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The Adventures of Jet As told by BJ…

How well do you know your Boston?  I mean really know him? 

As pet lovers, pet owners, slaves of pets, we are attuned to their whims.

We know what a particular whimper means or what sitting in a certain place means.  Now, I am not proclaiming to be a "horse whisperer" or the next Sonya Fitzpatrick (I don't think I could pull off the boots look), nor do I claim to have full-blown dialogues with Jet.  More like googly-eyed soliloquies delivered to a rapt, eager, yet wholly non-communicative Juliet-

How do I love thee?

Let me count the ways!

Thine bowl and Kong overfloweth

As doth my heart with love for thee!

In truth! Forsooth!  Uncouth!  Vermouth!

But I digress.

As life is a learning experience, so is learning to communicate with your four-legged loved-one.

But I have a secret.

Wanna know what it is?

Okay, lean in close and I'll tell you:

To better understand your dog, be your dog.

Like a warrior who has read Sun-Tzu and knows he must get into the head of his enemy, like a great actor surrounding himself with the types of people he is meant to portray, so must you get into the noggin of your fuzzy pal. Ever notice how dogs greet each other?  That's right.  Without going overboard, give Fido a sniff. (Immediately after a bath doesn't count!) Take in a deep breath and identify that musty, doggy smell.  Ours smell like corn-chips, no?  The smell of rolling in grass, slinking under couches and being lovingly covered by old blankets. You're sure to get odd looks from him.  Especially from other humans if you lack the discretion to do this exercise in the privacy of your own home.  But the smell you should know. Like your favorite dish, quietly simmering on the stove, like the heavy odor of a lover's perfume, like a rich and pricey merlot, the natural scent of your beloved pup should draw you, intoxicate you and make you salivate!

Okay, that's a bit much.  But the familiarity of the scent, the closeness of knowing it, that should be treasured.

Next, watch what Spot does.  And do it.  Obviously, don't run after cars (unless you're in great shape, this is too tiring and, more often than not, makes you look like a lunatic) and don't roll in anything deceased and decaying.  But by all means, share a sunbeam on the rug. Roll in the grass.  See why it feels so good mushed between your toes.  See why it smells good.  See why it tastes good at your own risk. Lie on the couch, flat on your back with your head hanging halfway off the edge.  Your tummy unabashedly on display.  See why they're smiling when you find them this way.

Play with each other to the point of exhaustion. For one day, lock yourself in a room with a gallon jug of water and a tennis ball and a cushion on the floor.  No phone, no books, no TV.  Maybe the radio stuck to one station.  Preferably broadcasting in a language you can't understand.  You're only allowed to play with the ball.  Then pay attention to how you feel when someone comes home.

When you lie together on a lazy Sunday afternoon, place your head on his chest.  Not all the way unless you've got a bully-sized Boston because, as we know form the kid on Jerry Maguire, "The average human head weighs eight pounds" and I know the 20 pound Maestro would not find this comfy. But place your ear to his heart and hear it's beat.  Hear his breathing.  Try to match your rhythms and cycles to his.

Doing all these things will not turn you into Dr. Doolittle.  You will not be able to discuss at great lengths the pros and cons of US foreign policy over dinner.  But you will be able to see into their beautifully dark, beautifully bulging, beautifully watery eyes in an entirely different way.

You will notice the lifting of an eyebrow, the turning of a lip.  You will understand why he leaves a full food bowl, albeit momentarily, to make sure you're still making coffee.

And if you don'f feel a little worse about leaving for work in the morning, if you don't throw that ball "just one more time", go back to step 1.  Rinse and repeat as neccesary.

Novice: 6:30-7:30  -  Open: 7:30 - 8:30  -  Utility: 8:30 - 9:30

Competition Obedience Classes, Vancouver, WA – Every Monday evening
Smart Partners Dog Training - Instructor: Joan Armstrong - near Clark County Fairgrounds - Contact: joana@zoiedog.com for availability and registration