Day 1,500
With a project like this, nice round numbers often precipitate a moment of reflection. Nico, Shelly, and I have been on this journey through life together for 1,500 days! That’s quite a long time. Over that time, we’ve made many good memories and have overcome significant challenges. Nico is one of the sweetest, most loving dogs I’ve ever known, but also one of the craziest. We’ve struggled big time with how to channel his endless energy and excitement for life in a positive direction rather than let it devolve into a negative one. Thanks to Kasen Lemay, Tom Davis, and the other trainers at Upstate Canine Academy, we’ve learned how to communicate with Nico and channel his energy effectively. As a result, Nico has grown more confident and secure. Today’s photo is a testament to that. Initially, Nico was terrified of swimming and going in the water. Now, when we pull up to a beach on Lower Saranac Lake, he flies off the front of the boat and starts swimming in circles, waiting for his toy to be thrown. If you’ve been following this series, you’ll likely notice the intensity in Nico’s eyes in the photo below. He’s 100% ready to go after his bumper toy with everything he has.
While Nico has grown a lot over the last 1,500 days, so have I. I went from having the calmest, most chill, easy-to-train dog on the planet to the craziest, highest energy, most difficult dog. Along the way, I’ve learned to be patient, calm, assertive, and confident. I’ve learned that exuding a calm and confident demeanor can help others feel safe and push outside their comfort zones. I’ve also learned that every living being responds differently to positive and negative conditioning. Some of us need consistent positive reassurance; others just need to be told what not to do. The balance between the two is different for everyone and cannot be applied universally. My previous dog, Khyber, could be told not to do something once and would likely never repeat that behavior. Nico doesn’t process negative conditioning well and does much better with being shown what to do rather than what not to do.
I hope every dog owner takes the time to let their dog teach them something about being a better person. If you are open to these lessons, they’ll pay dividends for the rest of your life.
Many thanks to my Patreon supporters for making this series possible. Support through Patreon allows me to focus on projects like this.
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