Quick Sunday Note

Mary-Ann Sontag August 2, 2020

For a Sunday, it has been a busy day.

Alison J. and I recorded the first Puppy U class for Team Wildflower this morning via Zoom — thank you so much to Alison for her willingness to help with this endeavor. I will have the video edited and uploaded this afternoon; we will also have a private Facebook group to support this remote learning opportunity.

After that Pozy and I headed off to visit Jay, Suzanne’s husband, as he generously offered bounty from his incredible garden.

We are healthier already from all the greens — thank you, Jay! And Pozy got to add a new person AND a new place to her Notebook of Novel Experiences — and she had a short (crated) car ride as well.

Suzanne is off on an adventure but Pozy reports that Suzanne’s flowers are just fine under Jay’s care…

And then another Zoom session while Pozy napped from her busy morning — this is Pozy and Harper B for Best Great-Auntie Ever.

I hope you are having a terrific and amazing Sunday!

Secret Sauce

Mary-Ann Sontag August 1, 2020

Having just one puppy is actually pretty darn easy — at least compared to nine! But yes, it is an adjustment.

Having a new puppy is a lot like having a tiny human because life revolves around Pozy’s sleep/wake schedule.

I continue to be committed to Novel as I raise this puppy. Today I took Daisy and Pozy down the road to where I walk as this was a new location for her. We drove the one-half mile because Pozy is too small for real walks. Once there, we just meandered a bit — and took photos…

She is — so far — unfazed by new places. My goal is to do this kind of thing a lot so novel is just normal.

This was a quick series of photos…

Daisy remains a wonderful mom but has decided the Milk Bar is officially closed. Pozy seems fine with that, and they have a lot of fun playing together.

Pozy is my 13th Berner puppy! I have learned so much from raising the first 12, and Pozy will benefit from that experience.

I know, for example, not to be a rush about much of anything and to just relax about most everything puppy. This is not to suggest I do not train Pozy — in fact, I train her a lot. But what I train is all about establishing a relationship, teaching her how to learn, and reinforcing engagement. Those things are the Secret Sauce to success in Life with Dogs — and especially Life with a Performance Dog.