Face Seeking

Author’s Note: The long gap in posting is due to Lester’s extended stay in a rehab facility and then back to the hospital to have his left leg amputated below the new. Now back home and getting back to life.

One of the earliest things to train a dog is to look at your face. It is desirable for attention and for earning points in competition. In SchH style heeling, handlers train their dogs to look at their face all while they are walking. One teaches this behavior by reward and repetition. I have done this a couple ways with my different dogs, but my favorite is using a clicker. (See “Definitions” for more information on clickers) Clicker and treats in hand, wait until the dog makes eye contact then click and give a treat. Repeat several times until the dog purposefully makes contact then start adding in a command each time the dog makes eye contact. After multiple repetitions, the dog will recognize the command and make eye contact on command.

This is a particularly easy command to teach a German Shepherd because focus is natural to them. From the time he was a tiny puppy, Bison has stared at us. He looks intently at our faces like he is just waiting for us to give him a command. There are times when he sits next to me and stares so intently that I feel uncomfortable.

It is this behavior that came to mind when reading Psalm 105:3 -4, “Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.” I read this verse one evening when I was feeling very tired and down. Lester was in the rehab center. I was home alone and wondering how I could face getting up in the morning. I was so tired. Reading this passage was so refreshing, understanding that we can have joy and strength by seeking the Lord. The phrase “seek his face evermore” was so real to me. I looked up from my Bible and saw Bison staring at me. It hit me that “seeking his face” is an attitude, not an action. German Shepherds, like Bison, stare because they are biddable animals. They are looking for any opportunity to please their master. They follow them they listen; they look to their face for any sign of communication. This is exactly the attitude that we should have for our Master, the Lord Jesus. Looking for any opportunity to please Him, “seeking his face”

Be Still to be Free

One of the cool things about training with a breeder is that the club members get to help “socialize” the puppies each time a new litter comes along. This helps the development of the puppies to be exposed to a variety of different types of people and to be touched and held. Last week, I picked one of the 7 week old puppies we were playing with and she started to squirm violently and scream a little puppy scream. I learned the hard way with Bison that you can not let go of them when they act that way. If you do, they learn that screaming and squirming gets them what they want. Instead, you need to calmly hold them until they are still and quiet, then let them go. She squirmed and kicked and threw such a loud fit that the whole club turned to look at us. This went on for about 30 seconds before she finally held still for a second and I let her go. She ran immediately to my breeder friend to tell her what a mean lady I am.

It seems backward that freedom comes from stillness. Maybe that is why it is such a hard concept for us to grasp in our Christian life. As I write these words, I sit in the hospital with Lester. The doctor told him this morning that his health is declining. His right foot is not healing and if he doesn’t have it removed, he may not be healthy enough in 6 months to have it taken off. We were prepared for the eventuality of the foot and lower leg being removed. But hearing his health assessed in such plain terms was hard for me to hear. I can not imagine life without him and this stark reminder is tough.

I was feeling a little overwhelmed at the possibility of this being our last Christmas together and wondering how I am going to help him get around while he gets used to walking with a prosthetic. I logged in to my laptop to check e-mail and read the daily devotional e-mail that I have sent. Boy what timing! The scripture passage was a phrase from Isaiah 30:15, “in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.” The definition of quietness is “Free of turmoil and agitation; untroubled.” and confidence means “Trust or faith in a person or thing; the state or quality of being certain.” I really needed that reminder today. God knows the plans that he has for Lester. He has a plan for how many Christmases are to come and what the path between looks like. By trusting that my loving God knows best and resting from “turmoil and agitation”, I will have the strength to face the days ahead. I think of how He has always been there for me and how I always seem to have the strength that I need for each day. He isn’t going to fail me now. So again today I choose to trust Him even though I want to kick and scream. Just like the little puppy fretting and whining and wiggling, I finally find peace when I just sit still.

CGC

Last month, we had the opportunity for Bison to try the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Test offered by the American Kennel Club (AKC). This is a title that can be earned to show that your dog has basic manners and obedience. I have heard that some insurance companies even offer a discount on your home owners insurance if your dog passes the test. You are required to perform 10 basic tests with your dog such as greeting a person while your dog sits, having the dog brushed by the evaluator, walking loosely on leash... (See the AKC website for a complete list of the 10 tests).

The evaluator that we used is an obedience instructor. He suggested that we stop by as his class was ending to do our test. When we arrived at the building, Bison was very excited. He loves going to class and even though we had not been to this facility, our routine of getting out of the car with the leash and going potty clued him in that we were in for some fun. I believe that I have mentioned before that Bison has a difficult time calming when he gets excited. I was starting to panic, if he was overloaded when we started the test, he would fail. I remembered my club training director saying that she uses obedience commands to get her young dogs to stay focused. I told Bison to lay down while I filled out the paper work. He had to be reminded several times not to get up and he was buzzing with excitement. Finally, he settled down just as it was time for us to go into the classroom, but as soon as he entered and saw the other dogs in a doggy class setting, he started building up drive again. I asked the evaluator if we could warm up. I thought if I could get him distracted with the treats that I had with me, he might think I still had some in my hands when we started the test (no food is allowed during the test). It worked. Bison settled into following the obedience commands and was able to calm down. When we did the test, he completed all 10 with only a couple small hiccups. He passed and was awarded his Canine Good Citizenship. By focusing on obedience, even when he was buzzing with energy, he was able to pass the test.

This experience aligned well with a thought that I had last week. A friend mentioned the quote that people often say when they are going through a tough time. “God will never give you more than you can handle.” I couldn't remember for sure if it was actually in the Bible; religious saying sometimes are not. I looked it up and found that it is based on 1 Corinthians 10:13 which says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” I was struck by the last phrase, “but will with the temptation make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” I thought about the strength that God has given me through the last few months as Lester has been in the hospital for the amputation of his small toe on the left foot and another surgery to remove the remaining toes and part of the foot. It is more of a blessing to me that God gives me a way to escape the temptation of anger and bitterness than that quote that is often made, “He won’t give us more than we can handle”. He provides a way. I don’t have to figure things out, I just need to trust him.

Taking the thought one step further, the “way to escape” is often through obedience. I am able to defeat the temptation to get angry and fearful when I spend time in prayer and Bible reading, essentially obeying God’s commands. When I fail is when I try to do things on my own. I neglect to reflect on God’s goodness. I don’t pray. I lose faith.
Like Bison, I get worked up into a state where I can not focus; I can not defeat the temptation. I am overcome with nervous energy and can not focus on my task. I can’t win. But through obedience, I can settle in and listen to the one who loves me and take His “way of escape” to enable me to bare the trials that I face. I can pass the “Christian Good Citizen” test.

Contentment

Lester was back in the hospital earlier this month for 10 days. His small toe on his left foot had a bone infection that was severe. The toe had to be removed. During his recovery, he became very ill and couldn’t keep down any food. It was (and still is) a stressful time. But, our family, church, and friends once again showered us with love and support.

Our friend’s Kate and Jerry came each day to let Bison out and feed him so I could stay at the hospital with Lester. Shane from my dog club drove an hour to take Bison to the park to play with him. On Saturday, Kate and Jerry took Bison to their home to play with their dog, Darla. Kate took photos of them playing together and sent them to my by text. It was so comforting getting those photos and seeing that he was taken care of.

One photo showed Bison playing with a little doggie smile on his face. When I looked at the photo, I was struck with the fact that even though Bison was a little stressed with Lester’s absence and me not giving him the attention that I normally do, he was still content to go with Kate and have fun with Darla.

1 Timothy 6:6-8 says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” Bison was a good example of focusing on the good things and being content even in the midst of trouble.

Who’s in Control?

I recently had the opportunity to attend the regional SchH competition for our area. It was a really neat experience to see so many great dog and handler teams. As I watched the dogs perform, I was struck with the idea that most of these dogs were no better than mine as far as their capabilities. Bison could run as fast, jump as high, and obey as well. The main difference is that these dogs had better handlers. People with years and years of experience who had trained them from the time they were 8 weeks old or even earlier. The handlers are the ones who made the dogs as spectacular and as useful as they were. The best dogs on the field were the ones that were the most yielded to their handler. The worst dogs were the ones who tried to do their own thing. One dog was even disqualified for being “disobedient”.

It is the same way with the Christian life. We all have potential, but what makes us useful is our “handler”, God. The more we are yielded to him the better off we are. It is when we try to do our own thing, when we are disobedient, then we lose.

Romans 6:16- “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”

1 Corinthians 6:20- “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”

2 Timothy 2:20 – 21 “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 21If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.“

Change the Message

I recently received some feedback on my handling and it was difficult to hear. I was told that I was not clearly communicating and was inconsistent. My first reaction was “no I’m not”, but I really respect the person who gave the feedback and decided that even though it was disconcerting, I needed to take it to heart. About the same time, someone else suggested that I video tape my training sessions in order to get a better understanding of what was happening.

My husband taped Bison and I and it was pretty telling to watch. It was exactly as my friend described, my tone was not clear and consistent. From an observer’s viewpoint, it was easy for me to see how this affected Bison negatively. I realized that I was so focused on what was going on with me, how I was holding the leash, how fast I was walking, and what I was going to do next that I didn’t concentrate on the viewpoint that Bison was seeing. What he saw was the leash fidgeting, the poorly executed commands, the unsure posture... all things that send a mixed message to him. I am determined to change the message.

It is easy to draw a parallel to another area in my life that I am also working on. That is the message that I am sending with my life. Being a caregiver for an ill spouse, it is easy to focus on the doctor appointments, the set backs, the grind of trying to put in a honest day at work while wanting to be home, fretting about the housework piling up and the dismay at how tired out I feel. What I realized though is that I still need to concentrate on the viewpoint that the outside world is seeing. In my heart, I want so badly to be a good testimony. I want others to see how good God is even in the midst of a trial. How He gives me strength when I think I can’t go on any more, and how He sends so many blessings through it all. When I focus on self, the Savior can not show through. I am sending a mixed message. Just like watching the video, I have started to really see myself and not liking what I see. I am determined to change the message.

As a first step in changing my focus, my husband, Lester, and I have taken on a challenge. We determined that every morning, afternoon, and evening we will each think of something for which we are thankful. This activity is based on Psalm 92:1 – 2, “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,” and Psalm 55:16 - 17 “As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud : and he shall hear my voice.”

Reader, won’t you join us in this challenge?

Going Through Trials (Rally Trial- Part 1)

Bison and I participated in our first UKC Rally Obedience event recently. Some of my club members were going to compete and invited us along. We haven’t trained specifically for Rally, but the commands are very similar to what we are working on for SchH. After looking through the requirements, I decided to give it a try. It looked fun and I figured that it could only help with some of the distraction problems we have been working on.

I went into the event not even ever seeing a Rally course before. I didn’t think we could qualify (receive a passing score without any disqualifying errors), but we qualified for 2 out of 4 trials we entered. Most importantly, going through the trials helped me see what we really need to work on, both with the ones that we passed and the ones that we didn’t pass. I have a list of things to train on before we go to the next trial.

It is the same with trials that we go through in our lives. Psalm 119:71 says “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.” When we go through tough times, we learn about ourselves. Even when we fail, we learn what we need to work on and with training in God’s Word, so we can be ready to pass the next trial.

The Search for Perfection

We love having two dogs. Now that Moose is gone, there is a hole in our family. I’ve spent a lot of time researching and talking to several people about a puppy. I have much more experience and knowledge since the last time we selected a puppy, just enough to be dangerous. Also, now that I am participating in SchH training I have many more requirements. During one of the conversations I had with a breeder, she reminded me that “no dog is perfect”. She was right, no matter how much I research and plan, the puppy is going to have some challenge. It might be an aspect of temperament, something physical, or just might be a challenge to train. Being reminded of this helped me relax and make the final decision to be put on the waiting list for the litter I had been obsessing over for weeks. It was reassuring to not have the pressure of finding perfection.

This lesson came in handy last week. My husband, Lester, had an infection in an ulcer that he had on his foot. We had been to the wound clinic the following week and they prescribed some really major antibiotics. They drew a line on his foot where the infection was on the foot, noticeable by the red color, and told me to watch to make sure the infection didn’t spread. I changed his bandages every night, but didn’t see anything to be concerned about until the night before his follow up appointment. He had several water blisters on his toes. One of the toes was a really dark purple color, almost black and there was a bad odor. I knew this wasn’t good, really not good. Due to the kidney failure and the diabetes, his circulation is bad and his feet are high risk.

The next day when the bandages were removed in the office, two toes were very dark and the smell was horrible. After being examined by three different doctors, the recommendation was made that he be admitted to the hospital. They also wanted to do an exploratory surgery the next day to determine the extent of the infection and how much circulation was left. Preliminary examination showed no pulse inside the “infection line” that was drawn on his foot the week before. The doctor explained that it was likely that they would need to remove one or more toes and as much as his leg up to the knee.

I was overwhelmed. Having seen the state of his toes, I knew they would have to come off. I knew that the hospital stay would be several days and the recovery months. The lack of sleep, extra chores, special dog care, and stress ran through my mind in seconds. In addition to the physical demands, I knew that this would be very emotional for Lester. Would I be able to handle seeing him in so much physical and emotional pain? How would I be able to change the dressings and see his foot missing toes? I am running out of vacation time at work and I knew that in addition to the hospital stay there would be weeks and weeks of check ups and therapy. How could I fit it all in? I began to pray for strength and quoted in my mind every verse I knew about strength, begging God to help us get through this. Claiming his promises, I included in one of the text messages I sent from the doctor’s office “His strength is perfect”. Taken from, 2 Corinthians 12:9, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” I knew that I did not have the strength to get through the days ahead, but HE did!

The next morning as I prepared to go back to the hospital to be with Lester before his surgery, I read an e-mail from my sister, Nancy. The only thing in the e-mail was the verse 1 John 4:16, “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” It really caught my attention and I looked up the chapter to read it in context. I stopped at verse 18 when I read, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment...” I have read this verse a million times, but that morning it became so clear to me what it meant. Perfection. His strength is perfect and his love is perfect. I thought of how much I love Lester and how much I want to be there for him, and my love is just human, selfish love. How much more would God, in his perfect love be there for Lester, and for me? With God with us, we have nothing to fear. He doesn’t want us to be in the torment that fear brings. Perfect love leaves no room for questioning, no room for fear. Lester was EXACTLY where he was meant to be that day. I was exactly where I was supposed to be that day and God was with us. He offered his perfect strength where I had none and His perfect love when my faith was small. I felt peace wash over me yet again. Where my search for perfection in a puppy came up short and my search for perfection in myself came up short, my search for perfection in my God did not.

Author’s note:
Lester did go into surgery that day. During the pre-surgery exam, we saw that all four of his small toes were black. The doctor told us that the x-rays showed that the infection was in the bone. His toes had gangrene. They performed the amputation surgery removing about half of his foot. He is out of the hospital and healing nicely. I am overwhelmed at the goodness of God and how smoothly the hospital stay went. His father, sister and brother-in-law came up to visit. It was really nice to not have to go home to an empty house, plus they did a whole list of chores around the house to help me get caught up. Someone anonymously cleaned out my front flower bed, and one of my dog club friends drove over an hour to play with Bison three different times. Countless others visited at the hospital, sent e-mails, text messages, or cards. But most importantly, many people prayed for us.

Sometimes You Just Can’t be a Post

I am not by nature an adventurer, so when we started SchH training, I was determined to step out of my comfort zone. I wanted to brave the snow, rain, and heat and the physical demands head on. That is why I was not willing to admit defeat when I was struggling to “post” Bison in protection training.

Posting is when the handler “stands like a post" and holds the dog’s leash while the helper (see terms) agitates him with the bite sleeve. It is important not to wobble and let the dog surge forward. There are many reasons for doing this activity which I won’t get into here. For an un-athletic woman, holding back a 110 lb German Shepherd (GSD) who is taking flying leaps at the end of the rope is not an easy thing. I was shown how to stand and how to hold the rope, but no matter how determined I was and how hard I tried I still couldn’t hold him still and it was inhibiting the learning process. I just kept thinking, “All I have to do is stand here like a post, how hard can it be? What is wrong with me?”

One training day, I hurt my knee. My fellow club member, Lisa, volunteered to post Bison for me. She is a very strong woman whom I admire. She is an aerobics instructor and has done some weight lifting. I have to admit that I felt relieved. I thought, “Finally Bison would get posted properly and would be able to learn.” But, the most amazing thing happened. She wobbled too, not as much as me, but she did. She even told me that Bison was really strong. I was shocked. All that time I thought it was just me, so I never said anything, I just continued to struggle. The following week our helper suggested that we post him on a tree, something that I didn’t even know as an option. From then on, Bison improved quickly. I wonder what would have happened if I would have asked for help instead of continuing to try to do it on my own.

So many times in our lives we are like me trying to post Bison. We get in over our heads, and we don’t ask for help. We go on trying to do things on our own and failing miserably. Instead, we need to turn to God for help. Jeremiah 33:3 says “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” God is always there to help us when we ask. But, the biggest lesson I learned from this experience was that we need to help each other. When Lisa saw that I was hurting (my knee) she stepped in and faced the challenge. Because of her knowledge and experience, she was able to assess the situation and make it better for Bison and me. Galatians 6:2 says “Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” There are people all around us who are hurting, struggling to do things on their own, but so often we don’t want to get involved. What a difference a kind word, a sympathetic ear, or a hug can make to lighten someone’s burden.

Getting Involved

When we were researching to purchase Bison, we learned about a dog sport called Schutzhund (SchH), a triathlon for dogs consisting of three phases; tracking, obedience, and protection. It originated as a breed test for German Shepherds. Dogs that have SchH titles being those that are breed worthy. (See side links for more information about SchH) We were interested in what we read, but at the time we brought Bison home, there weren’t any clubs close by. Those that were within a 2 hour drive trained on Sunday. That just wasn’t an option for us, so we went the more traditional training route of indoor obedience classes.

About a year after we brought Bison home, my husband Lester’s kidneys failed and he had to go on dialysis. The life adjustments were difficult and made dog training take a back seat. When he finally got on a treatment plan that worked well for him and we got used to the new lifestyle, I felt it was time to get into serious training. I considered several different options, but was very excited to see that there was a new club that was only a 30 – 45 minute drive and they trained on Saturday. We contacted the club president and made arrangements to visit. My initial thought was that I would just visit so I could see in person what it was all about, but it probably wouldn’t be for me. I was concerned about training outside year round and the big time commitment. Lester on the other hand was very excited about it. Even though he couldn’t physically handle the training, he really wanted this experience for Bison. He also thought it would be really good for me to “get away from it all” every week. He recognized the stress that I was under with my job situation and his care.

After our first visit to the club, I was hooked. Bison was a natural. We both really had fun, and the people in the club were open, supportive, and willing to help. I went shopping for clothing to keep me warm during the winter and it turns out that the time commitment wasn’t a big deal. It is easy to make a commitment to something that you look forward to every week.

This experience of going from an average dog owner that trains house manners a dog handler that trains for competition is a little like going from an average church attendee to one that is really involved. This switch happened for me when I was a teenager. My parents took me to church from the time I was one week old. But, there came a time when the commitment had to be my own. I needed to decide if I was going to just be a pew warmer or if I was going to get in all the way. I decided the later. I remember one Sunday during a sermon realizing that because God had done so much for me, I wanted to give my life to him, make a commitment with my time and energy.

Just like with SchH, the more I got involved, the more I was hooked. Serving God is fun, you get to hang out with people that are open, supportive, and willing to help. With a few adjustments, it becomes a way of live and it is easy to make a commitment to something that you look forward to.

The Makings of a Dog Lover and a God Lover

I’ve owned dogs since my marriage in 1995. I wasn’t around dogs much growing up and didn’t really like them. Until the day my husband talked me into getting a puppy. We ended up going down to the Humane Society. From the moment I saw his cute little furry face and big puppy belly, I was in love. All his litter mates had been adopted already. He needed hernia surgery that would cost extra. We were rescuing him. The adventure started three days later when the sweet little angel, Bear, ran non-stop from one end of our tiny rented home to the other end for two hours straight. But it was the beginning of my relationship with dogs. I knew next to nothing, but it didn’t matter to Bear. I was the primary trainer in the house. I made a ton of mistakes, but he loved me anyway and we learned together. Since then, there has been Gator, a German Shepherd who we lost to bloat, and Moose, a Golden/Shepherd mix who we will lose in a short time to cancer. Finally, Bison, registered Indo vom Triton, who is the main focus of this blog (pictured on the right).

This beginning makes me think of how we come to God. I was only four years old when I decided to give Him my life. My sister told me about John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” She explained that we can go to heaven when we die if we ask forgiveness for our sin. Even at the age of four, I knew I had done bad things. I don’t remember if she told me the verse at the time, but 1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I bowed my head right there in the garage and with the faith of a child asked God to forgive me for my sins and take me to heaven when I die. In the church world, we call that “getting saved” because of Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

My relationship with God started that day and just like with Bear, I knew next to nothing. It didn’t matter to God, He loved me just as I was. Through the years my relationship has grown deeper and sweeter. Not only am I a dog lover, but I am a God lover.