This has been a very hard week. We got Maddie's ashes back today and I feel better knowing she is near me again. Vicki says when the Lord took Maddie's pain away it had to go somewhere, so he put it in our hearts. I am grateful that I can take that burden from her. It is a lot to carry.
Thank you for the posts and the PMs. It really helps us with the pain. Several people suggested we get another puppy to fill our hearts. I have a different idea, I am going to focus on Owen Walter and make him a better dog.
When Vicki's grandson died she wanted a puppy to help her with the grief. That's when Owen Walter came along.
Mads was 5 when we got Owen Walter
She and I have very different philosophies of how to raise a dog. I was very engaged with Maddie. We went to puppy school and two levels of obedience school. We took a walk together every day, went to dog parks so she could be with other dogs, and I went out of my way to find adventures that would stimulate and amuse her. She was calm and self assured and I think it is a result of the way I raised her.
This is my idea of how to raise a dog. I would take them to the horse park and have them jump up on all the jumping obstacles.
Vicky has treated Owen more like a baby doll. He
is cute and cuddly to look at. He has never had any real discipline or had anything asked of him. As a result he has a high strung and sharp edged personality. For example, when Maddie saw one of our cats in the yard she would go up to it and it would rub against her, they would bump noses, then the cat would take off running and the chase was on. As soon as Owen sees a cat he goes berserk and immediately tries to run it down and kill it. The cats tease him by letting him get close and then jumping over a fence or going up a tree. They are having fun, but he's just out of control crazy with rage.
This is her idea of how to raise a dog.
So instead of getting another dog I am spending time with Owen. I hope with some training and discipline and some fun adventures I can give him more confidence and self assurance over time. Already we're working on waiting for permission before going through a door. He is a smart little fart, and is already catching on.
