duke has an evaluation with a trainer next week. we'll be talking about goals, whether he should have private or group lessons... his behavior on walks has gotten frustrating. he listens, but not well. everything i've read about leash traning is very slow. it's not that i don't want to follow the rules, but if i did stop every time he didn't listen, we'd make it about a block. yes, that is how learning works, but he'd never get excersie, never poop, and would act up more inside (no excercise = crazy dog). it's hard too, because food is not a good motivator for him. he'd rather check out/chase/bark at a dog, person, squirrel or vehicle (that's a new one, by the way) than eat a small treat. or a large treat. unless i carry frozen marrow bones on my person at all times, it's not going to work.

this place is kind of expensive, but from my research, they have great results. with all the time and effort that goes into training a dog, i'd rather shell out more money to get better results.

when we're alone, he's wonderful. when there are distractions, it's hit-or-miss. and the misses are bad, so i spend all of my effort trying to control/calm him. i'm just not capable of training at that point, and i'd rather work with someone experience to get results. it's a little disappointing to admit that i can't do it on my own, but it's better for me and duke that someone with more experience helps. once we have a more solid foundation, i'm confident that i'll be able to work with him. he is my first dog. he is stubborn. he is easily distracted... he is goofy as hell. i love him. i wouldn't trade him for any other dog.

despite leash-related frustrations, he's been awesome off-leash at the park. he played with the great danes again, made friends quick with a bulldog/boxer than with any other dog i've seen him with. at home, he pokes his head in the shower when i'm in there, and then sleeps on the bathmat, facing the door, like he's guarding me in case anyone tries to come into the apartment while i'm in there. he's getting great at commands like "drop it" and "get down". he also doesn't bark when the dog upstairs flips out.

anyway...

i'm back to zero for life plans. i'm trying to decide where i want to live and what i want to do. i need a change and i'm ready for it. i have a few ideas, i'm sending out a few applications... we'll see where it leads me.

i got highlights. i like them. it's different but not too drastic.

my lead climb class starts tonight. i saw the instructor at the gym and asked which 5.9's we would get to choose from. he would only tell me one, but i know i can do that one! i have a short list of climbs i want to do, so we'll see. i'm a bit nervous, but i know i can do it. this class will be funnn! and i'll meet new climbers since no one i know is in the class. assuming, i pass the 5.9 test of course.

i'm off to the gym.

today is off to a rough start.

i was out walking the dog, and we ran into some guy we've run into once before. duke barks at anything that moves in the morning. he's getting better about sitting quietly and letting people go by, but i'm not on top of my game before dawn, so he usually sees people and barks before i can get him to sit. anyway, last time, this guy just stood there and asked if he was aggressive, asked what kind of dog he was, asked if we lived in the apartment complex, and then told me how much he hated living here. thanks, dude.

this time, it went like this.

me: Duke, sit. (he sits) sorry he barked at you.

dude: (sarcastically) oh, right. he's not aggressive. he's a good dog.

me: he's not aggressive. he barks at people in the morning, that's all.

(meanwhile, i'm standing in the wet grass, and duke is sitting, being quiet, on a short leash, but watching the guy like a hawk. the guy just stands there instead of walking down the sidewalk to wherever he was going)

dude: he seems... irritated.

me: yes, he's irratible in the morning. we're giving you the sidewalk, can you walk past so we can go home?

dude: dogs shouldn't act like that. they shouldn't bark like that. something is wrong.

me: nothing is wrong. he does this in the morning. he's getting better at it, see? can you please walk by so we can finish our walk?

dude: i used to have a dog like that. i got rid of him. i gave him to some lady in chicago. dogs shouldn't be like that.

(at this point, instead of yelling obsenities because i'm grumpy in the morning, too, and because what he said was rude and wrong, i walk Duke into the street and around him, because he's still standing on the sidewalk, preparing to shit on someone elses morning... duke remained quiet until he decided to let out his pent up irritation from the encounter with the d-bag on a passing car)

then, my 10 mile drive to work took me an hour.

it can only get better, right?