In my October/November newsletter I rambled on about “all in a name” and why I came up with The Photo Dogs. Photo Dogs and Photo Dog were taken so I tried thephotodogs.com and it was available, close enough. I waited a week or more before registering the domain deciding if I wanted a plural form or the singular which was available also. I even talked it over with my brother. The more I thought about it the plural seemed inclusive of me, Odee, Jackson, and all of my previous canine companions. The Photo Dogs seemed more logical so I am slowly phasing that name in.
Odee and I are taking classes together. Odee’s behavior has improved with my training over the last two years but we were at an impasse. When I first brought him home, he didn’t know how to walk on a leash, he lunged after every vehicle that passed (going in either direction) while we were on sidewalks. And talk about lunging he did after anything that moved, from grasshoppers to birds to people & dogs. The first year I had him I forgot how many times he pulled me over and I swore when I got him that wouldn’t happen. At my age and condition I got him to help keep me from falling over, not causing me to. We are over a lot of this now; Odee hasn’t pulled me over in a very long time.
I can say that first year I wondered if I made a mistake in adopting him, but then I would think what might happen to him if someone else did and didn’t have the patience to work with him. Our walks have become more enjoyable, especially now with the lessons both Odee and I are working on. Our main problem is his reactivity towards people, dog, and bicycles (and a few other moving things) to work on. Usually it’s not aggression, but a 90 pound dog needs to learn how to behave around others. Like Odee says he has to learn doggy decorum, in other words boundaries.
One addition to his new routine is wearing a dog backpack. I had left Jackson’s (for those who don’t know he was my last dog) in North Carolina. My friend back there mailed it to us and now Odee carries his toys, portable water bowl, and other doggy items he needs too. I’m glad I don’t have to put his slobbery flying disc back in my daypack anymore. Since he is used to the harness the backpack didn’t bother him and of course he could smell Jackson’s scent on it.
Odee is going to start posting more on his blog and Facebook page and we have an unfinished video from this summer to work on. He wants to start using his camera more since he is learning his manners.
This is my first “official blog post here, the first was really a test. I invite you to look around the newly designed website. We have a photo tips section and a photo gallery sales page. Coming soon will be a newsletter archives page, but for now I have links to the past two newsletter at the bottom of this post.
Below is a link to the sign-up page for our email newsletter and our copies of our last two newsletters.