November 2023

Welcome to our world
​Picasso

Think LIKE a Dog 
or
Think FOR a Dog

As many of you know, Barney, our rescue dog, entered our lives on April 15th, 2023.  When he arrived to our home, we were told that he was saved from being euthanized by a very kind and compassionate person. To this day we don't know who that person was, but we're extremely grateful to him or her. Barney is a special little boy. Over the close to 7 months he has been with us, we've bonded splendidly.

Before Barney rescued us and right after Dagger ventured over the Rainbow Bridge we were for the first time in 40 years empty "dog" nesters. Initially, I just couldn't see adopting another dog. My grief after losing Dagger was so deep. But, as time passed, I thought about how through Dagger's legacy and the legacy of all of our other dogs that we had rescued and adopted over the years it was super important to keep this legacy alive by welcoming other dogs into our hearts and home in the future. So, with this in mind, I applied to be a Therapy Dog handler for Canine Companions. After an intensive application process, I passed,  However, the person interviewing me told me that it may take months for me to receive a dog that's been released into their Therapy Dog program. You see, the dogs that are accepted into their Therapy Dog Program are Canine Companion puppies in training on track to be Service Dogs. If their professional trainer sees that the puppy in training exhibits something that prohibits them from being a Service Dog, they're released from the Service Dog Program. If the professional trainer sees that the puppy has the qualifications to be a Therapy Dog for Canine Companions, then they contact the Therapy Dog Headquarters and see if there's someone that fits the dogs temperament and qualifications. Usually they're being released due to some small quirks and issues.  So, having said that, there are very few dogs that fit this criteria that come along.  Furthermore,  for a dog to be released in the Northeast Region matching my therapy facilitator needs is like finding a needle in a haystack. I wanted a dog that gets along with children, adults and other dogs. I also wanted a dog that is medically fit to do his or her therapy work with me.  ​That's why it takes so long to be matched with a dog. I really didn't have much hope in ever being matched with a dog. I knew that this would take time and may never even happen.

Until, I got an email from Canine Companions that a dog named Picasso III was being released and fit my Therapy Dog Handler needs. In addition, they told me that his Professional trainer had been teaching him how to hold a paint brush!!! How absolutely amazing is that!?!  

After discussing bringing another dog into our household with my husband, Denis, we agreed to meet Picasso. When I wrote back to Canine Companions to let them know that we wanted to meet this little guy, I couldn't help but think that Dagger had something to do with this match. Well, as you can imagine we were in heaven when we met him...it was love at first sight. Without further adu, we adopted Picasso the day we met him on October 15th. Exactly 6 months after we adopted Barney. So, as you can see, it didn't take long before we were a full house again!

Arriving home with Picasso, Barney seemed cautiously welcoming. Denis became very mindful of Barney's behavior and felt that he was depressed and sad to welcome a new friend into his established domain. In a way, I felt it too.  However, I also know that bringing a new dog into the house takes time for the existing dog(s) to get used to. I told Denis, we need to give this some time for them to get to know one another. He agreed.

Debi Feliziani, owner of DogWorks Form and Function located in Holbrook, LI, NY, is a wonderful dog trainer. She has often said that we must think like a dog. Dogs do let us know what they're thinking through their body language. That's how they communicate with us. For example, if a dogs eyes become big and rounded it may mean that they're feeling stressed or threatened. "As a general rule, a dog's level of attention can be determined by watching their ears: Erect ears facing forward indicate that they're engaged, and slightly pulled-back ears signal that they're feeling friendly; but dog ears laid tightly back against the head suggest a fearful or timid reaction."(1) Debi teaches her clients how to recognize a dogs body language. And use this language to help us "Think LIKE a dog."

Neither Denis nor I saw any real signs that Barney was stressed or threatened or even depressed by Picasso's living with us now. But, Denis kept saying, "I think Barney is depressed...look at him. He has to share his toys and he's seems to just be laying around."  I told Denis that Barney was always like that.  We just didn't notice this before because he was an only child then. I reiterated what Debi had always said..."We must think like a dog!" Then it dawned on me that we were not thinking LIKE a dog, we were thinking FOR our dog. We were transferring our feelings right on to Barney. Barney was clearly not feeling these same emotions. Were we feeling sad for Barney that our lives were about to change now? Were we noticing things about ourselves that we had gotten used to with "only" Barney. Maybe. But through our observations of Barney he showed absolutely no signs of anything out of the ordinary. This was Barney. Through and through. Rather, it was us. We realized that we had to relinquish these feelings and let them go.

From that moment on we let the dogs do their thing.  As a result, they've become the best of friends in less than two weeks.  How great is that!?!  In fact, they're so good for one another that they have come to rely on each other for things.  Barney helps Picasso and Picasso helps Barney. What I've noticed lately is that Barney doesn't cower down anymore. He seems more confident with Picasso here. ​

God blesses us in ways that we can only imagine. If you had told me a year ago that my life would change so dramatically by November of 2023, I would've never believed you. Through loss and grief we've emerged knowing that God still has a plan for us. I thought that after Dagger passed I had lost my purpose in life.  After all, on January 17th, 2023, I lost my baby, Dagger DogVinci, and got fired from my job as his painting director and Workshop Buddy. But, as time healed and the treasured memories surfaced I saw a new purpose. That's why we must never give up. There's always something or someone waiting with angels wings there for us. We just have to be open to the blessings that come along.

Have a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!
​🍁
Happy Tales to you,
xoxo Yvonne

​God bless our Veterans!
🇺🇸

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Bibliography:
(1) https://www.thewildest.com/dog-behavior/ears-held-back#:~:text=As%20a%20general%20rule%2C%20a,a%20fearful%20or%20timid%20reaction.