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In early December, we were working a local farmer’s market where my wife sells hand-crafted jewelry. While she was talking to another vendor, she called me over to where she was being shown photos of six puppies needing homes. Before being asked, I said “NO!” I had to repeat myself several times.
The presenter questioned me “Why not?”
I answered, “Because I will be the one having to walk it, and clean up after it, just like our poodle.”
Joy: “Please!”
Me: “No!”
This volley continued until I said, “Lemme think about it for a while.” Five hours later, she asked again, adding some reasoning: “I’m still recovering from surgery. Marcel’s too strong for me to walk. I can walk this one alongside the two of you and get my own exercise, since the doctor said I must lose weight.”
I asked, “Is it housebroken?”
“It’s been inside the house,” she answered.
“That’s NOT what I asked you!”
“Wellll…”
“Well, nothing… this is conditional. I will not be the one cleaning up its poop, pee, vomit or anything else. That’s your job exclusively.”
Life with a husky puppy…
The next week an 8-week-old husky puppy was brought to our door. The first morning, I woke Joy up to six puddles and seven loose piles. Shortly after she began clearing the minefield, she begged for my help. I acquiesced, and on several mornings after she went to bed in pain, Mr. Nice Guy surprised her and let her wake up to clean floors. Otherwise, she complied with my caveat.
Joy named her “Storm.” I immediately thought of the meme, “The Devil whispered in my ear, ‘You’re not strong enough to withstand the storm! Today I whispered back in the Devil’s ear ‘I AM the Storm!’” How apropos!
After two weeks of “hit and mostly miss” training, Joy said, “I think I made a bad decision.” This is the closest she’s come to saying, “You were right”.
Although I went and let the little girl get into my heart, we agreed to find her a better home, since neither Marcell or the two cats were adjusting well.
By amazing coincidence, the daughter-of-our-heart in Tampa mentioned in passing that she’d been wanting and praying for a dog. Joy asked, “Any particular breed?”
“A husky!”
A prayer was answered—two prayers!
Michael now walks from one end of the house to the other without looking down. Share your training experiences with him at micwrighthamo@gmail.com
