Welcome To My Zoo
I have an overwhelming appreciation for every single individual that led me and Boss Babe Dog Training, LLC to where it is today, but I thought I’d start off by introducing my most influential supporters: the nine million animals living in my house.....Okay, nine million is exaggerating a bit. Nine, I have nine animals. Saying that number out loud honestly stresses me out. I definitely did not set out to have four dogs, a foster dog, and four cats under one roof but here I am. Thirty, flirty, and covered in animal hair. While there are days that I feel overwhelmed and want to throw in the towel, I made a commitment to these furry creatures...and if I’m being honest, I can’t imagine life without them.
The Original FurBabe: Isis
Named after the Egyptian Goddess Isis, Goddess of Life, Love, and Magic; not to be confused with the terrorist organization.Years ago I worked as a teacher at a Montessori school. This school was the type of school I wish I had growing up with a huge emphasis on learning in nature, compassion for all living things....and there were dogs. One of the teachers working alongside me fostered with a rescue organization and would oftentimes bring a foster dog with her to school. I mean, why don’t we have more schools like this?!
Well, one day she brought in this tiny black puppy, she was about three months old. She and the rest of her littermates had been left at The Greenville Shelter and luckily rescued by this organization. She followed me around that day clumsy and oh so sweet. One thing led to another, and she fell asleep in my lap. “Ok Jewel, I’m not prepared to fight this battle. You win.”
I knew very quickly that this gem of a girl was mine. After I adopted her, she came to school with me daily, chasing butterflies and birds, and I watched her personality unfold into the most passive, docile, confident-tempered dog I’ve ever met. It’s been 8 years with this amazing girl and she’s taught me many things, but the one lesson that I’ll never forget: Mindfulness. To live in each moment, to stay present. That was always the opposite of me. I struggled on and off with anxiety and depression and had attempted suicide about a year before I had met Isis. I had all the worries...All. The. Time. Isis has a calming presence that I can’t quite explain, but you feel it when you’re with her. I may have rescued her, but she saved me. She is magic, and she shares this magic with all the dogs that need a little help feeling confident in the present moment. She is THE Boss Babe, the real dog trainer, and I’m beyond lucky to have her in my life.
The Naughty Girl: Nadia
A few months after having Isis, I met this six-month-old chocolate pocket pittie, Nadia. She wasn’t feeling well the day I met her, and her pitiful amber eyes and runny nose really made me fall in love with her. Her foster mom was concerned about her being ill around the tiny puppies she had at home, so I offered to foster her temporarily until she was feeling better. Temp foster, yeah right. I took her home, and my home became her home. She quickly became best friends with Isis, and Isis was so happy to have a playmate.
Playful, silly, bouncy and a lover (and licker) of all people! Little did I know, this wiggly girl was a spitfire and had plenty of life lessons to teach me. I could honestly write a whole book on this girl and everything she has taught me, but if I had to pick one thing it would be Compassion. She had some behaviors unfold as she developed that I honestly had no idea how to handle.
She became extremely reactive (barky, lunge-y) on leash with other dogs, would bully other dogs at the dog park and fence fight with other dogs. I spent a lot of time with her being overwhelmed, embarrassed and frustrated. A friend of mine recommended a trainer, a trainer who used an electronic collar, a collar he described as similar to a tens unit. He had me feel the “muscle stimulation” of the collar on my hand, and I let him strap the electronic shock collar on her neck. I listened to him explain that she was only yelping when he shocked her because it startled her, that she would get used to it, that it doesn’t cause pain, that it was okay. I like to think that I chose to do this because he convinced me it was okay, but I really just think I was outside of my realm in understanding her behavior, and he gave me a magical tool that would solve all my problems and “fix” her.
This is the part where I tell you the training didn’t work and shock collars are bad, positive training is better... but here’s the thing, the shock collar worked... on the surface at least. So I understand why people choose to go this avenue when it comes to training, because I did. All hope was lost and then this tool gave me a way to control my dog. What I didn’t realize is that what was happening underneath all of that “control” and “obedience” was a living, breathing, feeling dog who had her own emotions.....that she couldn’t freely express. Her fear and anxiety when interacting with other dogs grew, but her reactions had been suppressed. She deserved to feel safe. I needed to do better, but to do better I had to know better. I delved into the world of dog behavior because of this naughty girl. With each client I meet, compassion and understanding first, training second. Nadia has been my most difficult dog I’ve ever worked with, but the most rewarding relationship.
The Grumpy Old Man: Einstein
At fifteen years young, this old man was the next light to enter my life. I was never a small dog person, and I don’t know if I would say that I am one now....but Einstein, not quite a dog. He’s more of a tiny, wise, human in a furry Shihtzu body.
He followed me around as a foster, and if I decided to close a door between the two of us, he would let out a hoarse bark that you couldn’t ignore. He became my shadow, and I wasn’t mad about it. I have a really fond memory of a time he stole an unopened stick of string cheese, and when I noticed I rushed over to pull it out of his mouth (we don’t eat plastic, Einstein), and he bit me. Like, really bit me. There was no blood or anything, but it still hurt....physically even more than that, it hurt my feelings.
I remember crying and so confused as to why he would bite me if he loved me.... of course, love had nothing to do with that. I had only had him less than a month and I tried to take a high-value piece of food out of his mouth. If someone tried to take a slice of pizza while I’m working midway through a slice, I might decide to bite too. Who knew such a tiny body would have such a big lesson for me: Respect. Dogs tolerate so much of our human antics, the least we can offer them in return is our respect. We can’t expect our dogs to understand that when we reach to get that plastic-covered string cheese from their mouth, our intention is to keep them safe. What we can do is be responsible for taking the time to respectfully build trust with our animals as well as teach our dogs how to navigate through an unfamiliar human world without holding them to our unrealistic expectations of how a dog “should” act.
The Best Borky Boy: Todd
Also known as #hotToddi. Isis was growing older, and I was looking for another helper dog to add to the pack to help lighten the workload a little for her. I met with a few puppies, and then I met five-month-old lab mix Todd, formerly known as Hunter. He approached me with all the wiggles and I really did try to resist his charm, I even told his foster to give me overnight to think about it. Of course, I could not get this golden boy out of my head, but I also knew Nadia would need some convincing before I could commit. I took Todd home for a trial so that I could begin a slow introduction with Nadia.
Isis immediately loved him (and that’s saying a lot because puppies are not really her thing), Einstein was Einstein (he doesn’t really have many feelings about other dogs), and surprisingly Nadia very quickly warmed up to him. Within a few days, Nadia and Todd became the best of friends, and I knew he was the one. Fast forward a few months later, and a past hip injury had unexpectedly caught up to him and had started to affect Todd’s growth. The only solution was hip surgery.
After the surgery, was a long road of recovery, crate rest, and minimal physical activity for 8-10 weeks. Have you ever tried to keep a seven-month-old puppy calm for over two months?! Yeah, not an easy task. I became the fun police. It was a very difficult few months, but of course, there’s a lesson wherever there is hardship: Patience (& Forgiveness).
My plans of him being a helper dog had been put on hold. The lack of continued socialization and pain he was experiencing during this time led to some inconsistencies and insecurities with other dogs. I feared for how this would affect his work I had expected him to excel in. I blamed myself for not doing enough for him before the surgery. We were also in the middle of a pandemic, soooo....I quickly realized that I had to set aside my guilt and impossible expectations for him to be “the perfect helper dog” and get creative with ways to continue socialization simply for his well-being. We were not permitted to go for long walks or play with other dogs yet, so I began driving him around to see other dogs, building positive associations with yummy foods, and watching dog park tv with short walks around the park. It wasn’t much, but it was something. Sure enough, he slowly started building his confidence back up, he graduated from physical therapy, and is slowly growing into a really wonderful helper dog. Moral of the story: meet your dog wherever they are. Be patient with the training process, and forgive yourself for not being “the perfect pet parent” (there’s no such thing).
The Sweetest Girl: Lucy
Of course, I can’t forget the sweetest foster dog, Lucy. She’s going to make someone an amazing companion one day. Adopted and returned three times due to fear (she shuts down and takes some time to build trust), but once you build that trust, I promise it’s worth it. She’s amazing and is constantly teaching me how to be a better dog mom and trainer. She’s up for adoption through The Chick With Pits. Take a look at their website- so many deserving dogs waiting for their perfect people.
Last but not least The Boss Babe Felines that run the house and do their best to tolerate all the dog shenanigans: Stella the catdog(body of a tabby cat, personality of a dog), Doctor Pepper the quick learner (will work for food), Damien the beautiful affectionate Bengal (but scared of all things new), and Tink the not so feral cat (that was trapped to spay and release and quickly discovered she was not feral after all).
It might be a zoo in my house, but it’s a zoo full of the best teachers. They’ve shaped me into the trainer and behavior specialist I am today. I’m no dog whisperer, I’m simply open to listening, learning, and growing with the animals around me.
This blog is dedicated to that happiest hippo in all the land who’s no longer physically with us but is always in my heart reminding me to find joy wherever I go. Rest In Peace my brave Dolly girl.
