
Since returning from the UK, I have been very sick and it has been a grueling chore to drag myself out with the pets. On one particularly difficult day, a neighbor shouted across the street to me from his porch as the pets and I walked by. He bellowed, "I have so much respect for you. I am so impressed with what you do and I just want you to know I just have so much respect for you." I thanked him as politely as I could muster in my clouded with illness state and walked on. But tears began to flow. Happy tears. The pets and I get complimented constantly but that specific compliment, at that precise moment, from that particular neighbor was exactly what I needed. And that is why, even when ridiculously ill, I take my pets for a walk. And the ease with which I can walk my pets is why I train them. I am a proud ambassador of responsible pet care.
The neighbor who made my day is one that Jason and I have waved to and had polite "hello's" with but had never officially met. Jason and I walked by that same neighbors house at dusk the next day and he asked where the bird and the cat were. I laughed and told him it was too late for those two to be out. The neighbor then began to tell Jason about his encounter with me and the pets the day before. He recalled that I was across the street and "the big dog got it's leash wrapped up around the light pole support. She just looked at the dog and with the calmest voice said 'fix it' and that dog came right back around to her," he reminisced. "I was just so impressed." To my pleasant surprise, the neighbor then came down his porch steps and formally met Jason, Wilhelm, Brychwyn, Huxley, Morgan and I. Hopefully he will soon be properly introduced to Leo and Amelia too. And I while the reason that I train and socialize my dogs isn't to make them breed ambassadors or to impress anyone, I hope we keep leaving a positive impression on everyone one we meet but particularly with this kind neighbor.
Obviously, significant moments like the one I had with our neighbor and amazing photographs are some of the huge benefits to having well trained and socialized pets. I take pride in being an outstanding example of responsible pet ownership in my neighborhood and everywhere we roam. In the end, training is all about making my pets happy. They need to use their brains. They thrive on having jobs. They flourish when mentally and physically stimulated. Yes, they're all excellent breed and species ambassadors. But more importantly is that they are happy. And nothing makes me more proud than that.
How are you and your pets ambassadors for positive reinforcement training?
Have you ever been pleasantly surprised by someone unexpectedly complimenting all of the hard work you do with your pets?

Mark your calendar's for next month's blog hop: October 6th. The theme will be Positive Training Fun with A Box!