Can you, or can you not, teach an old dog new tricks?
Well friends, in my house the jury is still out on which way to flip that aphorism. The dog: our yorkie, Ella who, coming up on six is not so old but is intractably stubborn. The trick: sleeping overnight in her kennel. An idea we’ve been bandying about for ages, but like most unpleasant things (think physical therapy, oral surgery, or taxes) have kicked down the road until the pain, and the inevitable consequences—in this case, losing my mother as a pet sitter ahead of a two week trip to Europe—become impossible to ignore. Ella, who is otherwise a pretty tolerable dog aside from being a bit barky, has taken to copying my husband’s habit of falling asleep on the sofa. Which was okay until she started waking me at ungodly hours to be let into the bedroom—or, as the days lengthened, to demand a sunrise breakfast.
Sometime in late March, I finally realized the behavior was not going to correct itself. It had become untenable. I couldn’t, in good conscience, ask my 80-year-old mother to deal with this. So, I drug the crate out of storage and read a few blog posts. “Start with a few minutes, and work up,” they all said. In other words, baby steps.
Rome wasn’t built in a day.
It’s true. But what is also true: it’s easy to delude ourselves that we’re shoring up the building by tightening a screw here and there, when the real problem is a swampy foundation. Wanting to up your veggie intake? Okay, add some lettuce to that mayo-soaked sandwich. Trying to break a habit of running late? Start setting yourself an alarm.
In my case, if I’d had six months (or a less obstinate dog) that approach probably would have eventually yielded me a dog who slept in her kennel. But I had two months, and a dog who is capable of learning at least a few tricks. (Stalling bedtime by zooming around beneath the furniture. Then staring me down in the yard and refusing to potty. Finally, developing a stoic ability to refuse the most mouth-watering treat.) “Evasion tactics” I quipped to my daughter, after announcing that Ella had beaten me. The previous night her barking had kept me up a chunk of the night. This, on top of two weeks of ever-later bedtimes. After listening to her bark for well over an hour one night, I finally caved.
Missing the forest for the trees.
It hit me then: I was playing too small, afraid to address the bigger problem. Eating more veggies is only one small part of adopting a healthier lifestyle. Tackling chronic lateness is one aspect of a larger time management issue. My husband and I didn’t just want a dog that slept in a crate. We wanted a dog that was calm and obedient, in any situation. You know—the pooch who lies peaceably on a restaurant patio, tucks up in a little knapsack and sleeps beneath the seat of a plane, who doesn’t herd houseguests to the sofa with frantic, earsplitting barks.
So, I went big. I contacted a highly-recommended board and train facility and took Ella in for a consultation. I loved what I heard, what I saw, but most of all I loved what I felt. My nervous, ever-vigilant fluff ball picked up the chill vibes, too. Could they take her when we went to Europe? Sure, but it was a one week program and a two week trip. They could, however, get her in sooner. As in Monday. It was Friday afternoon. To reserve her space, I put down a non-refundable deposit, transferable to a less intensive training program. At home, I called my husband (who was out of town on business) and got his buy-in. The next morning, I went to PetSmart and dropped 70 more bucks on supplies. It felt like getting a child ready for sleepover camp.
Now, I sit in a silent house wondering how my little nugget is adjusting. Barring an emergency, I won’t hear from the trainer until Thursday. So for now, I’m imagining her gobbling endless treats and romping around with her new doggie friends. I won’t lie: I am a little tense. But I’m pretty sure that when we bring her home after next Wednesday’s graduation, we’re going to wish we’d taken this leap ages ago.
And then we’ll celebrate our win by cooking Ella a chicken dinner.
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Recommended reading: I recently finished: Unlikely Animals, by Annie Hartnett. New author for me, who I discovered a few spaces away from Rufi Thorpe on the literature map (if you have a few beloved authors, this will show you others who are similar). LIke my novel, It’s inspired by a real (and fascinating) place but tells a mostly unrelated, completely fictional story. Quirky, laugh out loud funny in places, but ultimately a heartfelt look at one family and a small town deeply affected by the opioid crisis.
Pair with: Ita’s Rose, Los Milics Vineyards. If you love a dry, yet zesty rose, this will not disappoint. Heavy on one of my all-time favorite wine grapes, Grenache, it tastes like tangerine and yellow cherries, has a little minerality on the finish to balance it out, and (maybe my favorite part) has just a teeny bit of effervescence so it drinks like a little party in your mouth. Perfect for all the hot, sunny days ahead.
lisabinsfeld.com 