Day 17: Pick a word from a dictionary and write about it - trainer

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 17: Pick a word from a dictionary and write about it - trainer

Okay, I encountered a bit of a snag here ... I don’t own a dictionary. So I turned to Google and asked to present me with a random dictionary word. Google came up with ‘Trainer’. This word suited me just fine as it gives me the opportunity to tell you about the time I took my dog to obedience school.

My dog was called Laura, a Belgian Shephard and while a beautiful animal, she was not very obedient. Taking her for a walk was nothing to look forward to. She would strain on her leach, the leather cutting into my hand, and I would hardly be able to keep up with her. And heaven forbid when she saw a cat or a bird. She would take off like an arrow from a bow, dragging me behind her.

When a neighbor suggested obedience school I made inquiries and Laura was accepted for the September/October class.

The first Saturday afternoon we showed up at the school, which was a large grassy field with a pavilion, I was surprised at the attendance. There must have been 60 men and women there, accompanied by German Shepherds, Labradors, Border Collies, Golden Retrievers, French Poodles, Dobermans, and an assortment of mixed breeds.

While the owners made conversation, the dogs sat next to them, lay down on the grass, or tried to get acquainted with each other.

At precisely 3:00 p.m. one of the trainers called the gathering to order and requested them to go their allocated spot: beginners, intermediates and advanced. It was obvious who the intermediates and advanced men and women and their dogs were, as they knew where to go. Only the beginners class stayed behind.

Laura and I, along with 10 other dogs and their owners were directed to the left-hand side of the field. The class started by commanding our dog to sit.

“Sit” I commended Laura, but she looked up at me with an expression that said she was perfectly fine standing. “Sit,” I said again and again and eventually she must have thought ... okay, if you insist. So, she sat.

Next came the command to lay down. When I commended Laura to lay down, she had no problem with that. She lay down, front paws elegantly stretched out in front of her. Good dog. 

Getting her to get up again proved to be difficult and I could see her point ... first you want me to lay down, now you want me to get up ... make up your mind.

We practiced and practiced and eventually Laura had it down, she sat and lay down on command. Now came the part where our dogs had to sit and had to remain in place while their owners walked away (a short distance). Laura was having none of that. I had barely taken three steps or she came after me. Walking away while Laura lay down proved to be just as impossible.

Week after week Laura and I joined the other men and women and their dogs, most of them well behaved if not super obedient (the dogs I mean).

Toward the end of October, obedience classes came to an end and the training season would be rounded off with a party. One of the staff members handed me an invitation and Laura promptly bit her arm. Not bad, but enough to warn her.

“Never extend your arm to an owner while the dog is present,” one of the trainers said. “The dog might think that you’re going to attack the owner. Do it slowly and let the owner extend his or her arm first.”

So, while technically Laura had done nothing wrong, we were banned from any future lessons. Biting a staff member, even with the intention of protecting an owner, was not acceptable.

“Don’t feel bad,” the instructor who had been working with Laura said to me. “Laura might not be the most obedient dog, but where it comes to protecting, she doesn’t need any lessons.”

www.connymanero.weebly.com

How to train your cat to use the litter box in 3 simple steps

Did you adopt a cat or kitten? Has this sweet addition to the family had an accident on the floor or carpet? Not to worry, cats are among the cleanest animals and in most cases training them to use the litter box is fairly easy. Cats are like people, they like a clean place to their business and they like it private.

Litter box location

When you try to pick a location for your cat’s litter box, think like a cat – where would you like the box to be? Not somewhere with lots of foot traffic or loud background noise as this will frighten kitty. Not somewhere where she eats, sleeps or plays. By way of eliminating, what is left? The bathroom is an obvious choice, so is the laundry room, the garage (if she has easy access to it) and even the balcony (weather permitting).

Take the cat’s age into consideration and make the litter box easily accessible. An older cat might have arthritis and might have troubles climbing a staircase or climbing over furniture to get to her box.

While some cats like the privacy of an enclosed litter box, the majority likes their box open. Use unscented litter and place an old carpet or towel in front of the box so that kitty isn’t left with litter on her paws or between her toes.

An appropriate litter box

Litter boxes available in pet stores are generally suitable for most cats. As a rule of thumb a litter box should be the length of a cat’s body. Kittens do not need a small box, but extra large cats might need an extra large box.

If you’re not in favor of emptying the litter box, you have options. You can make use of cat litter liners, which you can just tie up and disposed of, or you can buy disposable cat litter trays. Disposable trays are a little more expensive than regular trays that have to be filled with litter, but super easy to use.

The litter

There are many types of cat litter available. There’s the regular sandy type, but there also clay, shredded paper and wood pellets. Try to avoid litter with anti-bacterial elements or strong perfumes. A fresh scent might seem attractive to you, but might be too much for your cat. Remember, a cat’s sense of smell is much more advanced than yours.

How to train your cat

Step 1 – Show her where to go

When you bring a new cat or kitten into your home, show her where her litter box is and put her in the box. Cats might be smart, but they’re not that smart that they instinctively know where to go. Either pick her up and show her her private little bathroom, or encourage her to follow you.

Step 2 - After meals

Few cats use their litter box right after a meal but you could try to put her in her litter box after she’s eaten or had a drink. This might lead her to associate food with poop and water with pee. Don’t force her to stay in her box though. Forcing her will create fear. Simply put her in the box, talk to her in a soft tone of voice what the box is for and leave it at that. Kitty will probably have a look, sniff around and jump out of the box. Leave it up to her.

Step 3 – Praise her

If you notice that kitty has used her litter box, lavish her with praise. While petting her say “Good kitty” or “Smart kitty” or anything else that makes it clear how pleased you are.

Accidents happen

Should your cat or kitten have an accident, don’t punish her. Never yell or spank her. Cats don’t understand negative enforcement and yelling or any other type of punishment will only frighten her. Should you find a poopie on the floor or a wet spot on the carpet, show her the accident and then put her in her box.

When you clean up the mess, place the damp tissue or the poopie in the box. The scent will lure her to use this place for future relief.

To discourage her from using the wrong place again, thoroughly clean the accident spot. Soak up most of the urine with tissue paper, sprinkle with plain baking soda (no cleaning agents added), and vacuum. Repeat if necessary.

Litter box maintenance

Once your cat uses her litter box on a regular basis, keep the box as clean as possible. Scoop out poopies on a regular basis and wash the box at least once a week. Just like you prefer a clean toilet, so does your cat.

Cats are naturally clean and smart, and training should require little or no effort.

Do you like my blog? You might like my books too. Sample them at: www.connymanero.weebly.com

How to train your cat to use the litter box

Did you adopt a cat or kitten? Has this sweet addition to the family had an accident on the floor or carpet? Not to worry, cats are among the cleanest animals and in most cases training them to use the litter box is fairly easy. Cats are like people, they like a clean place to their business and they like it private. 

Continue reading at:

http://connymanero.weebly.com/blog/how-to-train-your-cat-to-use-the-litterbox

Age discrimination

Age discrimination is against the law, but it would seem that companies have found a loophole.  While they can’t specify in the ad that only young people need apply, there are other means of letting older people know they are not wanted.

This week I saw an ad …

“Wanted.  Executive Assistant with a flair for writing.  Salary $45,000”

Perfect, I thought.  Not only have I been an assistant for more years than I can remember, I have written three novels, two children’s books and about 600 articles.  An interview had to be forthcoming.

When I didn’t hear from the agency I gave them a call myself and asked to speak to the person who handled the job ad. 

After some uncomfortable hmm’s, aah’s and euh’s, the woman told me that the company was looking for someone they could train and mould to their requirements.  

Fine, I’ve had training before, I could do it again.  As for moulding, for $45,000 a year they could mould me into anything they wanted. 

“Yeah, but you’re probably set in your ways,” the woman said.
No, I’m not set in my ways.  If a company wants me to do things their way, I can change.

Eventually the consultant let the cat out of the bag … the company wanted someone with no more than two years experience.  In age discrimination language that means … we want a young dolly bird.  Strange, I thought, $45,000 for someone with hardly any experience!

On to the next ad I had seen.

“Assistant required for VP.  Minimum 5 years experience.  Advanced knowledge of MS-Word, Exel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Acrobat.  Superb keyboarding skills.  Some bookkeeping required.  Salary between $25,000.”

Well I’ll be damned.  Here an assistant to a VP, who had to have at least 5 years experience and needed a string of software knowledge was offered a measly $25,000 while in the other ad a young bird, who didn’t need to have knowledge about anything – the company would train her to their specifications - was promised $45,000 . 

How does that add up?