The Best Way to Build a Ship

I love cooking ... and even now that I'm retired I understand how lucky I was to be able to spend so much of my career doing something that I really loved.  It more than made up for the initial rough patches of being one of the first women in my trade and all the odd little bits in between.
Its really frosting on the cake that those years of experience come in pretty darned handy when it comes to holiday leftovers .... so I can confidently recycle yesterdays baked ham as tonight's yummy quiche and the leftover cranberry sauce became the rich cranberry coffee cake. 
A friend of mine, who runs a wonderful breed rescue, once told me that in her perfect fantasy world, all adopters would be dog experienced.   I'm a middle aged grandmother, not a professional dog trainer, but I can easily understand her point.
When my brother was down for Christmas, the dogs were so happy to see him that sometimes they 'forgot' themselves and needed a word to remind them not to jump up/ bark at the jogger galloping down the road/ etc.   Even though they love him, he clearly wasn't as confident about telling them what to do .. with predictable results.  Until of course I spoke the appropriate word and they all responded at once.
This holiday season, I have been privy to the perspective of the less experienced adopter as my daughter and her family make their first journey with their own family dog.  Even in the space of a couple of weeks, when we are on the phone, I can hear the difference in her voice when she's speaking to Jessie and am not suprised that she is getting better results.  Clearly, as she's getting the hang of clicker trainer her confidence is growing.
Dog training, after all, is no different than anything else ... the more practiced one becomes .. the better the results because everyone ...on four paws and two, becomes more confident.
I often wonder how many dogs are returned to their rescue slot for issues that would have been nipped in the bud in more experienced and confident hands.  After all ... there is no such thing as 'magically unforseen' issues.   Dogs in the care of experienced staff and volunteers are much more likely to be well behaved than they will be in the hands of a 'rookie'
For instance, not to toot my own horn, but if Miss Ruby had gone to a different home, she might have been bounced right back to rescue the first time she chased my eldercat out the door and went for a merry old run around the yard in hot pursuit!
But this is a house with dog savvy cats .... and after the first two weeks when every second sentence seemed to start with "Ruby Do Not Chase the Cats", it was all peace and tranquility here again.
Had she been returned, she likely would have picked up a "no cat" tag that would have definitely limited her adoption options. 
The point I am making in my rambling way is that the only way to get more dog experienced adopters is by letting the rookies adopt.  To be perfectly honest, they might need more initial support but on the uptick they haven't had the chance to learn any 'bad' habits on their own yet.  ( One of the things I used to love about teaching the basic cooking courses was the fact that while the students were short on experience, they were long on being willing to follow directions and / or much shorter on thinking they already knew better, eh? )
Its a splendid opportunity to educate in the very best way ... by channelling the love that inspired them to adopt into the confidence needed for lifetime committment.
Both as an adopter, and from my little birds eye view maintaining the site, I have come to see that the level of support offered to adopters varies widely.   Some rescues, like ARC, will even bring in a trainer if the adopter will follow up.   Others seem to be so busy that they don't even have time to do follow up to ensure their adoptees all turned out ok.
I'm enough of a dinosaur to remember when RSS didn't stand for live feeds from weather and news sites ... when Reality Shock Syndrom was a term to describe the inability of some new graduates in the work force to settle into the job they had wished for and studied for so long.   With the advent of sensible sneak previews such as job shadowing and work experience programs, this type of panic reaction has been substantially reduced.
So here is today's what if?   What if shelters and rescues actively recruited teenagers to volunteer?   Can you imagine a better way for them to become more confident?  ( Bear in mind that most of them were likely toddlers when their own parents trained the family dog)
Even better ... what if this could be organized as part of a school experience program ... perhaps falling under the Learning for Life program?  What a wonderful way it would be to both educate children and inspire future adopters?
Best of all, it would a great way to reach out to the kids who need a better role model than parents who might still be sentencing dogs to life on the end of a chain or leaving feline birth control to chance?
What time is it?  Its always time to remember that teaching the next generation well is the best way to create better communities."
If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea"    Antoine de Saint-Exupery

If Wishes were Horses

What a beautiful morning it was in the woods!  Mild.  Not a bit of a breeze ... and clearly the wildlife were on the same page if the if the doggy smorgasborg of scented tracks was any indication!
Mind you, the snow Was so soggy that it was heavy slogging in spots ... but if we only went when it was smooth sailing, we would miss most of our hikes.
Rather like anything else in life, hmmm?  From flawless figure skating routines to well mannered and socialized dogs ... the casual observer never sees the time and effort behind the end game.
I'm fifty six not fifteen ... so instead of making a mad list of New Years resolutions I prefer to have a "Top Ten" sort of wish list to work towards for each year.  Do they all get done?  Of course not!   But on the premise that it takes having goals to get anything done, I keep trying anyway.
The Song pretty much remains the same:

1. Making Yard Dogs socially unacceptable with anti tethering legislation
2. Legislation to ban the traffic of living breathing sentient beings on the free online ad sites ( work that is greatly impeded by the society and rescues that lend legitimacy to the site by advertising there themselves.  If they were the only ones doing it .. if the Gail Benoits and back yard breeders and other odd sorts weren't using the site as well I would laud the rescues using it .. but we all know it just ain't so ... sigh )
3. Having AC stats publicly available on municipal websites ....
4. Along with a law prohibiting the killing of animals in AC care if there is an available rescue slot
5. Lifetime licences for altered pets along with a less punitive process for first time or occasional offenders.  It should be as user friendly, easy and affordable as possible for people to redeem their pets.
6. Better cat bylaws that protect feral cats instead of providing justification for killing them
7. Along with free spay neuter for kind hearts that are feeding strays
8. Banning the sale of pets in pet stores ... outside of the satellite adoption facilities,
9. Seeing a successfully prosecuted animal cruelty case result in a penalty meaningful enough to be a genuine deterrent .... and last but definitely not least
10. The abolition of all breed specific bylaws at the municipal levels ... along with removal of the clause in the provincial legislation that allows the municipalities to do this ... arbitrarily, without cause and usually under a cloak of secrecy.

Its not a new list.  So why don't I get discouraged?  After all ... there were a few real low points to 2010:

• a tragic comedy of errors that allowed the Benoits to ( once again) walk away scot free .... sheesh living proof that adage about hell having no wrath is definitely not gender specific ... although we've seen a fair bit of that too ...sigh
• no resolution yet for the controversial case that captured the hearts of the animal loving community ... along with the knowledge there will be none forthcoming now until November of THIS year
• not to mention the mysterious subject of how a frozen dead dog was found not to have been abused ....

But there have been a high point or two ... just enough to keep tails wagging instead of tucked back down:

• The society adopting a formal position to become No Kill.  Along with a published strategic plan to show that it wasn't false advertising ... because of course anyone can SAY they are No Kill but the proof of the pudding is both in the Stats and in having a plan!    That is mind boggling and huge ... particularly in light of where they were a couple of years ago
• Adoption incentives more widely in play ... from the LA Shelters adult cat special to CAPS BOGO to seasonal bits by the others .... all incentives get public attention for pet adoption, hmmm?
• And even mention made in the November Minutes of the Society BOD that plans are afoot for offsite adoptions.

Well then.  Its not everything on the list  It doesn't mean it will be all smooth sailing.  But it offers the promise that the heavy slogging will be worth it.

The following is a repost of the original Auld Lang Syne post from 2009 .... which has somehow been one of the most enduringly popular posts this middle aged granny made last year ... there was not one single day that it was not visited for the entire year :)
Tonight, most people who sing this song at midnight will firmly believe that Robert Burns is the original author. The truth was that Scottish culture owes a large ( and well acknowledged ) debt of thanks to Robert Burns, who loved collected the old and ancient Scottish airs.He may not have written the original version of the song, but the version that has survived to our times definitely has his original stamp.

Anyone who has followed this blog, or the old one, knows what a special affection I have for senior pets. All too often, people firmly believe a whole raft of myths about senior pets ....starting with the mistaken idea that one can't teach an old dog new tricks and running the whole gamut through to the biggest misconception .... that it isn't possible to really bond with a senior pet.
I've shared space with dogs that have grown old with me and some that were already 'seasoned' when they came in the door .... so I'm not just blowing smoke when I talk about senior pets.

In my perfect fantasy world, all pets would live their whole lives with their original guardians. Here in the real world, as you all very well know, that is not always how the cookie crumbles.
A pet is not a car ... or an appliance ... that depreciates over time. Like the old songs that Robert Burns was so fond of, elderpets haveand still have so much to offer. And like those old songs ... elderpets can be settled into a new way as well.

Best of all, they are old enough and wise enough to appreciate the value of a second chance at love. To paraphrase that old cliche often heard in movie wedding proposals .... you might not be their first love, but you really have to experience it to understand how rewarding it is to be their last love.

On behalf of all the adorable adoptable pets at  The Nova Scotia Homeless Pet Project, have a Happy New Year!

Meet the Adorable Adoptable Dogs in Nova Scotia

Cat Rescue urgently needs a dog foster!!! Transport needed !! Foster found!!!

Webmaster update:  A kind heart has offerred to foster this sweet dog and now HART is looking for another kind heart to drive this doggie from Aylesford to Bridgewater.  Further update ... A Drive has been found!!!!

If I have learned one thing from the birds eye view I get maintaining the homeless pet site, it is that sometimes love for the animals has no boundaries.  Small dog rescues take in large dogs, german shepherd rescues can take in rat terriers and in this instance .... HART ... a hardworking little cat rescue has taken in a young female beagle.

Like a lot of little rescues, HART does not have a shelter. Their adoptables are usually cared for in Laurie's own home, along with a little fostering help from her friends.

This is what Laurie has said about this young little beagle who they have dubbed Beatrice  

We have a young female, unspayed beagle in our care. My daughter found her on the highway near South Alton (New Ross area). She is very sweet. All houses in the area were scoured to see if anyone knew of her or anything and it appears no one knows her. I believe she is in heat. She's young, very affectionate. She's only been here a short while and hates it when she sees someone go OUT the door!

As you know I am basically a cat rescue (but will take in ANYTHING!), so right now my house is jam packed with cats. 20 are my own and they don't even know what a dog is! So it's pretty nutty here right now. I had to take an adult cat out of my son's room and place her in the bathroom so this little beagle can have a place to sleep tonight. It's insanity!
If you know anyone that is willing to foster her or if you can post this far and wide to see if possibly someone is missing her? She did not have any tags or tattoos. I will get her checked for a microchip ASAP.
In the meanwhile she is safe, but it's VERY inconvenient to have a dog here to say the very least!
If you have room in your home and your heart to provide a temporary safe berth for this lovely little dog .... or if you recognize this little wanderer, please contact HART

Practical magic

I've always been glad that I did a four year stint as an instructor at the military cooking school in Borden.  Hands down it was definitely the most interesting ... albeit busiest .. posting of my career.   What wasn't to love?  Widely varied schedules that never became routine?   The chance to hone my own tradecraft from my fellow "hotshots"?   The unparallelled opportunities to let our imagination inspire the students to stretch their own wings?
Within a very short time, I discovered that I absolutely loved teaching.  Mind you ... like any other job there were new skills to learn.  Most importantly, I had to step back and realize that while practice had made my personal tradecraft shine, the glossary and methodology were uncharted waters for most of the students in my charge.
In other words ... they still had to learn the language and discover all the practical bits.   Failure to remember that would leave them lost and discouraged.
This holiday season, I've been very much reminded of this as my daughter and her family are making their first journey as dogparents.    When I was talking about positive training methods, they had no idea it was an actual term to describe humane dog training until they started doing their homework.
After all, in committed families where pets are kept for life, most children were too young to remember the nuts and bolts of the dog training process.   Nor were most of the wonderful advances like clicker training around at that time:)
One of the other best bits about this day and age is the ability to share information online.   The great ladies who invented the clicker leash have an awesome How To page on their website and I've been told they are planning on expanding this treasure trove in the new year.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a demonstration video has immeasurable value.  Does this mean my grandoggy won't be going to obedience classes?  Of course not!  But it DOES mean that right here, right now, there are tools helping her new pawrents become more confident.   Humane tools.  Gentle tools.   And who knows how often they may have even been lifesaving tools?
What time is it?   Its always time to remember that a little 'practical magic' can work wonders.

Setting Rookies up for Success

I'm a middle aged grandmother, not a rookie, so doing a traditional holiday dinner with all the trimmings is an easy peasey no stress affair.  With tried and true recipes and over three decades experience with timings, there is never any doubt in my mind that things will be a success.
To be perfectly honest, there WAS one year that I didn't do the meal.   The last year that my daughter was home, we had agreed that it would be a great idea if she did the whole shebang, from start to finish.   This way she wouldn't be working without a net ... and if things went awry there would be a calmer head on deck to steer things back on course.
Does that mean there has been no need for "phone consultations" since she moved out on her own?  Of course not!  But both the dry run and the help line have made her a confident holiday chef whose dinners are already becoming legendary on their own.
This year she and her hubby have adopted their first family dog.   Even though she had lived with dogs at home since she was small, it is a completely different kettle of fish to have your own first family dog.    They perused Petfinder and her choice narrowed down to a lovely six month old lab/ bull terrier mix.
Before they brought her home, they had followed the links on the Pet Care Resource page to the great dog training guides listed there.  Did that set them up for success?   Not completely.   Over the first two weeks after they brought Jessie home, there were innumerable phone calls and at times their confidence was starting to falter.
Obedience classes were booked for January ... but what could be done in the here and now?   The shelter where they adopted Jessie from was long on suggesting they were irresponsible and short on offering any practical advice.
What would have happened if they hadn't had the resource of mom's help line?  What happens when there isn't a dog experienced grandogmother who just happens to have a myriad of expertise to tap into?  What kind of outcome is there for folks who have never needed to know about setting boundaries and clicker training before?  Who have never heard of agility training and don't know that dog club members are probably chock full of helpful practical suggestions too?
Probably what happens with a lot of well intentioned first time pet owners.   Good intentions fly out the window when they are overwhelmed and don't know where to turn.  Pets are returned/ surrendered/ passed on to someone else / sentenced to life on the end of a chain / or a myriad of even Unhappier Tails.
So here is my what if for today - What if every fall, municipalities were able to put on free workshops ... kind of a First week with Fido 101.   It is simply a fact of life that many families are going to bring home their first family dog during the holiday season.
Instead of being uppity about that ... instead of expecting these "rookies' to already know the ropes.. why not set them up for success instead?  These workshops could even be sponsored so that participants could get a little ten percent discount off obedience classes with local trainers.   Just imagine the possibilities!
Setting aside the fact that it would reduce the rescue workload, it would also help awaken more pet owners to the myriad of good training options available these days.    Even better, it would encourage new dog owners to bring their new best friends to obedience classes.  Best of all, it would help kind hearts to become the responsible pet owners who will become the 'dream adopters' of tomorrow.
What time is it?   Its time to remember that setting rookie dog owners up for success is always time well spent.