CARRYING CAPACITY

Recently our family went through the "in-home hospice care" and the "passing" of my mother. Cascading emotions and behaviors came into play when the needed "in-home 24/7 care" doubled from what was expected. We began to need "outside help".  That's when members of her church--The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)--stepped up to the plate.  

They were magnificent! These "Angels of Mercy" clothed as everyday citizens freely gave their aid.  Day after day, they provided help well into the night and even into following days.

I asked myself, "This world is filled with 'my', 'me', 'mine' and all other forms of selfishness, but these people aren't.  Why?  What makes them so different?"  It was then that I had a "mini-revelation"--an "epiphany". The words came to my head "Carrying Capacity".  I felt a rush of understanding as I realized that these people had served all their lives in one capacity or another.  They were experienced in helping others.  

When Mormons agree to be baptized, they also agree to "bear one another's burdens" to make them light.  This simple covenant seems to be the basis for God building up a strong people--with large "carrying capacities".  When everyone was losing their perspective and focus, the Latter-day Saint people calmly ministered with the capacity of professionals.  Helping where needed, they were outstanding.  They were a "blessing".

A little help here??

Carrying capacity (my definition/examples): the ability of a structural beam to support a physical load; the ability of a truck to carry a load; or the ability of a person to endure and carry a physical or emotional load.  

 It seems that the more we engage in such behaviors of service, the stronger and more capable we become.

These individuals were focused on "service"--helping others to bear their burdens and to improve their lives.  It is part of their religion and done on their own time.  To these Latter-day saints, serving others was serving God.  They were confident and skilled.

The beginning of "Hold"

Pups and "Carrying Capacity":  The principles of developing "carrying capacity" also apply to training our pups.  The more a puppy is provided with meaningful, fun, and learning moments; the greater becomes its capacity to do work, to exert self-discipline and become an obedient and cooperative animal--in other words, greater becomes the pup's "carrying capacity".  Genetics are a great starting point, but beyond that lies much required training and repetition, fun, rewards, and encouragement.  If you want a great hunting companion or simply a great canine companion, spend the necessary time and allow nothing to over-ride your commitment.  It may be painful at times, but a soft hand, soft voice, measured instruction with praise and  rewards will get you where you want to be.  K-Lee and I are working on that, and her "carrying capacity" improves every month as we work together. 

Maybe someday, K-Lee and I will have the "carrying capacity" that those Latter-day Saints displayed--a capacity beyond measure...maybe.

Boston Massachusetts Temple - of the "LDS" Church

THE "SECOND SKIN"

This Friday, Spring will officially "arrive".  Hurrah!  The March winds may blow, temperatures may struggle to get above freezing, but soon we'll be engaged in warm weather activities.  K-Lee and I will be able to wander the countryside again, hopefully finding woodcock that have returned to our fields and forests.

Barely acknowledged by anyone, there is another "sign" of Spring in these northern climes. It is our shedding of   a "second skin".  Nature has a way of renewing itself, allowing for growth and health.  Snakes are masters of it.  They shed their skin.  We New Englanders do as well.

When cold winter winds come, folks who spend time outdoors start wearing "long johns" beneath their clothing.  In effect, they are putting on a "second skin" to moderate the effects of winter weather.  They/we wear them all winter long--taking them off only for a washing or a very indoor event.  The "second skin" becomes so intimately comfortable that without them, we secretly loathe to go outside.

"Long johns"  generally come in two styles--either two- piece sets or one-piece "union suits".  They vary in color, and some even have "prints" that make them look more like sportswear.  They come in various fabrics too--cotton, wool, polypropylene, the new space-age fabrics, and the old favorite among the active sportsmen, silk.  I have to confess that I've never owned the more expensive (and warm) silk, but the idea appeals to me.

When Spring is finally upon the wearers, there is a rush of energy to abandon the "long johns".  It is overpowering.  Wearers can no longer stand to have that additional, protective layer on their body.  Involuntarily, they shed their "second skin" and with unfettered abandon, enter into the season of renewal.

How do you know when Spring has really come to New England?  Check out the clotheslines.  If you see "long johns" flying in the breeze, Spring has sprung!

DIVERSITY

The winter weather in the upper Merrimack Valley has driven us nearly crazy!  How grateful I am that we plowed a "runway" in the field to exercise and drill!  We've done all sorts of routines with bumpers and a Dokken mallard. We mix up basic commands with various "retrieving games".  

Speaking of  commands,  an exercise that we do on 'whoa' (stop, stay still, don't move) was initiated by my grandson when he was visiting.  He's only 11 and  couldn't throw the bumper far enough to satisfy himself, so he put K-Lee at 'whoa' and walked about 150 feet, threw the bumper, then walked back to the dog and sent her on the retrieve.  He did that several times, and then varied his toss locations.  It was good exercise for both of them.  I wish I had taken a picture, but "Papa" (I) saw that things were "good" with those two, so I turned my attention to my little grand-daughter. The four of us had a great time in the snow.    

A guy has to know his priorities.

Now that the grandchildren have gone back home, it's back to 'K-Lee and I'.  We both miss them, but we don't let that hang us up.  We've started working on a "diversity" theme.  With some PVC training aids, bumpers and even water filters (yep) from our "force-fetch" training days, we've mixed it up a bit. Diversity--a good word for mixing it up to avoid boredom.

We've even increased tracking exercises. A nice new harness from "In The Company of Dogs" cost about half of the cost of "professional" ones.  The only visible difference was that this one is red and the pro ones are mostly paramilitary colors.  I can live with that.  Her vest is fitted with  Velcro strips on the side to add messages such as "Service Dog", or "Therapy", "Search & Rescue", "Do Not Pet", etc.  I didn't want the Velcro strips to get all clogged up with lint and debris, so we put an "IN TRAINING" strip on the side and called it "good".

It didn't take long for K-Lee to  associate the harness with a tracking exercise.  It's wonderful to see her work a scent and track.  Today, she blew by a 90 degree turn, realized she lost the scent and went back, picked up the trail and made the turn which led her to her reward.  It doesn't take much, but it's a great way to break things up a bit.  Just a little diversity does the trick.

I have to admit, I'm a bit envious of my friends who are using their German Shorthairs as sled dogs in this weather.  They look like they're having WAY too much fun!  I play the video streams and watch those dogs run in the snow.  It's very apparent that they are loving it as much as their handlers!

What else y' got boss?

I'm a one-dog guy, but there still may be an opportunity here.  The field is fairly flat.  If I used a bit of wisdom, I could plow a trail, pick up a sled and trappings, ... all in the name of "diversity". 

What are you doing to break things up and maintain "diversity"?

THE STILL SMALL VOICE

Fellow NAVHDA member and professional, Blaine Carter of Merrymeeting Kennels in Maine once shared with me great insight.  He said to me that handlers should always speak as softly as they possibly could to their dog. I gave his words some serious thought and decided that I would do my best to take it as "counsel".

It wasn't long before I could see improvements in the relationship between K-Lee and myself.  Interestingly, the dog is able to "think" and "problem solve" more efficiently. (Some might even say they act less "neurotic". )
I'll share an example of problem solving:


We were doing a drill in which I place a bumper at twenty yards, another at thirty yards, a third one at fifty yards and sometimes another farther out.  The purpose is for her fun, her exercise (deep snow limits our activities), and of course, repetition of retrieving basics. 

 

After K-Lee had retrieved the closest bumper, I would line her up and send her for the second, then the third and so on.  Mingled in with other 'exercises', she enjoyed the drill immensely.  We ran  it several times over the several weeks. 

Last week, she decided to change the game.

I sent her for the first bumper.  She fetched it, came to my side and sat at heel--waiting to give it up.  She was given praise and petted.  After the bumper "changed hands",  I calmly stroked her flank, softly praised her, and then sent her for the second.  She ran to the second, picked it up and ran to the third.  She picked up the third along with the second and brought them both to me in one trip.  I thought, "Now that's a 'double retrieve'!"

I know what you're thinking:  "Wow, you don't want to let that become a habit!"  You're right.  We immediately stopped the multiple retrieves and went back to single retrieves.  However, yesterday, I tried the drill again to see what she'd do.  You guessed it.  Two at a time.  That will easily be corrected.  Larger bumpers or repetition on singles.

What really amazed and intrigued me was her "problem solving ability".  Who says dogs can't reason?  The "still small voice" helps them build trust, confidence and "mental" room to grow.  

Perhaps we should practice that "still small voice" with each other.  ...What do you think?

VALENTINES DAY BLIZZARD AND SQUARE LOGS

Square logs

Years ago, an elderly friend of mine used to tell us 'kids' that he grew square potatoes because it was easier to stack them in his bin.  We all knew it was a tale, but images of square potatoes stacked neatly in a potato bin were conjured up in my mind.  So when I started looking for alternatives to cutting firewood, splitting it, stacking it in the shed and carrying it into the house, the idea of "square" came to the forefront again.  Voila!  I discovered wood "bricks" made from pressed sawdust.  They come in one-ton pallets, three bricks to a package and stack better than Alphonse's square potatoes ever would have.

Wishing for Spring

During this "Valentines Day Blizzard of 2015", we threw a couple extra "bricks"  on the fire and observed a very private, "Valentines Day Blizzard Celebration"--just my K-Lee, my wife and I.  The dry snow fell lightly and in our snow-globe world and we got away from everything for a few hours. It was a special time (Dare I say escape?) and we didn't have to go anywhere to enjoy it.  Our little "get away" cost us nothing... 'nada'.   When it got dark, we moved to a room where we could see the snow as it fell through the glare of our outside spotlights.  It was quite 'heady' to watch as the flakes danced their way to the ground.  It almost made us dizzy.

A 'lull' between white-outs

This morning, I opened the side door to see a four-foot drift with the door's imprint on it.  After a few minutes of shoveling, we had an opening through which K-Lee could jump a few feet to bare ground.  Yes, the wind is howling here on the hill. 

We have to go out?  Really??

The dog and I are  building up the courage to start plowing the driveways and exercise area.  This vicious northwest wind cuts through clothing and steals precious body heat. I'm sure that it cuts through K-Lee's coat as well.  That's why I think I'll let the plow truck warm up a bit before attempting to bust through the drifts.  Once the plowing is started, it becomes a war against the encroaching snow until we're done--about four hours later. 

Once we've established our beachhead, we'll come inside and resume the vigil--another "square log" on the fire, "Sunday appropriate" videos via the Roku, and an uttered prayer of thanks for our warm home.