Lent 2022, Day 12

 

My son, keep my words

  and store up my commands within you.

 Keep my commands and you will live.

Proverbs 7:1-2

 

Libby is the first non-golden retriever we’ve had. Calvin and Feynman are, respectively, our 3rd and 4th goldens. We are a golden family, and our goldens have always been notoriously poorly trained. My excuse over the years has been, “They’re goldens! What’s the worst that can happen? They’ll be annoying and might steal your lunch, but nobody’s going to get hurt!”

 Enter Libby. Ryan had a DNA test done on her, and she is 0% golden retriever. She is, instead, mostly German shepherd (ruh roh), with husky, coonhound, and Australian cattle dog mixed in. So that means she is dominant, vocal, stubborn, and smart. These are not qualities we’re used to dealing with in our pets. We prefer derp.

I’ve always admired dog owners whose dogs respond instantly to commands. I’ve never aspired to this level, but I’ve always admired it and felt a teensy bit ashamed at my general lack of control over our dogs. (And sometimes very ashamed, like when Taylor wrenched his leash from me while we were out walking and tore through a neighbor’s open front door.) But I’ve never ashamed enough to really do much about it, other than sending Beta and Calvin to a boot camp which helped not at all). But still, I admired those owners whose dogs have it DOWN, who instantly and appropriately respond to each command—commands which have become not external asks, but internal responses. And I’m guessing that those dogs and owners have a lot more fun and cause less chaos than our little pack does.

 So now that the stakes are higher, we have no choice but to finally do the right thing and get and practice proper training; to “store up” good commands, which will lead to true freedom and life.

 
I’ll let you know how it goes.