How to Train Without Gain
One key step to better pet health.
The countdown to school had begun and neither girl was prepared. No new clothes to fit the limbs that would not be contained. No supplies of matching colored folders and ring binders. Plenty of anxiety, worry, and wonder about what the unknown would bring. I gathered Anna and headed to the mall, leaving Joe to look after Mia. She really didn’t need parental supervision. She was already part of the babysitters club, making cash, eating junk food from someone else’s kitchen, talking on the phone with her friends after baths, books, and goodnight songs.
I left with Anna while Joe balanced near the top of a ladder propped against the cedar siding outside Mia’s room. He was embarking on his seasonal ritual of repairing holes crafted by downy woodpeckers seeking a winter roost.
I had no sooner put my car into park when my neighbor’s number flashed on my cell phone. Sue was looking for a babysitter. She’d send her daughter Livie to our house with two racks of cooked and sauced ribs in exchange for a few hours of care. Of course I said yes, on behalf of Joe on the ladder and Anna eavesdropping on my conversation.
“Mom. I know what Sue’s ribs tastes like. Let’s go home now.” Of course I said no. We needed to finish the task we’d set out to do. Besides, there’d be plenty of ribs to eat when we got home. With reluctant Ann in tow, we ascended the steps to the mall and began to shop for school.
“MOMMMMMMMM!” shrieked Mia through the phone. “Dad ate all the ribs. There’s nothing left for me and Livie to eat.”
“Dad wouldn’t do that,” I countered. “Go look on the ladder. Is he still there?”
I was ten miles from Mia but I swear I could hear her scream upwards at Joe still on the ladder.
“Dad said he didn’t do it, but there are no ribs on the plate. It’s perfectly clean,” wailed Mia.
While I held the phone to my ear and Mia held the house remote to hers, I instructed the two girls to think like a dog and sleuth. To peek under rugs and cushions, to look in the plants, to look behind anything a dog might consider for hiding bones. It was a far-fetched theory for our mid-sized, short-legged canine who’d never seen the tops of the counters.
I gathered an eager Anna and rushed home. I knew the answer to the puzzle when I caught a glimpse of our furry canine sprawled on the floor, eyes rolled back, and belly distended like a lion after a kill.
Joe descended the ladder, hoisted a bulging Sierra into the car, and away we went with three wide-eyed girls to the emergency vet clinic. A weekend of I.V. fluids softened the edges of brittle bone fragments. On Monday, she passed owl-like pellets with nary a sign of distress. $900 passed thru my credit card, causing much distress. I’d just paid for the most expensive rib dinner none of us had eaten!
While I didn’t need proof of Sierra’s love of food, the story is a perfect example of how the want of a tasty morsel can motivate a canine to accomplish feats never yet attempted. Our current family floof, Shiloh, is much like her predecessor. Just about anything motivates our girl to learn tricks. We must be careful, though. She is not a high-metabolism dog. Any excess calories go straight to her waist.
I’ve since instigated the “10 nugget rule.” At every meal, I measure her food, then remove 10 bits for treats. If we are training, like agility or obedience, I take out more. Shiloh happily chomps every tidbit tossed her way and displays no indignation, even when the other dogs are indulging in cheese.
If good health and longevity are goals for your pet, then take control of their eating and your treating. Feed less during meals, so you can treat in between without worry.
I love to read and research. Why not share what’s compelling with you?! (I am NOT paid to mention any of these resources. There are no affiliate links.)
1. We can learn a lot from our pets if we are willing to observe. Stephanie Wilson wrote a beautiful blog for ADDitude magazine on “What a Dog Taught Me About Self-Trust.” She uses the example of a rescue dog suffering from a previous tough life. He entered his new home full of fear. Over time, he learned to love and live fully. People are equally capable of inching forward.
2. Another way to learn from our pets is to “talk” to them with the help of an animal medium. I enjoyed listing to Aliana Ziva Seeger-Madsen on the Cattitude podcast. While I’m not completely sold on the reality of animal medium, I enjoyed thinking about the possibilities.
3. I was digging through the freezer when an errant raspberry caught my eye. It made me think of Raspberry Pistachio Frozen Yogurt Bark by Illuminate Food. It’s a flexible recipe that is easily adaptable to what you have on hand or like to eat. My favs include coconut flavored coconut milk yogurt alternative and dark chocolate chips for a vegan treat.
4. January 24 is Change a Pet’s Life Day. Here are 3 Ways to Welcome an Adopted Dog to Your Home. (Please share if you know of someone getting a new dog.)
5. Let’s not forget the cats on Change a Pet’s Life Day, 1/24. Check out 3 Steps to Welcome and Adopted Cat to Your Home. (Please share if you know of someone getting a new cat.)
6. “The Brilliance of Humanity” virtual summit is still accepting listeners for its speaker line-up January 22-26. Each virtual attendee will receive two interview recordings each day during the week and a “gift” from each speaker. I look most forward to my friend, poet, and nature writer, Annette Drewes. I can never get enough of her thoughtful words that inspire hope and encouragement.
In a world that often seems chaotic and daunting, there are many people doing good things. I celebrate them here.
What would you do if you ran into money problems and couldn’t afford pet food or vet care? You might be like many who surrender their pets to shelters when they feel there are no options for help. Many organizations have begun offering ways to keep animals in the homes of people who love them, thereby reducing pressure in shelters. “We believe it’s the size of your heart that makes you a good dog owner, not the size of your income.” I second that statement from B-More Dog out of Baltimore, MD. B-More Dog provides help in the form of free wellness clinics and vaccinations, nail trims, vouchers for spay/neuter, supplemental dog food, and leashes and collars to keep pets safe. They’re also nurturing kindness and knowledge in future pet parents through their humane education programs they provide to schools and camps. Volunteers and donations are always needed and welcomed!
Before you go, here are a few reader favorites.
What Did the Potato Say from the Pantry?