It’s Wednesday, hump day, the middle of the week, and nearly the end of January already. The most exciting part of my day yesterday was finally taking the blankets off the fillies because the weather warmed up enough to take them off. They had them on from Thursday night until Tuesday afternoon. Which is pretty remarkable considering they have never worn blankets before. They were itchy and glad to have them off. If you have horses and ever wonder when is the best time to put blankets on or take them off, I have a video you might want to check out. That video is here https://youtu.be/ki59ziJpKaw

The other new thing we did yesterday was I took the dogs to a dog park we have never been to before. It was not a great experience. At first, there was only one other dog there, a bored, badly behaved dog who barked and barked at everybody and whose owner did not recognize that it is not ok behavior. The dog jumped on the fence barking as we approached , and when we left, which was highly unpleasant and insistent. It made my dogs tense. Then another dog showed up, a larger dog very aggressive in his body language, direct eye contact, fast approach, he was scary, and made my dogs nervous, and again the owner was unaware and blissfully ignored the way her dog threatened my dogs, and was more concerned with finding out my dogs names. Sigh. I do not want to subject my dogs to behavior like that. It’s like taking your kindergartner into the prison yard dressed as an adult, instead of onto the playground. I pretty quickly got my dogs out of there, and we just went on our regular walk, all three on a leash, without much fuss, and way less stress.

To dog park, or not dog park? That is the question. The answer depends on the dog park, and what other dogs are already there. I used to go to a dog park in the city regularly, which was great. Saturday afternoons all the same people and dogs were always there, with their water jugs, ready to just sit and mingle and socialize with others while their dogs played together politely. The whole vibe was wonderful and quite enjoyable, but I have been to many dog parks and most are more like the first one, not the second. So always be careful for your dogs safety, health, and be aware of others who are less aware of their dog's behavior. If you are not feeling good about it, it’s ok to just leave, don’t let anyone else try to convince you their dog is ok if you don’t think it is. Protect your pet because more often than not, the other person is not aware of how inappropriate their pet's behavior is. Don’t let that be you. And if it is, and you don’t know how to correct it, and you want to, I am there for you. Send us an email and we will get you the help you need.

Today I am grateful for my busy, productive day yesterday. That the girls did great in their blankets (and last Natalia asked for hers to be put back on, and she was the only one besides Olive), that all was well at the dog park and nobody got hurt and some lessons were learned, that I got up early this morning after sleeping well and had time to devote to planning the day and how I hope the day unfolds, and I am grateful for all the animals, my fish which we enjoy more than I can express, the dogs who help us feel safe and protected, and the horses for their beauty, strength, tolerance and kindness.

​I am looking forward to this unique day, what it will bring, and how I can be of service to the universe today because, as you know, since I woke up today, there is something I am here to do. Just like you. And, tomorrow is not promised. Not even the next hour. Anything can happen at any time. Best to live your best life, every moment of the day, because in the end, that’s all we have anyway. Be kind to yourself today, you Animal Loving Angel, have some fun, and dance in your bare feet! You have the power to make it a most wonderful day, so today, choose YOU!

Check out my YouTube channel for a daily "Good Morning!" from the rescues and lots of free tips and training resources. https://www.youtube.com/@the1drq