Today's Cloud

Less than one minute after my brother entered the house, he squared off against an overexcited Monster and growled at him to -Cut it out!

Whaaaaat? Are you joking? Are you threatening me? I think I'd better react to both possibilities simultaneously.

So I asked Roar to please be mindful of not frightening the dog (who was by then bouncing up and down trying to get in Roar's face), while trying to distract and calm Monster down. Unfortunately, my brother appears to have heard this as "Please grab the dog by the neck and tell him off more sternly, and then try to grab him around the muzzle when he comes close again"...

Not sure how I could have mumbled so badly that that's what it sounded like?

Well, you work with what you've got instead of wishing you had something else. After leashing Monster and getting my brother to sit down for a while (not by telling him to do so, as that would most likely result in him starting a wrestling match with Monster, but by bribing him with coffee), things calmed down again. I don't know how long it'll last, but it's not a disaster it's just an opportunity. For what, I'm not sure, but I'm determined not to get bogged down in "if only" and "I wish".

Suck it up and deal with it!

Look, I know you're dumb... But you've got to know you're not fooling anyone - not even yourself, easy as that should be.

Today's Sunshine

Well, my brother turned up eventually! That's a relief.

Wait, was he ever going to not turn up? You said he was coming, and then he was here. I don't get the problem...

But this is supposed to be about Monster after all, so... Monster was fairly attentive to me on our morning walk today. Not very attentive. But on the other hand he was very wound up, bouncy and excited. In that state I'm lucky he doesn't try to pop my hand off at the wrist with his tugging, and I can get eye contact with the man in the moon easier than with Monster. But today, even with the screaming of the pheasants and the rustling of the running deer (are they standing around waiting for us, like the background people in The Truman Show?! lay off with the constant temptations, Bambi!), Monster kept an eye on me, often stopping to look back, and even being mindful not to get the line tangled around trees when he left the path.

Not bad.

Today's Cloud

It will soon be midnight, and my brother is nowhere to be found. Talked to him two hours ago, and then he was half an hour away. He's not picking up the phone since.

If you're doing this to mess with me, you're going to regret it!

Haha! Uncle Roar is so funny!

Today's Sunshine

Logged quite a bit of time today trying to get Monster to not attack the lawn mower. Mixed results. The lawn is partially mowed, and Monster remains just as convinced that the mower is a demon carriage...

It is! I'm saving you!

... Yeah, I know this isn't sunshine material. But quite honestly I've got nothing, and it's just too depressing to do an all cloudy day yet again. Hence: lawn mower practice, yay!

Today's Snore

Monster is very tired tonight. He'd like some peace and quiet so he can sleep. Continued tapping on the keyboard not allowed.

Sznnnffrrrrrkz... Leave me alonezzzzz...

Today's Cloud

My brother is coming to visit.

He'll be here the day after tomorrow.

Good lord...

What? Uncle Roar is coming here?

First of all, I love my brother. I really do. He hasn't been down to visit in years, so he hasn't seen the house or anything. That bit will be fun!

Secondly, he loves dogs, he really does. But he doesn't really agree with me on how to treat and train dogs. He's not extreme, but he is old school. And that of course shows itself more when it comes to Monster, since he has the behavioral issues he does...

Roar won't actually do anything to Monster, and he won't directly interfere with the training. But those of you who have an older brother know about the pressure of the Silent Judgment, and the stinging of the Scoffing Remark, right? Oh, man...

Read my lips: No! More! Whining!

Monster of course loooooves Roar. They've met when I've been back home to visit family, and Monster finds Roar to be one of the few men up there he'll love unreservedly. He hates my father, for instance. And in general, he has some difficulties with the lumbering body language, loud voices, big gestures, and violent humor in my home village, especially with the men. But for some reason my brother is exempt, even though he's at least as loud as anyone else (he's called Roar for a reason), and quite confrontational when he feels Monster should chill (so, always). It's a mystery to me.

You don't need to get it. Shut up and start baking, we need to make Uncle feel welcome!

And now the real reason this truly is a Cloud. I've saved this for last because it's actually been difficult to type it out, much harder than I expected it to be. Roar had to put his own dog down two days ago. He was a wonderful dog, who unfortunately suffered from patella luxation and bad hips. He was fearful and aggressive from the start, although he did become more accepting of people in his last few years. He always liked me, though, and would come up to be cuddled from the first time I met him. He loved to play fetch, and he was such a good dog, in spite of all his issues. My brother won't talk about it much, but I know it hurts. It wasn't a surprise, he's been living on borrowed time for more than a year, but while that should make it easier I'm not convinced that really is the case...

Monster and I will make Roar feel welcome, though.

Or possibly Monster will eat him, no way to be sure...

Today's Sunshine

Monster and I met Teach again this afternoon. Overall, I'd say it... didn't go that well. I had trouble finding the correct moment to praise and turn, Monster was all over the place mentally, and we didn't get as close to the staged dog as we've been able to get in earlier sessions.

What do you mean, "all over the place"?

So why is this posted as Sunshine?

Because Monster had fun. Some days, that's important to remember. I may not be seeing amazing progress. Monster may spend more time jumping to headbutt me (or Teach) and chewing on the leash than he does walking nicely towards and away from the dog. He may even freak out and lunge toward the dog when he does bother looking at it. But through it all, even the lunging, he was happy. Sure, he was Monster-happy, which usually means there's a bruise or twelve in the future for me, but I don't need to have an easy dog as long as I can have a happy one.

DONE!!!

But... maybe next time he can be a little bit easier too? Just a little...