Training Leo helps

Leo has a few behaviour issues, most of which are now very minor and getting better. But one that could be a problem because it would annoy the neighbours is that he barks. It’s mainly two places, at the workers at the nearby subdivision being built, and also at a neighbour’s dog the other side of the fence. He can go on awhile as he makes his toy dog high pitch bark. He wouldn’t come inside when we called him. SO: We got out the dog training clicker we originally got for Sunny and started using it instead of calling him. He learned VERY quickly and now comes running inside with one click, two at most. It’s reinforced with a “treat” (actually just a piece of his dry dog food), as instructed. It’s made all the difference! I recommend trying the method if you have a dog needing training! 🙂 #furbabies #gooddaddies

A post shared by arthur_amerinz (@arthur_amerinz) on Jun 26, 2018 at 10:05pm PDT

I shared the photo above to Instagram a couple days ago. As usual, I planned on sharing it here, too. Then life, and world events, changed everything and I didn’t. Now, it provides a “nice break” from heavier topics.

The photo is described in the caption, and it tells the story. The only thing I can add, really, is that yesterday I bought another clicker to keep on my desk so that when I'm downstairs I have one available to use (so I don't have to go upstairs to get it). This is a very good thing.

However, the truth is, the only reason I didn’t post this on this blog back on Wednesday, when I took it, is that I was tired that night. But the next morning when I got up and saw the news that Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy had announced he was retiring, gifting another Supreme Court seat to the radical right, well, it knocked the wind right out of me. That night I just didn’t feel like saying anything about anything.

To be honest, the furbabies have helped keep it real over the past couple days as I came to grips with what the news means now, and will mean in the future. Writing my previous post on the implications helped, too, because that allowed me to focus on the mechanics and processes, rather than the emotion.

But it has also severely disrupted my blogging schedule—and, yes, for a change I actually had one. But I was too—what’s the word? Beaten down? Whatever the correct word, for a day I was unable to think beyond the profound sorrow I have for my native land, and where it is now headed, precisely because I warned about exactly this situation for many years now.

But then I recommitted myself. I’m not going to let those neo-fascist motherfuckers win without a fight. Way too much at stake.

But, clearly, I shouldn’t let it stop me from posting cute furbaby photos. Trust me on this: It is a real antidote to so much that is wrong with this world.