In Roger Abrantes' blog, #3 is "stop your desire to control everything...take it as it comes." We live in a nice little neighborhood, very walkable streets, everything is pretty predictable. I've taught Astrid that the dog and person on the other side of the street has as much right to be there as we do. She buys into that...as long as dog and person stay on their side of the street. This is a rule that I have set up. Astrid is actually a dog that can go anywhere (and does) and socially acts better than most children, some adults and is very dog friendly.
Enter Fling and Fling's dad. Fling is an adopted greyhound that lives directly opposite the little park that Astrid, her dad and I walk to every night. We've passed Fling out on our walks many times. He stays over on his side of the street, we stay on our side. Fling looks at Astrid, Astrid sits like a perfect little angel dog and looks at Fling. We talk back and forth across the street. Fling's dad is very, very personable. He has recently set up his schedule to leave his house while I am standing on the sidewalk directly opposite where Astrid and her dad are taking a walk in the little park. But now Fling's dad has thrown in a new twist. When he is coming out for his nightly walk with Fling, he is crossing the street to chat with me, Astrid's mom. Uh oh...that wasn't in our plan. Astrid makes a fuss. She barks. How dare they not do exactly what her mom has always dictated they do...stay on their own side of the street! Ah...but Astrid's mom has strategies. Astrid's mom will walk and meet Fling and Fling's dad outside of their own house, give Fling a few pets and then say "see ya later, Fling". Hopefully that will put an end to to this gross disruption! This strategy was all set up before I read this blog. Probably a better answer would be for me to learn to relax, let Fling come over with his dad for a little chat on a hot summer's eve and Astrid can learn that her mom isn't the controller of all things pertaining to being out for a walk.
Facing one's flaws can be brutal. I'm always looking for topics to blog about. I think I just found 16.
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