Hey there, how's everyone here? It's been a while since I've heard from you. Honestly, my motivation to blog is at an All-Time Low. Unfortunately, the late Dutch weather means I don't feel like doing anything anymore. The daily gray skies, the many rain showers, and the temperature in the house that still feels like I am living in winter have robbed me of all positive energy. I do what I have to do, and besides that, there is little energy left to look for inspiration for a blog. I think I seriously need a holiday with a good dose of SUN! Unfortunately, that's not possible, so we're just plodding along in the hope that it will be summer again sometime in the coming days/weeks. This weather is also disastrous for our plants outside. The pepper plants and pepper plants that we have grown with so much love and care are withering outside. The strawberries have been eaten by the snail invasion, the only things that still want to grow are the beans, zucchini, and cucumber plants that seem to still be doing well. The special herbs we had such as Oyster Leaf and Brush Wreath have also been decimated by the snail invasion and even our Pineapple Cherries will not grow. These plants are all missing the same thing I am...higher temperatures and sun! All that's left is to keep myself busy with Skipper. Thank goodness he is there, but even he seems sensitive to this weather and he is quite calm. A few times a day he gets an energy attack and in these crazy 5 minutes, it is a pleasure to watch him and play together.

So Many Things I Want To Do

I'm also working on a painting, but it's far from finished... so there's not much point in showing it now. Another painting is on the program, but it will also take some time before it is finished. I first have to come up with an idea for that, and it is also an assignment from someone else. It will be the largest canvas I have made so far. This assignment is a canvas of no less than 115 x 75 cm. Quite a large size, and I have now lost my fear of the stark white canvas, but when I see such a large canvas, I still have a bit of a fear of, "Oh God, am I going to save this?". Anyways, these are worries for later. First I have to come up with a great idea to cover that large white canvas with paint and only then do I worry about whether I will be able to pull it off.

Working With Skip

For now, I'm mainly focussing on Skipper. One of the few days that it does not rain and the temperature is still reasonable. So you understand, we have to benefit from that together. And while we're outside, we work on our bond together. Yeah, of course, we have always done a lot about that, but when I also had Myla and Lana there, I of course had to divide my attention between all the dogs. Although I miss the two ladies, I also find it very relaxing that I can now focus on a dog. This has many advantages for Skipper, for me too and for us together it is much better. Only now do I have enough time to guide him through the fears he has and the behavior he has developed from them. And although I have always been working on this, I now clearly notice the difference. Now that I have no other dogs to keep an eye on, and more importantly, now that Skipper is no longer influenced by the behavior of other dogs, I see a clear difference. He is more receptive to me, and he also seems to learn more easily what is meant to be done. That things are not as scary as he thought, that barking all day is not appreciated, and that walking together does not mean that he can go all out, but that this is done with a policy where a few basic rules apply.

Giving Skip What He Needs

I'm certainly not the most difficult for him. He likes me a lot, especially when we go for walks. After all, walking is the outing that we mainly do for him. And I certainly don't command the entire walk with follow, here, next to, sit, down, stay, etc. But he does need to know that I do want to see polite behavior when we encounter people or other dogs. To help him with this, we now practice "curving" together. That is also a part of the dog language that you as an owner should know. When dogs greet each other politely, they do so by walking towards each other with a curved line, to end up with their nose near the other dog's bottom. This 'curving' is also a calming signal for dogs, and as an owner, you can use this. Sometimes you notice that your dog finds something exciting, a walker, a cyclist, a car, a scooter, or something that just stands there along the road. It could be so many things. The moment you notice that your dog finds this exciting, you can start to 'curve' to get past that one thing your dog finds exciting. With this easy-to-do motion, you help the dog deal with the thing that he finds exciting. It's a small effort but it has a big effect.

But There Are Some Basic Rules

If we have to cross a road he has to wait, not because I think it's necessary for me, but for his safety. Walking off-leash is still a bridge too far, so we are not yet working on the command "here", although it must be 100% implemented before we can think about 100% walking off-leash. In very clear areas where I am sure no one is, he is occasionally allowed to go loose to practice. Because that is also necessary, so he feels that I trust him. He also needs confidence, and it also makes him feel more confident.

Finally, We're Doing As Needed To Be Done

Since the end of March, he has now been the only dog ​​in the house, and for the first time, we certainly haven't done anything different from what we did before. My mind certainly wasn't in that mood, and Skipper also needed time to get used to the new situation. But with time we also get used to the new situation. After this we slowly switched to a training that I had wanted to give him and that I knew he needed, but due to lack of time I was unable to provide it. Now it is possible, and I can say that it makes a world of difference for Skipper and me. He takes it well, enjoys it, and learns well. This does not make the loss of the other dogs go away, but there is acceptance of the new situation. The time we spend together and the more intensive cooperation and communication also strengthen our bond considerably. His photo model training will start soon and I will start taking the camera on walks, without taking pictures of him at first... and slowly I will teach him to enjoy photography just like Rowan. Skipper is too handsome not to! We're looking forward to it together!