I am not good at slowing or stopping down, but I got sick Saturday and it is finally bring me to bed. Sometimes you just have to face up to it, I am planning to be better Monday. We did make it to the movies today to see The Danish Girl, a very good and very sad movie. I’ll live, for sure. Can’t quite stay awake.
It was beautiful in the deep woods yesterday, it was about 60 degrees, a shocking thing for February around here, the dogs led us to some stone structures. One was a bench to sit on, the other a small stone wall containing a box, apparently for leaving messages. I’m going back there to leave a book and a note, and see if anyone responds.
I think we ought to have a picnic there as well, we can’t tell how old it is, but it was fun to come across it.
Fate is a creature with boundaries in many ways. She is agile and swift and adventurous, she pretty much goes where she wants when she wants. When we came to the frozen pond, her tongue was hanging, she had been running through the woods, leaping over logs, chasing Red up and down paths.
She walked out onto the ice, and bit a hole with her teeth, and drank from the pond. I have not seen a dog do that before. The ice does not slow her down or intimidate her in any way, if she hears cracking, she skates and slides back to dry ground.
The sun comes up over the pasture every morning right behind the old apple tree, which has survived so much for so long. It is a good way to start my day, a good place to give thanks for the color and light and the good things life offers us. I am grateful to be alive, even if I have not always appreciated that gift. The apple tree reminds me every morning to be grateful.
Maria’s efforts to get Chloe to stop snorting and stomping and banging into the gate when she wants to eat are paying off. We are reminded once again that animals need to be taught how to succeed, not fail, and how easy it is – even when you know better – to reinforce the behavior you don’t like instead of the behavior you do like.
When Chloe saw us, she was eager to eat in the morning. She seemed agitated, pawing at the ground, chewing at the gate. It was too much, obnoxious and even a bit dangerous, the other day she stopped on Red and her big her leg. We were shouting at her to stop, or pushing her away from the gate.
We both realized at about the same time that we had slipped unthinkingly into one of the worst training mistakes- reinforcing the precise behavior you don’t want or like. Animals don’t often know the difference between good and bad attention. They just like attention, especially if food is somewhere in the picture.
Maria always gave the equines a treat in the morning, and then we brought out hay. So it was easy enough for Chloe – who is very smart – to conclude that this behavior would get her treats and food. We stopped offering treats and the minute she started prancing or snorting or banging into the gate, we turned away or stood stock still.
If she was quiet for a minute or two, she got a carrot. And then hay. We just ignored the bad behavior.
This took about three days and Chloe quickly figured out that the way to get what she wanted was to be patient and still. She paws the ground once or twice now, then goes still and watches us. You can almost see her piecing the new regiment together. She is calm when we enter the pasture. Another week or two and I think we will have it. We are the ones who need to behave, she is happy to.
