So I have this little dog, Odie (I actually have two dogs but tonight it’s all about Odie). He’s a rescue and he’s afraid of people. I’ve had him almost a year and he’s come a long way but he’s still nervous. Recently, a friend and her college age daughter moved into my house. The daughter lives at college so she’s not here much. When she is here, though, Odie goes crazy barking at her every time he sees her. I’ve never seen him bark at anyone else like he barks at her.
It’s my job to figure out how to get the dog to stop barking. I go to a holistic vet and she recommended an aromatherapy blend that would help the dog and the people in the house. It’s been a few days and I love the smell but it hasn’t helped the barking yet. Also, I told her to give the dog treats when he stops barking. I don’t think she tried this suggestion. Today I started doing some research on the internet looking for other options. I found some good ideas but I’ll have to tweak them to fit this situation. Remember, she’s a teenager and really doesn’t want to hang around the house trying to get the dog to like her. She was only here for the weekend but she’ll be back for the summer and I want to have some ideas to try when she’s here more consistently.
My point in telling this story is that this is a great example of why I think it’s important for everyone to exercise their imagination regularly. I need a creative solution for this situation and the more active my imagination is the easier it will be for me to come up with a resolution that will work for us. Researching on the internet is a great way to get ideas/inspiration and then I have to make the idea into something that’s mine, just like I would do if it was an idea for a mosaic. If my brain is used to thinking creatively it will be easier to be creative in all situations, even finding a way to stop a barking dog.
I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.
Oh, I forgot to mention, to make it even worse, when ever Odie was home alone this weekend he went into her room and stole things that he found on the floor.
Judy A Cohen 