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10 June 2004
"...if you want to have a better dog, you will just have to be a better human..."
I enjoyed Jon Katz's book, A Dog Year, immensely, and I've also been enjoying his column on Slate's site. The title quote comes from his most recent column, "Good Dog, Better Man: How Your Pet Can Improve Your Morals." We've all, I suspect, heard the saying about dogs resembling their owners (or vice versa), and Katz talks about why--and how--there might be some truth to that observation.
Wallace is smart--sometimes too smart, I think--and knows how to put my patience to the test. Some days he seems to know how to push all the right buttons when he wants something, whether it's food, or attention, or an earlier walk than usual. But I have noticed that when I don't let myself become frustrated--when I pause, take a breath, and deal with him calmly--he's happier and more cooperative, and I'm not left clenching my jaw. A very good lesson to learn, and one to take to heart in other areas of life, not just those involving canine companions.
Speaking of my little guy...
Wallace is very happy to be back among his favorite lawns and smells after a sojourn to Nevada, where we found ourselves in the midst of almost record-breaking heat (at least for this time in June). I don't think there was a day below 105°, and at times Wallace just sniffed the outside air and decided that he didn't really have to go outside. As unusual as the temperature was, however, he did pretty well. I mean, think about having to walk into a sauna and across hot pavement, in a fur coat, just to take a poop.
He wasn't terribly crazy about the five-hour drive, either, but we decided to use the road trip as an opportunity to test his response to Rescue Remedy, a homeopathic floral essence used by many humans (suitable for vegans!). It had been recommended by several members of the Corgi-L list as something to try for dogs that become upset by noise and/or travel. Wallace hates fireworks, so we thought we'd see how he responded to Rescue Remedy on the road before using it during the Fourth of July holiday. The results were somewhat encouraging. It doesn't make him dopey (like Valium or other sedatives would), but it did seem to take the edge off his uneasiness. And the drops can be applied to his tongue, his nose (where he licks them off), or to a piece of a biscuit.
He did enjoy the visit though, especially since he still had his own crate and got to spend time among some familiar faces, and I suspect he got far more treats than he normally does at home. For that I think he'll agree to cross the Mojave again with us some time soon.