Pet Perch: It is All in the Drills

By Terie Hansen

Sit/down/sit drills firm up your dog’s sit and down commands. When you tell your dog to sit or down that is what your pet should do, and he or she should hold that command until told to do otherwise.

Oftentimes when owners give their dog the sit command the dog sits for a little bit and then either pops up or lays down. Follow through and have your dog do what you told him or her to do, not what your pet feels like doing. Allowing your dog to ignore your command gives your pet the go ahead to not listen to you at other times.

Let’s say you tell your dog to come to you, but in the past you’ve allowed your dog to do what he or she feels like doing instead of listening to you; then in that moment that’s exactly what your pet will do. Follow through to get what you asked for.

Here are some reasons why dogs don’t listen to their owners:

Chaplain’s Corner: Make Your Story Count

By Rev. Dr. Rodrigo Cruz

One of the things that my wife Kelly and I like to do at night is to watch TV shows together. Between juggling both of our jobs, trying to keep five children alive, managing a thousand of activities for every family member, and whatever it is that life throws at us, spending some time to decompress together at night is something that we really treasure.

So, we have decided to alternate picking shows according to our preferences, and while one of us will choose the show of our choice, the other one has to endure it and actually try to enjoy it. Some of her shows include, This is US, Virgin River, and Handmaids Tales, and some of my shows include Breaking Bad, The Office, and Yellowstone

Often while we are watching the shows, we find ourselves pretending we are in the shoes of the characters, and we begin wondering what our actions or reactions would have been if we were the ones in the show.

The reality is that our lives are a little bit less dramatic than the lives of most of the characters that we watch, thank you Jesus for that. Nevertheless, the roles we are playing in our lives count, and whether we are famous or not, we are writing our own story.

I am not sure what your life looks right now, but if your life is like mine, you may be in a season of drama, you may be leaving a season of comedy, or you may be even entering a season of terror. Yet, regardless of what your season may look like, I want to encourage you to make your story count.

The truth that we need to be reminded of is that someone is always watching, someone may be inspired by our words and actions, and more importantly, someone may be affected by the roles we are playing. For that reason, one more time, I want to encourage you to make your story count.

Rodrigo Cruz is the Lead Pastor of The Nett Church. More information at www.thenettchurch.com.

1. They weren’t taught the command in the first place! ***Your dog does not speak English! You cannot ask your dog to do something that you have not taught them.

2. The command was not taught properly and/or long enough. ***It takes a lot of patterning over weeks of time. Thousands of consistent repetitions for your dog to grasp a concept fully.

3. They weren’t consistently made to follow through and do the command. *** You give the dog a command and for one of the above reasons he or she doesn’t do it, and you don’t follow through to make it happen.

4. You haven’t maintained what you taught your dog. ***Even if you taught it and your dog knew the command(s) very well at one point, if you don’t use it enough your dog will lose it. Use the commands that you have taught your dog daily. Work them into your daily routine. It’s simple at that point. Use them when you’re making your breakfast or grabbing your coffee, before you go in or out of doors, at feeding time, before getting in the car, while watching TV, eating dinner, or inviting guests into your home.

These are all great times to insert a sit, down, or place command. Throw in some recalls while you’re walking your dog or playing in the yard. It’s all in the drills. Drills engage your dog and maintain a high level of performance, which makes your pet much more enjoyable to live with.

Terie Hansen is the Owner or Good Dog! Coaching & Pet Care More information at www.gooddogcoaching.com

Conflict Corner: Hurry, Hurry, Hurry…

By Barbara A. Bailey, PhD

Has the pace of life picked up lately for you?

For many, the school year is moving full steam ahead. That schedule alone can bring a faster tempo of life in your home, your work, and all the other activities that we find ourselves constantly juggling.

Maybe, you have decided to look for a new job, continue to look for a job, or decided to open your own place. I know around my community that new businesses have opened, and I haven’t had the time yet to visit them for a taste of new food or hear some live music or just browse for support and welcome.

It just seems to me that the demands on time and the pace have picked up since a few weeks ago when I found myself in more control of my schedule. And I don’t know about you, but when this shift happens for me, I must take some breaths, some breaks, and some reality checks.

Conflict lurks when stress occurs. It has its own agenda and can erupt when time is short (real or perceived) and too much needs our attention (all at once). We get in the car and find ourselves distracted, gripping the steering wheel, and not paying attention and before we know it, we’ve run a stop sign, a red light, or a school zone. Hopefully, no one has been hurt by our actions, but it can happen “out of nowhere.” You find yourself short-tempered. Your neighbor gives you a look

February Photo of the Month:

and probably doesn’t realize he or she has done so across the parking lot or backyard. So much for a friendly wave or nod of the head, right? It’s not just you or me. It’s many of us and we need to think about it now.

Think about your plan of action when you get under stress from increased time pressure in your life. It will happen. It.will.happen. So, to keep the conflict gremlin at bay, what is your plan of action?

Exercise. Take stretch breaks. Eat (not the time to skip meals) or eat without reckless abandon if stress eating becomes your coping behavior. Talk it out. Journal your thoughts. Maintain your sleep schedule (a big one that many of us shortchange ourselves). Say “no” a bit more. Remember, as said often, “No.” is a complete sentence. What works for you?

If you don’t have a plan, now is the time to craft it (How do you like that one? I added another item on your to-do list!). If you have a plan, work it and adjust it as needed to maintain focus, health, productivity, and perspective.

I have a sign in my home office: “Peace. This We Choose Each Day.” When the clock races, when my mind tries to race with it, and when the pace quickens, I find myself repeating this phrase. Maybe it will help you to practice proactive conflict management of yourself “in times like these.”

Barbara A. Bailey, PhD is the co-founder and CEO of The Healing Bridge Foundation.

Ryan’s Remarks Continued from

page 7 and that we do not work for it. The personal touch in relationships built on trust matters now more than ever. Small businesses usually get this right, so please support one in our community today.

If we want to communicate more effectively, we must consider our audience. Do we encourage others? Do we make other people smile, laugh, and have fun? After all, adults are just big kids at heart. Being “normal” (whatever that means) is pretty boring. People want to see real, genuine, and authentic behavior. So, be YOU and enjoy living in your own skin and quit worrying about what other people are doing.

People will talk about you no matter what you do. So, my advice is to give them something good to talk about. Time is ticking and today is “a present,” “the present,” and “our present.” So, make the best out of each hour you have and encourage and inspire each other.

I wish everyone a super February, and I encourage you to make someone’s day. WOW them. Why? Because it feels great and it is an amazing thing to do. Be upbeat, be encouraging, smile, laugh – and if all else fails, “fake it until you feel it.” And until next time, and as always, thank you for continuing with me on the journey of my town, your town, OUR TOWN!