PJ & Me

Animals are such wonders; most are truly gifts from God. 

I mean that. 

Loving animals as I do, being able to communicate with them during play or fostering or training feels so good.

It's the animal that makes it wonderful. 

Especially, yep, my new puppy!

The AKC breeders are 358 miles from me. Oklahoma City is a good halfway point. Any excuse to go to The Old Spaghetti Factory will suffice. On my trip to fetch PJ, I stopped in Oklahoma City to have lunch with a buddy. Old Spaghetti Factory - oh, yeah!

It's in Oklahoma City, OK.

Well, OK, ha ha.

Before fetching my puppy from the breeders, my excitement was peaking. Along with that, a bit of self-doubt. Wondering if I could remember enough to train my 3-month-old puppy as I had trained previous dogs of my own as well as the dogs of other people. Firmly, I believe that an untrained dog is just as annoying as a spoiled child, except, the child will have the capacity to wreck more mayhem on the world. One "child" in particular is 15, pregnant, living with her grandmother, thinks she knows so much she tried to give me financial advice. Tried. It was more comical to me than annoying.

Just a bit annoying. I considered her lack of education & lacking life experience.

An untrained Doberman will be so bored & anxious he could demolish your new sofa in less than 20 minutes. Even some trained dogs will do this. 

Caveat emptor.

It had been a minute since I had a dog. The only dog for me is a Doberman. My last Dobie, Sammy was said by many people to be a one in a million dog.

I am a high energy person, very inquisitive, adventurous, loyal, affectionate. 

Funny.

Those characteristics are also used to describe Dobermans. Most Dobies seem to think they ARE people.

In the weeks before I was to fetch my puppy, I boned up on training techniques. Video after video covering everything from how to comfort a crying puppy so both of you can sleep, to house training, teaching the puppy their name. 

Then, obedience training, which I feel is absolutely necessary for a dog that will live with people.

It was an exciting time, for sure! I had seen photos of my pup as he grew. I was feeling myself falling in love with him. Breeders will color code the collars on puppies to tell them apart. My puppy had a green collar, which is so serendipitous. Green is my favorite color.

On the drive back to Texas, I said my puppy's name to him over & over to get him used to it. He sat in the passenger's side front seat. I had brought a blanket for him to nest & cuddle during the drive home.

He was so sweet, so quiet, watching the scenery go by. I felt my oxytocin spike over & over.

It was hard for me to imagine loving any other dog as much as I loved my previous, Dobie, Sammy. That went out the window.

I LOVE this puppy. I love the way he smells, his expressive eyes, his playfulness, the sheen on his fur, how smart he is. He has little white hairs that stick out from his tan markings just above his eyes. So adorable.

It was close to 1 am when we arrived back at home.

The less than adorable aspects which are also to be expected is that the pup has been taken from everything he has known. Some puppies only cry in their crate, a bit at night, some will let you know, full force how scared & lonely they are......sometimes for 2 weeks......or more.

My bedroom is my sanctuary, I wasn't going to take him in there, just yet, crate or no crate. Many people have their puppy sleep in their bed from the start. 

I'm not that kind of girl.

Having never been one to let a pet sleep with me, I doubt this will change.

My boy's name is PJ. A shortened version of Poseiden Jack.

PJ cried, screamed, barked, howled, whined very loudly. He also has what sounds like his "man voice". Vocalizing in a deep, low-pitched yodel. It's kind of cute, less cute when it's been going nonstop for hours at 3 am when I have to get up at 6 am.

To me, it's the toughest part about getting a new puppy. It's heart breaking to hear, then I just want it to stop, then it begins to annoy me. So, I placed a futon in front of the door to his crate so he could see me. I bedded down with the futon, a pillow & blanket every other night.

FINALLY!

He only whimpers a little, now. Then, he chews on his puppy teether, then, I hear snoring. 

Yep, my boy snores really loud. Love it. 

I recorded his pitching a fit in his crate as I knew it would pass quickly. He changes a little every day. He learns more, grows bigger, even is slightly rebellious at times. That's okay. I still love him. I hope he knows how much I love him. I hope he loves me, too.

Most puppies will follow the human in charge, everywhere. 

Like Velcro.

That, it seems is also a stage.

When PJ stopped listening to me when I called him, I knew it was time to start training. A leash is a protective measure as well as a means to control, do some training.

That's phase one.

The fears that had niggled at me vanished as the knowledge from training other dogs came back to me. 

To establish dominance, I taught PJ to wait until I walked through a door, then gave him the hand signal to go through the doorway. He learned this in 2 days! I still have to reinforce it occasionally. Now, I give his commands in French or German in addition to English.

On March 20, I began leash training him.

Having taken him everywhere with me, even grocery shopping, he sat quietly in the cart on his blanky with his favorite chew toy. He would look to me for reassurance, petting his silky fur to reassure him was so nice.

First, I attached the leash to PJs collar, letting him drag it around for 2 days. Only taking it off when he went night - night in his crate.

When leash training him, I hold the loop with my right hand holding the business end, my left hand restricting his movement to hold his attention. I take 4 steps, stop, then, tell him to sit. He almost has it.

The next command to teach him is "down". 

"Down" is also useful to teach a puppy to keep from jumping up on me as well as other people.

Keeping a timer in my pocket, our training sessions only last 10 minutes at a time. Then, I give him a 2-minute break, then, we train for 10 minutes. Being mindful & watching his behavior, I can see when we have done enough for that session.

At first, it seemed that lavish praise was enough of a reward. Then, it stopped having the desired effect. I tried the clicker method, again, it was only working for a day or two.

As much as I would rather use other methods, I had to realize that PJ is treat or food motivated. He also loves ice, so, I use a small container of ice cubes in place of a food reward.

I rolled with it.

Whatever this puppy grows up to be, I will give him so much love, fun times, chest rubs, walks, treats & car rides. A good life.

I rub his chest instead of his belly. It seems a bit icky to rub so close to his Oscar Meyer Lipstick. 

Avoiding touching it is okay.

As many Dobie owners know, their dog's life span is an average of 12 years. It's important to relish every stage, all the idiosyncrasies.

that are part of the breed.

They are elegant goof balls. Most will hate going out in the rain, will sprawl out lying on their back, feet in the air. They communicate very well. Sometimes too well for their own good!

Dobie hissy fits are common, jealousy of other pets is common. Being a few steps ahead of their person is common as most Dobies are very smart, many have tendencies to try to dominate. They are owner focused, constantly looking at their persons face to get a good read on what the what.

Bonus content:

1. Giving a dog a bath can be a chore whether you bathe them at home or a local shop that has a dog washing area. I used to send care packages to deployed people. Mostly guys. A requested item was wipes to be able to keep clean when there was less time to shower or bathe. I bought Dude Wipes in bulk. PJ is a male dog, the scent of the Dude Wipes is very faint, has a masculine undertone. Instead of giving PJ a bath, I will opt to wipe him down with a Dude Wipe. Maybe a once-a-month bath or if he gets skunked or rolls in something really stinky.

2. PJ is a happy little guy. He's content with just about anything. I may have gone overboard on the chew toys - he has 10! He prefers an empty water container. I remove the label & cap before giving it to him. He even hides it if I try to take it from him.

3. Before bringing him home, I bought 4 separate beds for him. One for napping, one for the car, one for his crate, one as a spare. Next time, I will opt for sturdy instead of cushy & fuzzy. We are down to just one bed! He's a puppy, they chew on, rip apart anything they can. Those razor-sharp puppy teeth are lethal.

It's to be expected.

4. One big problem with many puppies is the puppy nipping. They put their mouths on everything & sink their razor teeth into it. This includes their people! I started wearing a long sleeve fleece hoodie. When PJ nips at my arms & hands, I pull the sleeve over my hand, when he grabs it, I gently push into his mouth. 

Telling him "No" has very little effect. It's a stage they go through. I have to keep him away from my chest & face as he goes after whatever body part is sticking out.

Use your imagination.  😁

5. Every stage in a dog's life is different with its pros & cons. It's best to ID possible problematic behavior to quash it before it develops into a habit. Being loving, gentle, firm is important. Most puppies want to please their people. If you reprimand them too sternly it will accomplish the opposite effect. From experience with this, I know to reprimand softly, praise lavishly. If the reprimanding softly is ineffective, bring it up a notch, just a little until it has the desired effect. Stopping the unwanted behavior. Verbal reprimanding, NEVER physical.

Dobies are so curious about everything. It doesn't matter how well I put things up out of his reach, he always manages to find a way to get into things he ought to leave alone. 

He's still just a 3.5-month-old puppy, still learning.

I'm writing this a few weeks later. 

PJ automatically sits, waits for me to walk through a door, then follows. No "sit" instruction required. When he is full grown, he will weigh over 100 lbs. Dobie personalities are to dominate everyone & everything. If he tries to beat me through the door, he could easily knock me down. So, to keep my position as Alpha, he has been taught to sit, wait for me to go through a door or doorway, then pass through after me.

He's learning so much so fast, Dobermans are very smart, I'm still in awe of him as he changes a little every day.

Crafty Goddess

This is a random pattern that turned up in a search I did for something unrelated to stitching. I'll take it!

She doesn't have an official name, I call the pattern, "Goddess of Crafting". The pattern turned up over & over until, finally, I was unable to hold back from finding it again - print - stitch!

She's so beautiful, such an easy stitch. I'll probably frame the finished piece & put her in my craft room.

This is how she was started.

The workload had eased somewhat as I prepared for the drive to Ohio & Michigan. There were a few frustrating delays. Fatigue, necessary car repairs, getting the car packed for the trip. When the going is tough, the stitcher gets stitching!

A part of the joy of being 100% single is that I do whatever I want, when I want to for as long as I want to do it! The scammers & players sometimes try, I let them know, up front. They have nothing I want or need or am even a teensy bit curious about. I have all that I want & need. TYVM.

As the design began to look like something recognizable, it was hella exciting. Her beautiful face reminds me of so many wonderful women I know or have known.

This is the point at which I had to stop. My car was repaired, packed for the trip to Ohio & Michigan, it was GO time! 

She is stitched on Cashel 28 Antique White linen. The designer is unknown to me, so, unless I find out, she's a lady of mystery. When finished, she will fit beautifully into an 8 X 10 frame or maybe the 11 X 11 frame I picked up at a thrift store in Ohio. 

Either way, I really like this design. Most likely, she will be complete by Christmas.

You see, I have this adorable puppy that I have wanted for so long. He is very curious, loves exploring, gets into everything, so, I have to watch him every second. Also, as with any puppy, I have to stay tuned to the cues he gives me that he needs to potty. He's been very good about it. He chose his spot for pee & a separate one for the other. LOL! I had started bell training him. A string of bells hung on the door. 

The little stink started ringing the bells when he wanted a change of scenery or just for fun to see me run to him, then, run to his crate, just to tease me. 

The bells found another home, the puppy is with me, for life!

I have a night time routine for him.

Dinner is at 6 pm.

After he finishes eating, we go for a short walk. When we get back, I put the soft puppy music on. My Dobies have all loved to suck on just about anything. PJ loves a pacifier that's made for Dobermans.

I sit on the floor (sit! Mom!), I put his blankie around him. Then I read to him until he is asleep. 

My boy snores really loud!

So precious.

I put him in his crate by 9 pm with a small hand full of dry kibble & his night-night toys. He has a large Lambchop stuffie that squeaks & a small one. He sleeps with "Little Choppie".  "Big Choppie" is for daytime.

Usually, at 2 am he wakes up because he has to go potty. Adapting to my puppy, I work online at home usually until 2 am. I take him out, then I hold him for a couple minutes until he falls asleep. Back in the crate, for the rest of the night until 7 am when he wakes up for breakfast, little snacks in between breakfast & dinner. Just a small handful of dry kibble, hand feeding him.

Time that used to be devoted to stitching is now for PJ.

Stitching, quiet down, needles, go to sleep, puppies grow up fast, their brief lives won't keep.

So, all of my stitching is on hold until PJ is a bit older. I'm loving every moment of his puppyhood. 

Not the diarrhea from teething. 

Just everything else. 

Ghosts & Ghost Photos

When I lived in Colorado Springs, Colorado, I loved to walk through Miramount Castle in nearby Manitou Springs on a self guided tour. People who know/knew of my frequent visits would joke about it with me. No one ever asked me why.

Possibly, they weren't interested in it or were dubious about what my answer might be.

The castle is well known to be haunted. For people such as myself, it's a multi visitation spot. There are many spots in the castle where it's far colder than other places. Years ago, I went on a self-guided tour with the intent to count how many cold spots the castle has. There were 82!!!!

On many previous tours, I saw ghostly apparitions, even felt a hand on my shoulder. Three times, I felt fingers running through my hair, trailing down the backs of my arms. I simply acknowledged the entity, saying, "Oh, do you like that?" Absence of response.

People who know me well, also know of my connection to the spirit world. Some have even encouraged me to rig my home with cameras.

Proof of something other worldly may be required by others who are unsure of it, themselves.

I know it's there. 

Photo or video proof is unnecessary.

I had my first NDE at around age 5. Since then, what is referred to as paranormal is simply normal to me. It's like having blue or brown or hazel eyes. I don't do anything to have spiritual sensitivity. It's just there as it has always been.

When I sense, see or hear a presence, I simply say, "Hello". The entity sometimes responds with a smile or nod or a "Hello" back to me, then, fade to nothingness. Sometimes there is no acknowledgment, that's okay, too.

Sometimes the entity will very slightly pause, just a moment of stillness. Then, they fade into clear air.

Having witnessed the spirits of people whom I knew when they were among the living as well as some that I didn't know IRL, I know enough to keep from caving to the propaganda that all spirit presences are to be feared.

When I stayed at The Roosevelt Hotel, knowing it was Marilyn Monroes favorite, I booked one of the rooms/suites that Marilyn liked & stayed in most often. When my friend & I opened the door to the suite, we both saw her. It was unmistakably Marilyn, sitting by the window in a white bath robe with her initials embroidered on it. Her initials before the world made her into Marilyn. NJM. She saw us, too. She turned, smiled, winked at us as her specter began to fade. My traveling companion did see her, acknowledged it at the time of the sighting, still denies it, to this day. That's okay, friend, it's a tough call.

Those who call themselves paranormal investigators are mostly a joke. Most of them will arrive, speak excitedly about what others have encountered, what they themselves hope to encounter. All of the fancy electronics these "experts" bring with them are actually defeating their purposes.

Entities encountered in a paranormal investigation are mostly intelligent. Spirits of living beings who have passed on are also intelligent beings. When the so-called investigators approach an area that is said to be haunted, asking the entities to participate in their "Dog & Pony" show.

Spirit - Knock twice if you hear me.

Spirit - If you're here, push that ball across the floor to me.

Was that you who pushed that bike? If it was, say, "yes".

Can you tell us what your name is or was?

No one wants to feel like they are being used or manipulated or made to prove a truth that they know in their heart or in the case of spirits, the heart they once had. There are some weirdos that might like it.

Asking the paranormal entities to put on a show for you is just as insulting. Most people will resent at being conned into being a dog & pony show, for the entertainment of others.

The hilarious part of all of this is what the investigators do when an entity appears or responds as it's asked to do. They run away! Screaming, yelling, grabbing their fancy equipment as they flee.

Of course, just like living beings, there are benevolent entities as well as the other with a myriad of categories in between. People have asked how to know the difference. Whether someone is part of the Savvy about Spooks sort or less, so. 

All people can feel it when the entity is of evil intent or not. Many people can feel it when they are in the presence of a living being of ill intent. An entity of evil intent is even easier to discern from a living one. You will just know.

It's a spiritual gift that all people are born with to lesser & greater degrees. The more you exercise this spiritual gift, the stronger it will become. Listen to it, discern as to whether it's your personal desire, fear, feeling, etc. or if it's an actual so-called gut instinct.

Paying attention so as to be in tune with your natural intuition, you may begin to have more encounters. Maybe it was there the whole time. 

People who live the hustle culture have noisy minds. Usually, a person with a quieter mind will notice that which is spiritual in nature. People who are constantly doing, doing, doing, have become human doings. They have forgotten how to be human beings. Just being.

This is far from a criticism of the mega busy people out there. More of a soft instruction if someone with a noisy mind to quiet their mind if they wish to experience "visitation".

Other than seeing Ms. Monroe, long before that, I began having experiences with what is now referred to as paranormal.  Four NDE's, communications from family have passed on as well as a few who were living at the time, are still alive. 

Along with this, the gift of being able to correctly tell the gender of a baby, often, before the woman, herself knows she is with child. A track record of 80/80 speaks for itself.

My first NDE at the age of five years, it was just a time extended encounter of what I had already seen, felt & heard. It was sacred, was also such a comfort to me as a small child. I drew on it in hard times.

I would suggest a caveat that just because a person has strong intuition, discernment, has had NDEs means more that they are gifted, less that they know everything. It seems to me that the closer a person is to a situation such as a romantic interest, a child, a family member, the more unlikely it will be to read them. Sometimes it is possible, mostly it's a flat feeling coming from the person. Attachment to another person often clouds a read on them or blocks it entirely.

In this instance, some clairvoyant people will seek a read from another clairvoyant or seer who is known for their accuracy. 

The fear of the paranormal is a result of social conditioning by the millions of scary movies, the vast attention paid to negative spirits.

Also, the whispering of people who are conditioned to fear nearly everything spiritual if it deals with the afterlife.

Do you fear it?

Is it because you were conditioned to fear it?

Have you experienced it, became afraid?

Here is a challenge. I would discourage others from seeking an experience with specters. More like, keep the thought in your mind for the next time you encounter something that is said to be paranormal.

It might surprise you at how it goes.

We Don't Talk Anymore

Well, we don't talk anymore like we used to do.

(Who is "we".)

 At the very least, in person or even on the phone. Even friends & family whom we share history, connection, emotional closeness with, often text instead of calling for a voice conversation or even a lunch meetup.

Oddly, some people will text from the next room over or even sitting down at the same table for a meal or whatever.

Then there's the oh so charming sexting with unsolicited pics of the texters anatomy. Delightful.

A tenet of my personality is that I count things. Breaths in, breaths out. Number of cars in a driveway. Number of times a person I consider as someone I'm emotionally close with has texted or FB messaged instead of talking on a phone or getting together to do something fun, with. Even someone within 10 miles of where we live.

The average is *1* in person or voice conversations for every 5 interactions.

That's sad.

This is what humans are moving toward.

Contactless interaction.

Contactless payment.

Contactless food delivery.

Contactless occasion greeting card delivery.

I get it. 

People are busy. Doing so much they have evolved into human doings vs beings. Yes, I use this phrase a lot as it rings true.

A person will give you their time according to where you, personally are on their list of priorities. Maybe if they miss you, or not.

There are times when it's necessary to text such as if the one initiating a text is in a loud area or the info is time sensitive. Or if it has to be saved in a device for future use.

Personally, fewer people have my cell number than many people who have told me how many people have their number. In the list of contacts in my phone, there are 20. Half of them also have my number. Striving to let a cell phone be a complement to my life vs it being my life is how I choose to live. A desire to spend more time doing other things besides glued to my phone is important to me. People I have spent time with, traveled with, often are on their phone most of their waking hours. They were texting & talking, watching videos, face timing on Meta/Facebook, checking sports scores, cruising social media. Mostly, missing what was going on around them.

Sadly, a law had to be enacted in Honolulu, Hawai'i, against being on a cell phone while crossing a street. There were so many losses to both visitors and drivers that a law had to be enacted. The only exception to this law is if a person has an emergency, is calling 911 for help.

A prudent measure, a sad commentary.

The fine for a first-time offense is a ticketed $35. The second offense is a $75. fine, a third offense is a fine of $99. After that idk.

What would the world be like, in present day, if cell phones were less common than they are? 

Would people spend more in person time with each other?

Would in person social skills still be as strong as they used to be?

Could the world ever go back to how it was? (doubtful)

Would the number of deaths go up if help was less accessible?

For sure, map reading skills would possibly make a comeback. Voice navigation makes road trips so much easier though it can go wrong. Seldom, yet, it does happen.

Before I began using voice nav, I relied on paper maps. As a backup, I hand wrote in glow in the dark ink, in large writing, turn by turn directions. That only got me so far. 

Even now, when I'm taking a long road trip such as Texas - Michigan or Ohio or Oklahoma or Kansas or New York, I still have back up directions. Service can go down, directions can be wrong, phones can be stolen/lost/damaged.

Being prepared is a prudent measure. 

Maybe the motto, "Be prepared" is more accurate than ever before.

Here is a thought, if your last interaction with a loved one was a 1-hour text session, would you wish you had voice talked, instead?

Something to ponder.

Although I admit, I talk. I talk a lot. Working to curb it lately has benefitted me, maybe others around me. 

Now, I have this adorable 3-month-old puppy whom I talk to a lot. 

More than just training & commands. My boy was nearly 100% house trained or outside trained (take your pick) when I got him.

Sit, stay, up, down, no-no, good boy, wait, I love you so much, who is my good boy, such a good boy, OMG just poop or pee, Out? okay, here's dinner/breakfast/snack.

That was overkill, it sums it up.

When I got 2 weeks off from work to get to know my puppy, he is all the company I need. It was a short amount of time for me to love him.

Of course, he doesn't talk, not in human terms, anyway. He is an AKC Doberman. The breed is known for being very expressive, communicative, affectionate, loyal, very intelligent.

Maybe he will learn to talk. 😊 

He's only 3 months of age.😇

My guy, PJ.

Short for Poseiden Jack. Jack is too common as a name.

Posy? Naaahh.

Fabulous Amyg-what?

Mind games can be fun. The sort that you play with yourself without the usual thinking of playing with the Gertrude or the Peter.

Listening to Coast-to-Coast AM podcasts gives new perspectives, sort of "out there" which is far from the mainstream babble. It's fun babble.

www.coasttocoastam.com

One evening a guest on the show spoke of the amygdala, what it does, where it is. The guest spoke of when it was discovered, how its function can be affected in different ways.

About 25 mm inside your head from where your forefingers can rest on your temples is where the amygdalae are. Almond shaped, they control emotions, memories, decision making. Amygdalae are very sensitive. They can be affected by stress, psychological & emotional disorders which impacts our behavior plus many responses.

The amygdala also plays a role in fear response, pleasure, social situations. This makes it a crucial part of the human brain.

The right & left amygdalae have independent memory systems while working together to store, encode, interpret emotion. The right stores negative emotion, the left, everything else. 

As an aside just because it's interesting:

~Feelings of fear are stored in the stomach & intestines.

~Feelings of repressed anger are stored in the lower back.

~Feelings from trauma are stored in the hips.

~Anger & suppressed rage are stored in the buttocks.

~Feelings of love are stored in the whole brain. 

~Anger, frustration & anxiety are stored in the forehead.

~Sadness is stored in the heart & lungs.

~Resentment is stored in the liver.

There is more information on which aspects of life are stored in which areas of the human body. It's listed online, your fave search engine can tell you. My career is in a field other than medicine, still, I enjoy researching this sort of information for myself, also for you.

Now to the meat of this entry. Meat. Mmmm. Meat, good.

The exercise I'm going to do the best to describe for you is termed Stroking The Amygdala or Stroking The Amygdala Forward.

As with many fun brain games, it may or may not help you to win at LOTTO, it may or may not be strongly felt at first.

Ready?

Let's do this.

Get yourself into a relaxed, calm state of mind in a dark or dimly lit room. Breathing exercises help. You knew that, right? Smarty shorts!

Laying on a bed or other comfy spot is conducive to this exercise. Having at least 15 minutes to do this, more if you can, is fine.

Clear your mind as you do your breathing pattern to calm yourself. Push whatever cares in your life, to the side. When you are so relaxed that you could possibly doze off, this is ideal. You might even fall asleep for a bit.

Close your eyes.

Imagine that there are 2 soft feathers stroking your temples in a slow, light, forward motion on both sides of your head.

If you wish, you can use your fingers with very, very light pressure.

If you have 2 feathers, you can use those.

When I first began doing this, I used 2 feathers.

Now, it's easy to just imagine that I have the 2 feathers.

After you begin this exercise, you might begin to feel sensations in your brain. As if something is moving around in there. It has yet to be proved, maybe something is actually moving.

When you feel it, you will know.

The first time I did this exercise, it took around 5 minutes to start feeling the sensations. Little butterfly flutters at first. As I did this exercise regularly, the flutters felt increasingly stronger, more rhythmic.

After a week, I began to feel stronger flutters plus something else. I began to see colors in a kaleidoscopic effect. At first they were very soft, stationary. Within 2 weeks I was feeling stronger flutters, brighter colors plus more different colors which began to move in a more intense kaleidoscopic effect. 

This is the most similar to what I see.

Using this exercise helped me to reduce stress, banish a headache, recover from heartbreak, calm my worries. It sounds so simple, I realize. In confession, I was very skeptical at first. Then, the thinking that crept in as a, "What do I have to lose? What is it possible to gain?" sort of feeling. 

It's a simple exercise that anyone can do with little to no equipment needed. Just a bit of time, patience & of course your head.

What is the old school phrase? 

"Try it, you'll like it."

Hopefully, this simple exercise reaches people who find it useful in managing everyday stress or the occasional traumatic event.

Truly, I would like to know if this helped you. If you wish, let me know in the comments section below this blog entry.

New Baby

How can you know when it's the right time to bring another living being into your life, your home, even your heart. It's so personal.

Doing so out of loneliness, fear, replacing one being who has left your life or passed on might or might not work for you.

Saying you will know is very presumptive. My readers are a very diverse audience.

Personally, I let myself do most of the grieving before opening my heart & home again.

In the recent couple of years, I began to feel healed enough that bringing someone new into my heart & home felt right.

Ready? 

Let's do this thing.

Trying to adopt a pet was so fraught with pitfalls. Pitfalls such as the pet going to someone else or the puppy's mother passing on before her puppies were born. Very sad. 

Filling out adoption forms at the animal shelter then waiting to be called, that I could go in, choose an animal to adopt. The call never came. I filled that same form out four times in three years.

Same animal shelter. Having found animals wandering around who looked skinny sometimes, a bit lost. I took them away from where they would starve or get killed by passing cars & trucks.

The same local animal shelter stated that I could not adopt because of too many "animal surrenders". No good deed goes unpunished.

Same animal shelter, more problems than a math book in their workers.

Have you ever heard the phrase, "Let go, let God."

That is what I decided to do. Reflecting on that time, I think that maybe I was trying too hard. Getting my hopes up then having them obliterated when it fell through was rough.

People will oft times feel someone or a pet near them in a presence that was comforting or telling them something. Only once, someone asked me what I dream about. The asker was a guy I had seen or talked to at the gym several times. It was a slow Saturday, I was hitting the free weights, weight resist & cardio so hard, I was drenched in sweat. Apparently, some guys like that.

The guy had been watching me. In a healthy, respectful way. When I work out to that level, I shower at the gym & put clean clothing on. My sensitive nose could smell the odor of sweat that was only starting to develop in my car. Ew.

Keep the car smelling sweet, save on the water bill, shower at the gym!

The guy asked me if I wanted to go just across the street for a late lunch. I was cool with that. Usually, I will only accept a date with 24 hours' notice.

I was hungry, bordering on hangry.

He was pleasant, a good conversationalist. Kool.

Then, the fated question.

"What do you dream about, when you dream?"

Oh goody.

As far as I knew, this was a literal question. It seems that he was being polite, hedging with his query. So, I told him.

"Lots of things, mostly I dream about Sammy. He was always with me, very smart, protective, I loved him, he loved me."

The guy got a slightly puzzled expression.

Then, I told him Sammy was my Doberman. A one in a million dog, a gentle giant that I still miss so much, I dream about him. The dreams often consist of walking in the door to the home where I lived at the time, asking if Sammy had been fed. If Sammy was elsewhere instead of greeting me at the door, I called out to him. He would bound toward me, whimpering a little, soft barks, wagging his nub-tail, looking into my eyes, letting me pet him, stroke his handsome face.

Yeah.

The guy may have wanted to hear about dreams of sexual fantasy, mild criminal behavior, edgy, maybe even a bit of kink. He seemed to be put off at what I told him. Oh, well.

It did cross my mind that Sammy might have been reaching for me from beyond the rainbow bridge, through my dreams. Possibly he was comforting me, maybe he was missing me, too. 

I can dream. Ha ha.

I had filled out forms online with a couple of registered breeders, 2 Doberman rescue organizations. Crickets-Crickets.

Finally, I decided to let go, let God. Then, it happened!

February 4th, 2024.

Remembering that day I was contacted by a registered breeder of Dobermans. It was a turning point for me. I missed the call on my phone as I usually only monitor my phone on Sundays. Anyone who knows me, knows that if they call me on a Sunday, it's most likely, I'll answer. Sometimes, I see or hear a call on other days.

Once in a blue moon, it does happen.

When I checked the web site of the breeder I had most recently filled out a form with, yep. It was them! My heart was pounding so hard as I touched the "call back" option.

After a pleasant conversation with the gentleman who answered, I let myself hope, again. I Paypal'ed my deposit to the breeder. I had gotten to this stage before. It would have been impossible for me to keep from getting excited. It was heightened excitement!

I began mentally tossing names around in my head. Saying a selected name, writing it on paper, doing numerology calculations for the name. My baby was born December 17, 2023, I looked up his natal chart just for funzies. The dog's health & temperament is by far, the most important aspect. All of my Dobies have had cropped ears & docked tails. Most breeders will dock the tail & have a trusted Veterinarian crop the ears as well as remove the dew claws. Most pro breeders will dock the tails soon after birth. 

Dobie butts are so cute.

If you have ever been walloped by a Dobies monster of a tail that is mostly bone & muscle, you might see the reason for this. It can leave welts, bruises, sometimes can even break through a person's skin. Dobies are very expressive, when they are vigorously wagging their tail, it can seriously hurt, break objects. 

Having a tail so long it can also be injured such as someone stepping on it, getting their tail caught in a door. It can more easily be injured.

Ouchies.

I find it amusing that people who think nothing of having their human boy babies circumcised, will criticize altering a dog for reasons that are just as valid.

Dobermans are mostly loaded with personality along with quirks that are specific to the breed.

Being a high energy person, the high energy of a Dobie as a pet/companion works for me.

Last week, I took a short ride to Tractor Supply. I looked at dog toys. Dobies need mental stimulation as much as they need exercise & attention. They need toys of different materials, firmness, noises, colors. They need to chew, play, get mentally stimulated. Something all of my Dobies did was to share their toys with me. 

See toy - chomp down on toy - bring toy to me & chew while it's in my lap or touching me. 

Sharing, lol. 

It didn't matter if I chewed the toy with them (I didn't). It didn't matter if I touched it with my hands or not. It was just a gesture of love, trust, play, connection from my dog. All 4 Dobies I had, did this. Such an endearing trait.

Some Dobie owners like this, some are irritated by it.

Loving all Dobie traits is how I roll.

Selecting 4 different dog toys to start off, then, I took a look at all the different varieties in leashes, collars, training tools. Having used a clicker to train dogs in the past, I still had a clicker that I had used to train over 100 dogs.

This was a new dog, getting a new clicker just for him felt right. It works because it's very accessible, quick & easy to operate. The clicker noise also lets the dog know instantly what the correct & expected behavior is so they can know what to do as well as what to avoid doing if it displeases the trainer. 

Every dogs' personality is unique. I'll watch his personality unfold.

New beginning, new unique dog.

The excitement went to a new level as I looked at leashes, tag collars, training collars. There were so many choices in colors, materials, lengths, weights.

Two dog control/training items I avoid are a shock collar & a retractable leash. 'Nuff said.

It's from personal experience, personal preference, what is best for me, what I feel is best for my dog. Dobermans are very smart, very easily trained, usually. They can be a bit stubborn sometimes, they push boundaries more than most breeds. As a puppy, my Dobies would test me to see what they can get away with. Just as a 3 - 5-year-old human child often does.

Dobies are also known for being very affectionate, easily trained, they can be the K9 version of divas or drama queens/kings. 

If a dobie becomes bored or lonely or wants something they are not being given, they know how to pitch a fit! Drama - Drama. After all, you're the human, the light maker, the food bringer, the treat holder, you must figure it out or listen to them in full on tantrum.

One thing I feel for certain is that they are the best breed for me.

Soon I will make the 5 hour road trip to get my puppy, bring him home, start to enjoy him, love him, train him. I have 2 weeks away from work for him to adjust to me, for me to adjust to him. Getting to know each other is such a fun time. Yes, he will probably cry, whine, miss the warmth of security of his mother, his brothers & sisters. 

It's a short time compared to the life & love of a great dog. 

The return investment is so worth it.

Dobermans I have had before, the first was actually my mother's dog who liked me as his person. I had three Dobies in my adult life. One was just 10 weeks of age when he passed on. Heart breaking.

My new puppy will be my fourth Dobie, possibly my last. idk.

, 

All I know is that I will give this puppy all of the training, love, loving firm discipline & chin scritches (Dobie butts & Dobie chins are the cutest!). Because my puppy is a male, I will rub his chest, just, not his belly.

Even accidentally touching his oscar meyer lipstick is icky.

I will love him. Appreciate him even more as I know it goes by too fast. Soon he will be too big for me to carry or fit his full body onto my lap. I took very few photos of my other dobies, I'm going to take lots of photos of my new puppy. 

My boy. 

He's my good boy. 

PJ.