Dear The Paw Tribe,

Thank you for supporting me a few weeks ago when I accidentally killed one of my mom’s chickens. I would like to report that my mom and I are getting a lot better. But I am afraid that the chicken incident has spun into effect a whole other set of problems; the chickens are taking over my life. Literally.

First, I need to mention that I had this great gig going with mom and dad. It was just the three of us and we did everything together. But now its the 6 of us, and there are three feathery friends that are not welcome.

It started a few days after the chicken died. I mom went into the chicken coop and picked up one the chickens. Then she sat down in the grass while holding it in her arms and petting its head tenderly. She called me over and every time I launched at the chicken she would say “bad dog.” Finally, I decide to cooperate, since I was sorry about what happened. I sat next to the chicken and licked its face. I was handsomely rewarded with a little nibble sent from my grandma in America. I pranced back inside to my perch and took a nice nap.

When I woke up, I heard my mom from the other room talking like she talks to me, “good baby, good baby.” I rounded the corner to see who she was talking to and I almost fell over when I saw my mom sitting in my chair with one the chickens named Thatcher in her lap. The chicken was sitting in my chair with my mom and she was petting and cooing at the chicken. The whole scene made me sick. I barked in protest and then headed back to my bed and my blanket that mom gave me. At least, the chicken couldn’t have my bed. This was my bed.

 A few days later I walked into the kitchen and got the shock of my life. Another one of the chickens named Tubman was sitting on my bed all cozy in my blanket from mom. I kid you not, Tubman was sitting right there on my bed. At this point, I had had enough. If the chickens were in my house with my parents, I was going to go get in the chicken house again. I soon found it tightly barracked and wasn’t able to make my point.

But yesterday was the last straw.

I went upstairs to find my mom on the bed cuddling Parks, the chicken. I am not even allowed in the bed and there mom was holding the chicken while reading a book.

 

 

I am at the end of my rope. Next I bet I will find the chicken in the shower or making dinner with mom. I wouldn’t be surprised if they moved the chicken house inside or let them sleep in my bed and put me in outside in the coop.

Lots of wags, 

Ginger, the African Princess

 

To see more pictures of me and hear more about my wild adventures in Ethiopia, follow my adopted mom @elizabeth.j.w.spencer (instagram) and at www.makingmebrave.com. 

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Don’t Let Your Human Give You a Second Rate Education.

by Ginger, The African Princess

The first time I saw a dog training book in my human’s house I set to chewing it to pieces. True story. But as I am maturing into an adult, I have found that training from your human has its place and you want to make sure you are getting the best training possible. Don’t let your humans get away with giving you a second rate education—you deserve only the best. And let’s be honest, training will add to the quality of your life; when I behaved, I got more attention, love and treats from my humans. So, if you are at the library with your human or your human is shopping online, try encourage them to buy one of these titles

I will add the disclaimer that I haven’t read any of these titles but I have seen them laying around my human’s house. So, purely based off the cover and the titles, this is my assessment. Here we go! 

 

1. Cesar’s Way.

Authors: Cesar Millan and Melissa Jo Peltier, 2007

Okay, okay fellow pups, the cover is little cheesy, I will admit. But I have heard Cesar is some kind of dog whisperer. I am not exactly sure what that means but probably worth giving the whisperer a shot. Cesar has another title called Raising the Perfect Dog. I am already pretty perfect, but why not be more perfect?

 

2. Decoding Your Dog.

Authors: by American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, Debra F. Horwitz DVM, 2015

Not that we could ever be decoded or fully understood, but I appreciate the effort of this human author to help other humans understand our race more fully. If your human understands you better, then you will interact on a deeper level.

 

3. How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend.

Author: Monks of New Skete, 2002

Most humans would agree that the Monks of New Skete are some sort of dog experts. I am not sure who they are, but they have two books that I know of on dog training. The other is called The Art of Raising a Puppy. What I like about this book is the title— I like the idea of being my human’s best friend. After all, that is the goal of our race, to be a human’s best, most reliable friend. So give this book a shot and get closer with your human.

 

4. The Power of Positive Dog Training.

Author: Pat Miller, 2008

We all like positive reinforcement for good behavior— treats and lots of petting so the title has to be a good one. Help your human use more positive dog training to improve your skills.

 

5. The Culture Clash.

Author: Jean Donaldson, 2012

I almost passed this one by because the cover is so annoying and I hate the idea of there being a clash between dogs and humans. But I actually think this book will help your human understand why you do what you do. Let’s be honest, we don’t just mark our territory for fun and humans need to understand the why.

 

I hope these titles help you become a more well-rounded dog with better people skills. Let me know if any of these titles work for you or if you have any other books to recommend! Happy reading!

 

 

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To see more pictures of me and hear more about my wild adventures in Ethiopia, follow my adopted mom @elizabeth.j.w.spencer (instagram) and at www.makingmebrave.com.

 

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Dear The Paw Tribe, 

Thank you for my new collar. The collar my mom had for me before was very plain, but the leather and beading on this one is more my style.

But, the reason I am writing is for some advice. I accidentally killed one of my mom's chickens. Yes, I know it's horrible, but I didn't mean to. I thought the chickens were playing hide-and-seek with me. I got caught up in the excitement of feathers flying in every direction and squawking chickens running in circles that I lost control. I had been trying to get into the chicken house for weeks and finally I managed under the wires. I felt so clever and victory was sweet until my mom was screaming and crying and a chicken was laying upside down covered in blood. Only then did I realize what I had done. 

Now my mom won't talk to me. She fed me cold rice for dinner last night and sent me to my room. I figured today would be better but she wouldn't even pet me in her chair this morning while she drank her coffee. I feel rejected. She keeps calling me bad dog. What can I do to win the affection of my mom again? Fortunately, my dad still loves. Please I need your help. 

Sincerely with puppy eyes, 

Ginger, the African Princess 

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To see more pictures of me and hear more about my wild adventures in Ethiopia, follow my adopted mom @elizabeth.j.w.spencer (instagram) and at www.makingmebrave.com. 

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Dear Paw Tribe friends, 

Sharing some snaps of my life in Mekelle, Ethiopia (in the north!).

Me and my American mom. Isn't she just the sweetest? 

 

Cruising around the streets in the coolest ride in town. 

 

My American dad. He's the best at belly rubs. 

 

Life is never a dull moment in our household.... from electricity breaks to water outages, there's always something to fix and always someone I can give snuggles to. That's our house and my yard. 

 Read below for my birth story. 

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To see more pictures of me and hear more about my wild adventures in Ethiopia, follow my adopted mom @elizabeth.j.w.spencer (instagram) and at www.makingmebrave.com. 

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