worried though, they know how to handle her, even on her bossy days. Not to say it’s easy, like I said, Chili is dedicated to her cause.

So why don’t these bossy days really work for Chili? Easy. The people who manage her every day aren’t afraid of her. She’s too much of a squishy goo-ball when it comes to people. She just can’t help herself. She loves people. She might be bratty-bossy, but it’s just a phase. As long as you can be more patient, you’ve got her. She’ll push and push, but there’s nothing behind it, it’s just tiring for everyone around her.

Then one morning, she’s back to normal, bratty Chili who’s full of tricks and smiles. From that point, it’s over for a little while, at least until the phase hits again. I don’t know what triggers it. We haven’t nailed down anything in particular. It’s just something she does. Chili being Chili. A bratty dog being brattier. It’s all a part of life with Chili.

A Little Help from a Friend

There are many times that I dream about getting a little brother for Chili. To be clear, I’m meaning the four legged kind. She loves being around other dogs and will play, play, play until there’s no play left. I imagine them cuddled up together and hanging out. I imagine Chili teaching him everything she knows...... and that’s where the dream comes to a screeching halt. I love my girl and she has a lot of very endearing qualities, but she’s a brat. She’s a smiley, wiggly, enthusiastic, stubborn, independent, queen of the mountain brat. I have to be ‘on’ at every moment with her. If I slack off for one moment, she doesn’t miss it and takes the ground. She’s a lot of work and the idea of her teaching another dog her tricks is exhausting. One day, when she calms down a bit I may seriously consider the idea, but for now, she can be the only dog in the house. Maybe that’s her plan.

This doesn’t mean that she doesn’t get to teach other dogs her tricks in the meantime. She can do that at daycare and they can deal with it. Although, when she’s in the pack, she falls right into her place in the middle. She doesn’t care to be the leader. I guess you have more fun in the middle, nothing to worry about. That sounds about right for Chili.

In the summer I did get a few opportunities to watch Chili teaching her friend Oakley and Oakley, in turn, teaching Chili. Oakley is a perfect match for Chili since he’s solid and doesn’t mind playing rough. Chili loves body checking other dogs and she loves to be body checked too. Oakley needed a confidence boost and that’s something Chili has miles of. Chili is also excellent when it comes to sharing toys and balls. At first, Oakley would shy away and let Chili catch the toy. Then, Chili started to slow down and let Oakley get there first. You could see him having more and more fun as they played. She would catch it, then he would catch it, then they would both have an end. They shared perfectly.

Then Oakley had the opportunity to return the favour. Being a Lab, he’s a great swimmer and boy does he love the water. Chili loves the water too, but isn’t confident about being in over her head. You can see her bobbing up and down as she bounces on her back feet. She swims, but only if she can put her feet down and touch the bottom.

We threw the floating toy out into the water and neither dog hesitated, until Chili got to the point that she had to bob up and down, then she slowed. Not Oakley, he swan full on to the toy and swam back ready to go again. It took about 3 throws for Chili to start forgetting her fears and submit to just having fun. She started getting braver and braver following Oakley into the water. She would bob, then swim, bob then swim, each time swimming a little more. Then came the point that she was getting to the toy before Oakley and swimming the whole way back with it. They were having a ball and I was loving watching her learn to swim.

There was one point where I was held my breath though. I thought it might be the end of swimming for Chili. Oakley had caught the toy and made it to shore first. Chili stayed out in the water. When we threw the toy back into the water, Oakley took a running leap out into the lake. He landed right on top of Chili and kept swimming for the toy. For a few seconds, all we could see in the water was Oakley. No Chili. We waited and waited. The couple of seconds felt like minutes. I knew I had to stay cool for Chili’s sake. Then, her head popped up. I happily said her name and when she turned around, you could see panic all over her face. I pretended as if it didn’t happen and told her to get the toy. She swam directly to shore and to my side. Once Oakley returned, we kept throwing and she went right back into play mode. Disaster averted. Thankfully she wasn’t scared too much by her dunking and kept on playing.

Even for dogs, it’s great to get a little help from a friend. They can teach each other good and bad habits in a way that we could only wish. Chili gained some confidence in her swimming that day and although she could use a few more lessons, Oakley brought her further along than any other day of playing in the water with us. It’s days like that, that make we wonder if she should have a little brother. Then I remember; I named the blog ‘The Bratty Dog’ for a reason. Perhaps I’ll wait on that thought.