Monstermom Gets Her Act Together (... you know - maybe)

Listen up boys and girls: vitamin D is not to be messed with. I've been feeling increasingly weak and tired for months now (you may remember me complaining...), and about a month ago it got so bad I had to lie down just from walking upstairs, I found myself getting disoriented on walks not remembering where I was or what I was doing, and my entire body ached nonstop. I finally pulled myself together and had myself checked out, and it turns out I had severe vitamin D deficiency. I've been eating prescribed pills for about a week now, and I feel like I'm returning to myself - it's ridiculous how bad I've been feeling, and how poorly I've been functioning. Not just physically, but mentally as well. Perhaps I'm just having a placebo effect right now, but either way it's working so I'm going with it!

Hear, hear! You were not the only one affected...

Today was the first time in a long time I did a spontaneous and fun training session with Monster. For I-don't-know-how-long all daily activities has basically been focused on finding ways to give Monster something to do which required very little from me. Even days when I really tried to do proper training, I'd get so exhausted in under a minute that I had to sit down - I can't believe now that I just went with it and didn't seek help! But today we've been working through a basic obedience program (modified for him being kept on leash, as we still don't have a fenced in area to work in), with a lot of running, wrestling and playing tug. And it was so much fun!

Yeah! Finally!

I complain a lot about Monster. This whole blog is actually all about complaining about Monster, in a way! I think I may be presenting a very skewed picture of him. So I want to say this: Monster is an amazing dog. With a better trainer, and with an early, correct approach to his issues, he'd be a freaking miracle in the ring! He is hyper responsive to minute signals from me, he is a workaholic - I have never managed to push him to the point where he doesn't want to continue training - and he is curious and inventive. He has a huge chase drive, and an innate interest in objects and activities. If a human handles something around him and puts it down, he will immediately investigate it and try to engage with both the object and the person who had it. He will pick up the book you just put down, retrieve your hat and shoes for you when you take them off, and immediately unpack a bag of groceries when it enters the house. There is so much potential in him, I'm just bad at channeling it...

I know, right!?

Then again, it's not all sunshine and roses. He did try to eat a group of Jehovah's Witnesses today...