Harper

2021: A year in review

February 22, 2022

In the past when I did my year in review post(s), they tended to come out in late December or earlier in January.

But that’s OK – I haven’t done them in a few years, so this turned into a much longer post.

I have a feeling many of us would say 2021 was a year of craziness. Between Covid and all of the other things happening around the world, it was going to be nuts right off the bat.

But, when you get into personal worlds, things can be different. Depending where one lives, you may have been able to do things differently or were able to kind of have a “life” of sorts.

Living in a small area has allowed me to live life a little more loosely, all while making sure I follow the guidelines set in place. So let’s take a peek back at 2021.

1. Harper

To say my life changed on July 2 would be an understatement. That’s when this little furball of a puppy came into my life. We had picked out Harper from a breeder about 1.5 hours away and got her at nine weeks. I had done so much research on dogs and golden retrievers over the past year or two, so I thought I was ready for this.

To a point, I was. But in a lot of ways, I wasn’t even close.

Puppies are a lot of work.

I took two weeks off from work when she came home and I was naive to believe that’s all I would need to get her into being the perfect dog.

Ha!

I can’t even say how wrong I was.

Let me say this … if I didn’t have the emotional attachment I have to Harper, and I could go back in time knowing everything I know now, I wouldn’t do it. I would likely still be dogless, or would have tried to find a rescue I could bond with. But, I can’t go back in time and with Harper being more than eight months old now, it’s amazing to see how far she has come.

That doesn’t take away how hard it was for a few months, physically and emotionally. I also think it’s quite safe to say I will never go through having a puppy again. One time is enough for me. I was at the end of my rope many times. I questioned if I should keep her or talk to the breeder about returning or maybe rehoming.

Then she’d look at me with that golden look. And she’d sit at my feet.

Like I could get rid of her?

I also was fortunate in finding a great doggy daycare/boarding place. The owner owns goldens, so that was great. And Harper loves going there.

But…

The biggest thing that happened was finding the right trainer. I had one session with a trainer and I just didn’t agree with the style, so I contacted another who was highly recommended.

Life. Saver.

I truly believe it’s safe to say that if I hadn’t found her, I’m not sure where I’d be. She doesn’t just train the dog, she trains you. She’s always there to help and work with you. She’s also into dog sports and we’ve worked to make sure Harper is, too. While she enjoys everything so far (toss and fetch was the first), it seems her love is dock diving. I want to also try some agility, eventually, with her, but I love dock diving and that’s what I want to focus on. It’s so much fun and Harper showed great strides in the fall. I can’t wait until spring to see where she can go with this!

One thing I’ve learned, however, is this is going to be constant. She will continue to learn and grow. And it’s a constant growing experience for me. We are still working on some things – such as her wanting to jump up on people or trying to get stuff on counters. But that will come in time.

Over the six months she’s been with us, what have we learned? A lot. She’s grown into a great dog. She’s one who will cuddle and snuggle. She loves to play fetch, more with tennis balls. And she will go for a long time if I let her. She’s curious. She’s stubborn. She loves to walk, but she needs a job so she is usually carrying a stick or a stuffed animal.

I’ve been told I seem to smile more and laugh more. I hope that’s true. She’s brought a lot of enjoyment (and frustration at times) into my life, but I’m really starting to have a crazy good bond with her, and I’m trying to plan more places I can go with her. I also love when I come in from work and she comes running to see me.

Where from here?

Well, I want to work on her with photography more. She tends to shy away from “posed” photos, but I can get plenty of sleeping and action photos. The jumping needs to be worked on as well. Finally, the other big thing is working on her in cars more. She gets motion sickness at times and will throw up. I have a lot of places I want to take her, so this is something I need to keep working on. With my 50th coming up in a couple of years, I’m already planning an epic road trip and I want her with me, of course.

I post plenty of things about Harper on my Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hoohaa29/), and I’m sure there will be posts on here. But, Harper also has her own Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/harper_dublin/) and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/HarperTheGolden), but I need to do a lot more work on that one.

There is no doubt that Harper is my No. 1 item for 2021. I look forward to watching her grow and develop and continue to be part of my world.

2. My health/personal life

I was doing so good.

For the first part of 2021, my A1C continued to go down. It was awesome. And the last 3-4 months of the year changed that. High stress – from work and Harper and the holidays and everything else, I just wasn’t good. I was still working on Harper and walking, so I wasn’t moving as much as I should have been. And I also ate more crap and my portion control went out the window. Thankfully, I haven’t put on a ton of weight, but at the same time my A1C took a jump up (got my results a few days ago).

It’s not an excuse, but I know what happened. And I know the reason. So it’s time to dial it back and get myself on the right path again. I have done it before and know I can do it again.

Harper walking more will help.

I’m also trying to utilize my normal planner into a life journal. The weekly look at things has more on it than just the normal stuff. If all goes well, that will give me some accountability. It won’t happen overnight as I don’t have a ton of self-control at times, but it will happen.

All of my other blood test results looked fine. My blood pressure and such was fine.

In regard to other things, I’m pretty content in life. I was able to travel a little and get out and see things. More on that below.

Being able to get away some, like this short trip to the Jersey Shore, has helped my mental and physical well being.

I think the reality of our current world situation – not just the pandemic, but everything political and all, has made me realize that I need to find the more fun things in life. I have to find the simple pleasures.

Part of that, of course, is trying to find things to ground myself and enjoy the steps in life. That, in turn, should help with my health.

See, I’ve always been a bit high strung when it comes to stressful things. Over the past few years, I’ve worked on that to try and dial it back. Part of my issue is work. I tend not to say no, or take on way too many things. When I was at the newspaper, I rarely turned something down or made a case why I shouldn’t do it. I just did it. I’d have vacation days at the end of the year that I needed to take or lose them because throughout the year, I’d not take them.

In the end, I was laid off due to cuts. The newspaper didn’t show me any loyalty when all was said and done, so what did I get in the end? Notta.

Therefore, as I moved forward, I knew I had to watch for myself. Everybody is replaceable. At my current job. I still push myself probably too far. But I don’t sacrifice “me” time. I take vacations. I take care of myself. And, for the most part, those above me encourage and support employees to take care of themselves. Mental health issues are real and I’m lucky that my employer(s) take things seriously and don’t want to see people have issues.

That means I take vacations and unplug. I try to get outside and explore. I look to see new things and experience different parts of life. With Harper, I like to go and see different things.

And a lot of times, when I do this, I don’t look at my email etc.

Exploring the world around me has been beneficial healthwise. I tend to smile a bit more when I get outside and I’m seeing different things now. Everything is new to Harper, so it’s enjoyable to explore with her and see what she finds interesting.

My health – both physical and mental – are doing much better since the start of 2021. Though I took some steps backward with my diabetes control, everything else seems to be doing better. It’s a long road and I will keep working on it.

3. COVID

What a world in which we live.

COVID has taken over everything. And no matter what side of the fence you are on when it comes to the severity of it, masks, or vaccinations, the reality is we are still deep into it.

And we’re also at a breaking point.

The reality is, the majority of people who are going to get vaccinated have already done so. Those who are against it are likely not going to change their mind. And masks? Those who will wear them do so. Those who won’t, don’t.

We’re two years into this. Almost 5.75 million people around the world have died from the disease, including more than 900,000 in the United States.

People are going to be set in their ways and beliefs. Sure, you’ll get some who might change their minds some. But the reality is, most are staying along the path. At some point, though, you have to wonder when we start coming out of this. Is there herd immunity? Is there something with the variants getting weaker as they come out? Will it become a yearly “flu” shot?

I’m vaccinated. I have a booster. And I wear a mask. I’ve been exposed a couple of times and am thankful I didn’t show any symptoms. I haven’t had to be quarantined because I am vaccinated. But at the same time, it still wears on me. I try to do what I can to stay safe and healthy. And I hope others, even if they are against the vaccine and masks, will take others into consideration when making decisions. The sooner we can all get closer to being on the same page, the sooner we can hopefully move away from this and get back to some sort of normal.

4. Baseball!

One thing felt a bit normal in 2021 – being able to go to baseball games.

It started in April when we went to a Phillies game. At that point, there were limited seats. Only like 10,000 people were in the stadium, and masks were to be worn.

As the season continued – at the minor and major league levels, more people were allowed in, of course based on where you were. Mask mandates were lifted or softened. By the end of the year, it truly felt like baseball again.

I didn’t make a lot of baseball trips this year. In fact, I only hit four stadiums – Syracuse, Binghamton, Philadelphia, and Aberdeen. The last one was on a late-summer trip to the Baltimore area for geocaching.

It was nice to be able to hit a few baseball games this year, even if the majority of them were closer and quick trips

It was nice to be back in a stadium for games. I likely would have been to more games, but with getting Harper, it was harder. We did take her to one “Bark in the Park” in Binghamton and will do so again this upcoming season.

The little things truly do help you cope with the bigger picture. Even just a fireworks night at a baseball game can help make you smile a bit.

It’s funny, though. A few summers ago, I was pushing 75 games. At the end of the summer, I was thinking how crazy it was. Fun? Yes. But still crazy. And it wore me out. Then the first summer of covid, where all minor league games were canceled and no fans for MLB came and went. And, shockingly, I didn’t miss being in the stands as much as I thought I would.

It was great to get back to it this summer, though. I’ve realized that if I stay in the 25-40 game range most summers, I’ll be quite content and not feel burnt out from going to games.

It’s only January, but baseball will be back soon enough. Well, hopefully. They still need to figure out the CBA.

5. Travel

Travel returned this year to many people. With the loosening of requirements, people got out and visited friends and family. Went to new places. And tourism started to come back into the world.

I can’t say I went a lot of places, but I got out a little bit, even if just for a few small trips. I had the chance to go see some baseball games this past summer and I also hit up the shore twice, so that was nice.

I didn’t travel as much as I might have liked this year, but one thing is for sure — I’ve realized you can travel closer to home and still find fun things to do!

I will admit that I’m still a little skeptical about flying. I realize it’s probably overall safe, but I’m not sure how I feel about being masked up for a several-hour flight. And remember, I’m pro-mask for myself in most situations – and being in a tube above the world for a few hours would be a place where I’d wear it.

But, as things seemingly start to slowly once again improve (I hope), maybe things will get better.

One other thing to consider moving forward, though, is Harper. I plan to hopefully take her on many trips, which will scratch flying. I am not one to want to put her through that experience if not necessary.

I’ve also realized over the past year, there’s a lot of things within driving range I’d like to see. New York State has a ton of amazing parks to explore. There are different places throughout the Northeast I’d love to see. And heck, there’s much more in the United States and Canada I’d like to see – and it can all pretty much be done via car, which also means being able to bring Harper with me.

Look around your own backyard and parks and such near you – sometimes traveling doesn’t have to be far to find some fun things to do.

6. Geocaching/getting outside

Getting outside was a must in the past two years.

And though I haven’t geocached as much as I once did, it was nice to get out there and do it again. There’s plenty of them to find around me, so it has been good when I’ve needed to do something. I’ve done a few geocaching trips as well, which has allowed me to see some new areas and parks.

I’ve tried to be out more and to also get back into geocaching a bit. It’s been fun and it’s also nice to find some creative hides.

In 2021, I found a total of 231 geocaches, which isn’t my best year by far, but also isn’t my worst. The good part of it is that it was toward the end of the year that the numbers started coming around. I did 23 days worth of geocaching, averaging 10 per day.

The good part is many of those caching days were toward the end of 2021, which means I started getting into it again. As 2022 has started, I’ve already started getting some days in, which is great. And I’ve been bringing Harper along, which is even better.

Obviously, Harper won’t be logging in her finds and such, but she seems to enjoy wandering around and exploring as we’re out on the trails caching. It’s just been really nice to get out and find some caches as well as place a few.

7. Financial

I’m in a better place at the end of 2021 than in the beginning, that’s for sure, I’m still not where I probably should be overall, but it takes time.

If you think back to when I came out of college, I went to work for a daily newspaper. Needless to say, I wasn’t getting rich there. Looking back, I have to wonder how some people survived (or still do) working for newspapers. It’s definitely not a way to get rich. Hell, in many cases, it’s not a way to even be middle class. And while I’m currently not on track to be rich, I’m comfortable. And even better? I’m saving for retirement, and doing so rather aggressively.

A few years ago, I opened a new credit card and transferred all balances because it gave me interest free on the balance for like 21 months. I paid that off last January, which was outstanding. That meant I was out of credit card debt.

Now, I use my credit cards sporadically for purchases and then work to pay them off as fast as I can. It was nice because I had a Lowe’s card that I put the fence for Harper on. That will take some time to pay off as it was an investment, but I felt a lot more comfortable doing it with having a clear balance.

I also am adding more to my retirement accounts as I know it’s something I have to keep building. When I started this current job, I had zero savings for retirement. And what little amount I did have, I had to use when I was unemployed.

With working for the state, I have a pension now, which is nice. I also have two retirement accounts I’m building. Who knows where this world will be when I finally can retire, but I want to be as ready for it as possible. I wish I had worked for the state a lot sooner in life, but there’s not much I can do about it now. The end result is I will just have to work until at least 65, if not a bit beyond that, to maximize certain things. I’m OK with that. It’s just nice to know things are building toward that age.

Finances are tricky and always a work in progress. I’m definitely better now than I was 10 years ago, if not just the understanding part of things.

8. Looking back

I know many people will look at 2021 and yell about how bad the year was. With Covid still running rampant, and everything else in my country and the world as a whole, the year was tough for a lot of people.

The one thing with the pandemic is I’ve tried to find the silver linings. I do think when this is all done and past us (and I do believe it will at some point) we will find some positives. I can think of a few. It’s just a shame we’ve had to go through a lot of negativity and a prolonged pandemic to find any of the good things.

To me, 2021 will always be the year of Harper. It’s hard for me to think of it as a bad year when she came out of it. The key is for all of us to keep pushing forward and try to make this world a positive and better place for all!

And, at the same time, will anything positive from this ever outweigh all the bad that happened? Will we ever have a normal again?

For me, I look at 2021 in a few ways.

I feel I became more in touch with different things and I really think I appreciate things a bit more. The little things, anyway. We’re only here for a short bit of time, so we need to start realizing what is important.

In 2021, I got Harper. For that alone, it’s a pretty good year. Though it’s been hard and frustrating at times, she’s become such a big part of my life. I’ve learned a lot from having her and I know the future with her will be a fun journey.

And 2021 ended with hope. Will we get out of all of this in 2022? Will things start to return to somewhat normal? Time will only tell but we can continue to hope.

Until then, try and be good to one another and yourself. Here’s hoping 2022 is a good year for all of you and that we have a lot to be thankful for when we flip the calendar.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

20 Days of Chill 2022: Woof (Day 19)

January 27, 2022

Like I wasn’t going to have a few themes that covered the dog world and though Harper isn’t much of a barker, woof indeed!

As we come to an end of this January’s challenge, Harper will be approaching her nine-month “birthday.” It’s crazy how fast time has gone by with her. From this cute little furball to a beautiful “adult” dog. I feel as though she’s reached her growth peak – give or take a few pounds and such – and I’m happy she’s not huge. She’s the right size. Now, that’s not to say a growth spurt isn’t coming, but my vet seems to think she’s peaked and I’m OK with that.

Everything else I’ve seen in Harper since I got her in July is truly amazing. I look back at the initial thoughts I had from getting her, the ups and the downs, the frustrations and celebrations, and everything in between and it’s been a journey unlike anything I’ve ever had.

I had wanted a dog for a long time. But I never really found what I had wanted. I went looking at shelters and everything else and I contacted rescues. Nothing fit and nothing clicked.

Then, it did.

I had been on a waiting list for a golden (after a couple of years of breed research) and I never heard anything back. Well, when I contacted, nothing was ever happening. I knew I didn’t want to try and train a dog in the winter (goodness… I look back now and realize how much I would have hated doing it in the winter!) so I was in a spot where I needed to find a dog.

A couple of late-night searches via Google allowed me to find a spot and soon enough we went and looked at the puppies, met the pup’s parents, and put a down payment on one.

Seems she was the runt, too.

The roller coaster began a few weeks later when I picked her up. She was nine weeks old. Within 15 minutes of leaving the breeder, she threw up. I stopped, cleaned it up and got her settled (I had brought a laundry basket for the front seat). She settled in and slept the rest of the way home.

Then she was home. So much excitement. She explored the yard and sniffed around. She ran and followed me around. That night, I had her sleep near me in the basket. Midway through the night, she was out and exploring on her own.

Exploring is a theme she’s followed throughout her existence.

That first month was extremely hard. We had a session with a trainer the day after I picked her up. Two hours of a session was extremely tough to take in. In the end, I didn’t feel a connection with the trainer. I needed to start anew.

But the emotions. As I look back, I have to be honest. I was looking for any reason to bring her back to the breeder or rehome her. Anything. Despite taking two weeks off from work – I was a true idiot. I thought she’d be everything I wanted in two weeks.

Here’s the kicker – when I would see other dogs who weren’t well behaved or barked a ton or whatever else, I’d always say “That’s because they aren’t trained well.”

And here I was ready to give in because Harper was yet just a baby and needed to learn.

I had emotional breakdowns. I second-guessed every single thing I did. There were times I fully regretted getting a dog. I hated that my life changed so much.

And a side note? I had researched so much and knew what I was getting into and I still wasn’t ready or prepared.

But, I persevered.

Two saving graces for me – finding a trainer (who I still use) who had empathy and the uncanny ability to not only train your dog with you, but also train you. As a first-time dog owner, I was lost. I was frustrated. And I was drained. Nanci was one of the most important pieces for me keeping Harper and making sure she was my dog.

The second was finding a doggy daycare that I trusted and that had an owner who looked at it more than a business. For a few years I had driven past one on my way to work. One day I called. I asked if we could stop by and meet her. So after a training session, we stopped. She met Harper and us. I felt at ease. She owned goldens. It was warm and welcoming. Harper still goes there once a week, and that’s also where she gets boarded if needed. I trust my dog fully with Moriah and I can’t speak highly enough about her and her services (she’s also a groomer!)

The fact is these two ladies truly saved me when it came to Harper. I can’t speak highly enough about their professionalism, humanity and how they treat animals. I feel fully blessed to have both of them be part of this journey I have with Harper.

Over time, things improved. The lifestyle change for me is still hard at times. I have said many times that if I could take what I know now, and go back to last June – I would say I’m not doing it. But that would also mean taking away the emotional connection I have with Harper.

The emotional roller coaster is a little more level now. I can’t say I don’t get frustrated at times – I do. I know I have to be more diligent about Harper’s training. I have to set her and myself up for better success. Overall she’s amazingly well behaved. But, she’s still a puppy. We need to work on jumping and making sure she doesn’t do it.. And we need to work on drop/leave it because she constantly is picking things up on our walks. She still nips and bites at times, but it’s pretty playful. That doesn’t make it right, though, so we’re still working on it.

She’s involved in dog sports and I look forward to the spring when we can start dock diving again. We did it at the end of last year and she really enjoyed it. I see dock diving as her sport, that’s for sure. And I have so many ideas for videos and photos surrounding that!

Nine months old. It’s truly crazy to think how fast the time went and all the different emotions that went along with it. She’s a true gem. She doesn’t really bark. She’s usually pretty chill. And she loves to have fun. In time, I hope she likes car rides more than she does now as I look forward to exploring so many places with her.

There are times she’ll be on the couch near me at night and she’s off snoozing. I’ll sneak a peek over and she looks so peaceful and it always makes me think how lucky I am and still be in disbelief that she’s mine.

This post is part of the 2022 20 Days of Chill Writing Challenge hosted by A ‘lil HooHaa. Please check out the links (intro I themes) if you’d like to see the setup and themes! You don’t have to do every theme if you don’t want to! And for those participating, take a moment and check out the other participants!

Link up:

Harper is six months!

October 28, 2021

Six months old.

It seems like yesterday that I brought home this little bundle of floof as my first puppy. In the four months that we’ve had Harper – it’s been quite the process. But oh how you’ve grown.

A dog is quite the undertaking, as I’ve learned. From the lack of sleep at times, to you (and all around you) having to learn so much of the human world, it’s been one hell of a process. Sometimes it’s been good; sometimes it’s not been good.

The financial commitment, too, has been something else. But that was something I had actually planned for coming into this.

Six months is a milestone to be proud of. This, according to the AKC newsletter I get, is the start of the “teenage years.” I’m seeing that a bit already. I’ll look forward to the end of April when you turn one year and hope adulthood soon follows!

I can honestly say you will likely be my only puppy in my lifetime. Depending how long you are with us on this Earth (hopefully a long time), you might be my only dog. I thing we chose a good one, though.

You have personality. You have spunk. Your confidence is growing. You’re loving, kind and playful. You’re a little shit, too, but that’s to be expected.

You’re curious, too. You love sniffing and exploring. You also love grabbing too many things when we are out and about, but I think you are starting to learn that no matter how hard you try and no matter how strong that jaw is, if you get something and I am in panic mode – you will not be keeping it!

It’s funny when I think about you.

After having you for two or three weeks, I was at the end of my rope. I had emotional and likely mental breakdowns with everything. I was ready to give you up as a rehome or to call the breeder back.

But, we plodded along.

I think back to those moments often. Especially as I walk around the house and I see your toys all over the place. You really don’t care where you drop them! But there are certain toys I see and I get a little teary eyed because I know if I had given up on you, there would be a pretty big hole in my life.

And we’ve had the chance to watch you grow!

You are probably around 40 pounds now and you are lean and a mini machine. You dove off the ladder at the dock by yourself not once but three times! You scored not one but two points at toss and fetch (and though it was after the time ended, you actually grabbed a third!)

You are friendly to everybody – maybe too much so! You don’t bark unless you are really playing or when you don’t want me to take you off the couch! If other dogs bark, you sit right down and watch them wondering what they are yapping about!

Harper, you are definitely something else. We believe you were the runt of the litter, but you are far from the runt in our eyes.

You love your treats and toys. You love being pet and scratched. You love your bully sticks and elk antlers. And sometimes you love naps at my feet, even if that means one of my feet goes numb because you are on top of it for too long!

Today, you are six months old. Happy “half” birthday and here’s to many more milestones ahead!

You can follow Harper on her adventures via Instagram at harper_dublin, or she’s also on Facebook!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

National Fetch Day!

October 20, 2021

Let me preface this to say that I’m a fan of giveaways. I like it even when the big companies do it despite knowing the odds of winning are slim.

But I also like when there are opportunities to purchase said prizes. We can’t all win, but many of us may like the opportunity to buy.

This past Saturday was National Fetch Day, which is celebrated the third Saturday of each October and is obviously connected to Chuckit brand items. For those who have dogs, you likely know what Chuckit is. For those who don’t, you probably do as well. You’ve seen those ball launchers? Most likely it’s Chuckit.

Now, I’m going to just go through this part quickly … then talk about the day itself. I do want to show my PR side here a little bit, though.

So heading into this glorious day, Chuckit held a contest where you posted photos of your pooch and you had the opportunity to win one of 250 “party boxes” that were loaded with goodies, including limited edition balls. Those balls were really cool looking and would be fun for Harper to be able to play with.

Alas, I didn’t win one of the party boxes.

Following that, I contacted Petmate (Chuckit) to ask about the ball. Alas, you can only get them in these party boxes, or maybe with an upcoming social media contest, or at one of the events throughout the US (note: The closest one to me was like six hours away in Maryland).

I did purchase the “special” box they released, which had one special ball, but not the one I had interest in. This one was a confetti ball, which wasn’t the best as pieces of the confetti came loose a little after Harper retrieved and chewed a bit on the ball. Not sure it will be used much because of that.

The public relations (and marketing) side of me wonders why they didn’t sell more, or have many more ways to win the balls. While I am happy for all who won party boxes, or could attend the events, many of us couldn’t and would have loved the ability to pay for one or three of these balls. Not everybody lives on social media, either, so if you missed the one other contest they gave, you lost a chance there as well.

I get that they are limited edition. But also remember people buy a lot of items of yours and would love the ability to spend a little more.

As for the day itself …

In my area, the afternoon and evening was slated to have rain. So I knew I needed to really do stuff early, including any photos I wanted to take.

And, if you didn’t already know, Harper’s a bit of a little shit when it comes to photos! I am still working on getting her to sit and stay so I can get the shot. As it is now, she comes right at me when the camera comes out!

I did get some though, especially when it’s action.

We spent several hours on Saturday playing fetch. The balls, or the cube, or the frisbee – everything I could get her to have fun with. Other times, she’d just sit there and chew on said object.

She dozed a lot and relaxed at my feet that night, so I know we had a lot of fun.

Some things I know about Harper now, though:

She prefers chasing tennis balls over most items, especially if they squeak (like Kong ones)

She loves the Chuckit cube, as it’s fun to chase around and “kick” around

Discs are OK, but she loses interest fast

The kick it ball by Chuckit is OK for her, but she seems to like the cube better.

In the end, we had fun. We mixed in some walking and treats as well, so it was a good day.

Maybe next year we’ll get a chance to win a party box, or attend an event if one is closer. Or, maybe buy the special limited edition balls … but either way, the third Saturday is marked down in anticipation of National Fetch Day!

You can follow Harper on her adventures via Instagram at harper_dublin, or she’s also on Facebook!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

It’s a dog’s world … and I’m trying to navigate it

October 13, 2021

This is likely going to be a long post, so I’ll make sure to put a bunch of photos within it to keep things flowing!

Welcome to the dog’s world.

It’s a place many are in and many continually go. It’s a spot where dogs frolic and play; where they snuggle and nap; and where they live a life of pure bliss among their humans.

It’s really quite a place.

The thing is – it takes time to get to that place. It’s not automatic. It’s not something that is easy to get to, though I’ve been assured that once you get there, everything before it is fully worth it.

The prelude

I’ve wanted a dog for a long time. Like several years. The reason? I wanted a companion who I could walk and hike with; one who could go with me to many places; and one who I could explore with, take lots of photos, and also give them the best life I could possibly give.

For those who know me, you know any major decision usually requires lots and lots of research. And in the years leading up, I read so many things on different breeds, and their temperaments, and everything in between.

Remember, too, I’ve never owned a dog.

In the end, it came down to a few different breeds, but the winner was a golden retriever. Everything I researched pointed me to this breed, so I set forth on the journey.

I started with shelters and didn’t find much. Most were mix breeds. I was hellbent on a purebred pooch, so I kept looking. I looked at golden retriever rescues, but the amount of hoops I would have to go through made it really hard, especially because of the following: The rescues were a long distance away; and it was in the middle of a pandemic, so it made it even harder to try and get certain things completed.

Many breeders, too, were so far out of my price range it wasn’t even funny. I couldn’t then, and couldn’t now (especially knowing how much I’ve spent since getting a pup) justify $2,500 and above for a dog.

Eventually, I found a local breeder who had some high regards from people I knew. Her prices were affordable, and she had the papers for everything as well. So I got excited. Alas, months and months went by. Her pups weren’t getting it on, so no pups. One thing I didn’t want to do was to get one in the late fall/early winter as I didn’t want to have to learn to train when it’s cold or snowing out.

Eventually, after many searches, I found a breeder about an hour and a half from me. They were affordable. The litter was from AKC registered dogs. They had a female, which I had wanted. So I settled in on visiting, picking one out, and then going forward. I got to see where the dogs were kept, and I met the parent pooches, too. I felt secure in this breeder.

Stepping back

Now, I picked my dog up at nine weeks. In a perfect world, it would have been 12 and she would have had some basic training already in place. But this is how it happened, and we move along. She’s now almost six months old and coming along very well.

That being said …

No amount of research in the world can prepare you for something like this – especially when it’s your first dog. I had people tell me … be ready, this is a lot more than you think. The training etc. Be prepared. And though I felt mostly prepared, I wasn’t fully. And it showed (and still does) in a lot of things.

Keep in mind she’s not going anywhere. But, if I could reset time and know then what I know now, there’s a good chance I wouldn’t have gotten any puppy or dog. I likely would have stayed with cats. I have had them most of my life and know how they work.

That being said, my name isn’t Marty McFly, and I don’t have a friend named Doc, and he definitely doesn’t own a DeLorean. I’m not going to be hitting 1.21 gigawatts to morph back in time. And as the weeks go on, this feeling isn’t in my mind as much.

I realized the only way to face it was to move forward the best I could.

Bundle of fur

On July 2, I picked up Harper (AKC name: Harper Dublin).

She’s a beauty and she was so adorable and friendly. I took her home in a laundry basket and 15 minutes into the ride, she puked. So, I stopped, cleaned it up the best I could, and then tried to settle her in. Within about 10 minutes or so, she was sleeping and did so for most of the ride home.

The first night, I didn’t crate her.

The second night, I did, and I used the divider. The third night, the divider came out. After four or five days, I stopped sleeping downstairs.

Sleeping on the way home for the first time!

She’s become way better with the crate over time. It’s attached to a playpen as well. If she’s in the pen for a timeout, or for relax time, she’ll often go into the crate and curl up. She doesn’t really do it normally on her own otherwise (she has a few times). I do wonder if the playpen wasn’t attached… if she might go into it a bit more. That said, when she goes in for naps or the night, she doesn’t fight it.

More on that later.

On day 2, I met with a trainer for two hours. We were shown several things. And though I know who the trainer is, I didn’t feel a vibe. Maybe it’s the philosophy or style. But I didn’t feel Harper dug it, either. It’s much like anything else — sometimes you just don’t match up with somebody. So for the next several days, we were blind. We didn’t know what to do. I read and read and read. Then I reached out to a co-worker who had told me about another trainer. I got the contact information and I spoke with her on the phone for 45 minutes and loved her philosophy. At the end of the week, we had our first meeting with this trainer.

Before that, we were doing everything we had been told. Harper went outside often. After every meal. After waking up. After playing. Outside. Outside. Outside.

She still had accidents.

Now, it usually wasn’t too bad. But they were there. I was pulling out my hair because we always made sure she was outside and would go. (psssst… remember… first time dog owner)!

But then? It seemed like she was magically reformed. No accidents for a few days. That turned into a week. And then weeks. And then months. She tells us if she needs to go out. She sleeps through the night. She was fully potty trained by about week 12 or so, which I thought was a major step.

Emotional roller coaster

I was not (and, at times, still am not — though it’s extremely rare now) in a good spot emotionally through the early going. Realize that, for me, this was a huge commitment. I was used to doing what I wanted … whenever I wanted. If I wanted to go to a game, I went. If I wanted to go geocaching, I went. If I wanted to just go somewhere on a whim, I could. This changed things.

Now I have another being to worry about.

Look, the idea was still there. The hope was still there. But I found the constraints very tough. I broke down numerous times. I debated calling the breeder to see about returning, or even re-homing.

These weren’t just thoughts – they were, at one point, legitimate options and choices.

The issue?

Could I imagine life without Harper in it?

The answer, as you may have guessed, was no. The decision to get Harper wasn’t lightly done. The decision to keep her also was not lightly done. Because, and let’s be honest, I also had to think what was best for her. Was me owning her actually the best for her?

In the end, I decided it was.

That doesn’t mean I am perfect with things now. I’m not. I still have my moments. I still second-guess my decision. And remember what I said above about time travel. For several months, I truly suffered from the puppy blues (Google it, it’s real). In the end, though, she’s home. And she knows it. And she saddles up to us. And she knows she’s safe, even if she does make me boil over sometimes.

Growing with one another

I’ve never had kids.

I’ve never had a dog.

Mix those two together and I’ve never had to worry about training, or teaching, or anything like that. I used to just pet and play with other people’s dogs. When it comes to kids, if the crying started or anything like that … hand them back.

Not any more.

This dog needed to learn. And more than that, I needed (and still need) to learn.

My temper sometimes gets the best of me. I’ve had to learn that putting her in her exercise pen sometimes as a timeout is needed. But in the end, she’s a puppy. She’s learning, too.

One thing I can’t stress enough, though, is having a trainer. Not just a trainer, but somebody who you trust and understand and one who also understands you and your dog. I have that and I’m thankful for it.

That has helped us grow.

Our trainer, Nanci, has an amazing way with dogs. She’s highly positive and puts things into perspective. That’s not to say I’m perfect – far from it. Harper drives me absolutely nuts at times and I still haven’t been able to reclaim certain aspects of my life that I hope to do at some point when she’s out of the puppy stage. That will come over time.

But we’re making ground.

I’ve done individual lessons, and I took a six-week puppy class. At the end of that class, she passed her AKC S.T.A.R Puppy test! I look forward to other AKC achievements. It’s also helped that Nanci is big into dog sports. I’ve joined the local club, and I’ve had the chance to do some disc, a lure course, and our first dock-diving lesson, which Harper loved.

If you are getting a puppy, I can’t stress enough how great it is to have a trainer, especially if you have no idea what you are doing. I would almost guarantee that if we didn’t have this trainer, there is no chance Harper would be where she is and also I’m not sure I would have survived it.

One of the best things we did was mandate nap times. It’s helped her relax and calm because she gets some needed sleep. If not, she’d likely push it as far as she could, and that ends up being bad for all involved. She’s much better at chilling when she’s tired and I also now know how to read her better in that regard.

Dealing with me

“You have to make sure Harper is on your schedule; not that you are on hers.”

I’m paraphrasing here, but that was basically the sentiment we were told in one of the lessons. My biggest issue was feeling like I couldn’t do a thing while she was a puppy.

That’s far from the truth.

I’m now starting to realize that I can do other things. And I shouldn’t feel bad about it. In time, I hope Harper can do a lot of those things with me. But for now, I have to be able to break away. If she needs to be crated for a while, a frozen Kong keeps her occupied for a bit, and then she usually falls asleep. As she’s grown older, she can be left in the playpen without worry, which gives her room to move around and also slip into the crate for a comfy nap.

I also had to figure out how to make myself enjoy this journey much more. I’ve come to grips with my world changing, but I had to deal with my head as well.

It’s safe to say, I lived a care-free life. I paid my bills. I did the things I had to do. But I am not married and I don’t have kids. If I wanted to take off for a weekend, I could. Go to a game? Sure. Just go disappear for a few hours? No problem. If I wanted to stay up super late for the hell of it? Do it.

The reality is, at times in life, I get lonely (which was part of wanting a dog) and when I felt that emotion, I’d find something to do. Maybe it’s playing on the computer. Maybe it’s caching. Maybe it’s baseball. Maybe it’s a long walk or a hike. But I would counteract it. While this was all starting, I didn’t do a lot of that because I felt like I had to be with the dog all the time.

Everybody I know who owns a golden has told me – stick with it. The payoff will be there. You just have to put the time and work in. I am doing that, but while I do that – I also work on me. As for the latter? Hopefully as I work on myself, that benefits Harper, too.

Finding the inner zen

This journey includes a lot of frustration.

From the nipping and the biting; to the zoomies and the growling at times; to the pulling on the leash or the digging the lawn; to the burn marks in the lawn from her pee – it can get very hard.

I can’t say my temper is always kept under control. I will sometimes scream, or I will shorten her leash to try and get her to simmer. I don’t hit Harper or anything like that, but I have realized those time outs I mentioned earlier do come in handy.

Harper loves to watch other dogs if we get to training early.

I’ve learned to not always make eye contact. That has also helped, I stand up and walk away. We’re working on her jumping on people and furniture. And we need to work on not begging for food if we are eating.. She’s a puppy after all. But these behaviors need to be curbed, so I want to make sure we are moving in the right direction. In the months as she’s grown, these things have improved. Especially with having adult teeth!

It doesn’t always make it easier on my mind, but we celebrate all the little things. And that really helps.

She sits on command. She pretty much knows her name, though I think I need to make sure I am doing some of the games for that to reinforce. She shakes. She lies down, sometimes with or without luring, but we’re still working on the magic word with that. We are still working on loose-leash walking. Her walks are getting much better and she doesn’t always go crazy on them anymore. We’ll still work on her actually walking more, though. It’s nice to be out with her and people seem to adore her.

What’s not to adore? She’s pretty even-tempered, doesn’t go attacking or barking, and is genuinely a gentle soul.

Walking has been a slow process. Part of the reason I wanted a dog was to take on walks and enjoy life with. I realized, too, that if I didn’t start getting away from the house, then how will she learn?

See, sometimes I read too many things. So many people think you can’t walk dogs until a certain age, or a certain condition, or whatever else. Every dog, much like people, are different. There are opinions on food, when to spay or neuter, and when you should do one thing or another. But you know your dog. You should, in conjunction with your vet (who, I hope, you trust) decide all health matters with your dog. Posting on internet forums or Facebook is going to get you nothing more than a plethora of opinions and probably more stress than you need or want.

So, where are we?

I got my dog because I wanted a companion.

I walk a lot, and I wanted a dog to join me. When I got Harper, my walking went down. I have worked back on that where I do get a morning walk by myself and then start the day with her. Her and I go on walks and adventures. I take her places to explore.

I also have been saying I think things will vastly improve once Harper is out walking with me. My mental and physical health has taken a bit of a negative toll because of how things are, but that has been steadily changing.

Harper also goes to doggy daycare, and she’s also done a couple of overnights at the same place. She loves it there because she has her dog pals (the owner has four goldens!) and there’s a small pool she gets to splash around in.

Did I mention Harper likes water?

She’s been involved with some dog events locally, and recently took her first dock diving lesson. That was a blast. She’s such a good swimmer!

The journey is long. She’s getting so big, too. But she’s growing into her own and she’s really smart and learning. I have a book of tricks (101!) that I am starting to look through and I want her to learn many of these. The AKC tests and achievements will be fun, too, and I continue to look at different things her and I can do together.

Sometimes, it’s just sitting on the porch together watching the world go by.

And that’s OK. Because she likes it. And it’s a dog’s world after all.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!