Goals

 Tomorrow is Ruby's first day of "school". 



Time to Get off the Couch, Rubes! 

At 5pm, she will officially become a student at Petco's obedience school.  She is enrolled in the "Basic Skills" class. This 6-week group course is designed to help socialize and train older puppies and adult dogs. (We're hoping at the end of the 6 weeks, there's are a graduation ceremony, complete with a cap and gown. How cute would that be?)

Let The Magic Happen!

Basic Class lessons include: Walking on a Leash Sit   Leave it Stay Off  Come when called Bring and Drop it Down Shake And many more!

I've gone ahead and crossed off the skills that Ruby has already mastered.  (We have ALOT of work do!) When I spoke to the instructor on the phone, she recommended we come to class with a list of short term and long term goals; in other words, what we are hoping to take away from the class.  

I'm considering this course a kind of "doggie prerequesite" to help Ruby learn the skills that she needs in order to become a therapy dog through the Delta Society. The list above may seem a bit rudimentary, and it is.  The reason we are enrolled in the class is for another reason.  In order to pass the assessment, Ruby will also be evaluated on her REACTION TO A NEUTRAL DOG.  In this scenario, two handlers and their animals approach each other from a distance of about 10 yards, stop, shake hands, and exchanged pleasantries, and continue on for about five yards.  A dog that crosses the vertical mid-line of the handler, either in front or behind, to try to reach the neutral dog, will be scored as “not ready”.

Luther and Ruby: Forever Friends

This is where things get tough.  Ruby is TERRIFIED of other dogs. (Except for Luther, as you can see above).  As in, when we take her to the dog park, she sits in the corner with her tail between her legs while the other dogs happily romp through the field together. Or, if a friendly pup happens to come too close, she growls (rather pathetically).  Therefore, one of the biggest goals we have for this class is to help Ruby conquer her fear of other dogs, and learn to socialize positively with her other furry friends.

Well, that's it for today! Stay tuned for updates on how the first class goes and a post on a few of my own personal goals.  

And just because I promised...here's a picture of Lily.  Just to help you get to know her better, I'll give you a fun fact; one of her favorite pastimes is "drowning" her toy mice by dropping them in the toilet.  She's a feisty one, that Lily.

 

 Not That Innocent

Meet Ruby! (and Molly)

 Welcome!




Hi, I'm Molly, and this is my dog, Ruby.

 


Molly and Nate

I live in beautiful Durham, North Carolina, with my wonderful husband, Nate, Ruby, and my so-ugly-she's-cute cat, Lily May. I can't seem to find a picture of Lily at the moment, so I guess you'll have to wait until next time (Oh, the suspense!) I am a 25 year old  graduate student in Clinical Psychology at North Carolina Central University.  I enjoy running, ice cream, and reading true crime books in my spare time.  I'm sure those interests (and more) may make an appearance on here every once and a while, but the real reason I have created this blog is to share my story of finding my "Ruby in the Rough" with you. 

Allow me to Explain!

I believe that everyone has a purpose.  Ever since I was a child, I have aspired to grow up and "make the world a better place."  In the past year, I have slowly come to realize my purpose, my passion, my joy.  This realization came when Ruby came back into my life and joined our (little) family.  A year ago today, I was in a dark place.  Struggling with seasonal depression, working in a position that I didn't enjoy, and receiving a rejection letter from my top choice for graduate school all contributed to an overwhelming feeling of emptiness.  Each morning, I dragged myself out of bed, bracing myself for the day when all I felt like doing was pulling the covers up over my head and going back to sleep.  I felt defeated and lost. I remember talking to my mom on the phone. "I feel empty inside.  I feel like a failure.  I just don't feel like I have anything to look forward to...I WANT A PUPPY!"  

Well, I got what I wanted, and my life has been forever changed.

  

In the past year since Ruby has joined our family, my depression lifted and hasn't come back.  It's hard to feel sorry for yourself when this face greets you each morning.

A Sleepy Pup

  As I tended and cared for this little red furball of love, I was able to put my own problems on the back burner.  I stopped ruminating on the past, quit worrying about the future, and challenged myself to live in the moment-with Ruby.  Each day, I wake up next to a creature that is truly excited about life, and the attitude has become contagious.  I started introducing her to my clients with developmental disabilities, and noticed that her ability to evoke happiness was infectious. 

Ruby and Hannah