Things have been super crazy around here, even busier than usual! In the midst of all of the crazy (bodybuilding show, ESPN agility event, life on the farm), a few weeks ago, I flew out to California to pick up…a puppy! And no, it’s not a border collie! This is how it went:
Saturday: bodybuilding competition
Sunday: agility for tv competition
Monday: drive home
Tuesday: fly to CA to pick up this super cool little creature
Wednesday:
back to Ohio
Yep, she’s a Malinois. I love training dogs and working with clients and their dogs, but to be honest, I rarely really ‘connect’ with somebody else’s dog right away, beyond a surface level “let’s do some stuff together”. I’d been toying with the idea of a Malinois at some point in the next decade, but then in the past couple of months, multiple times, I got to work/play with three different Mals, all girls, and I swear every single one looked at me like they were taking measure of me and saying “I see you” in a way I just can’t say I’ve experienced with somebody else’s dog ever, really. Each experience only lasted a few moments, but really stuck with me. That feeling of “I see you” usually doesn’t exist between a dog and me until we’ve been together a while, sometimes a long while.
So, when I happened to catch Michael Ellis’s Instagram video of this girl saying she was available, I reached out. And a week later, there I was, picking her up. Right away, she was taking measure of me to see if I will measure up. It’s a really cool feeling and I’m super excited about this adventure
Her name is Alice, and I’m documenting her entire puppy training journey over at The Agility Challenge in the Alice in Wonderland — Puppy Development Blog. If you’re already a member, you’ve got access to the whole thing.
If you’re NOT a member, I’ve set up a free 3-month preview so you can follow along for a while, by clicking HERE.
Puppy training is the most fun training, and I’m excited to start a puppy off a bit differently than I have in the past. Don’t miss out on following along!
Yours,
Daisy