This is Weston’s latest favorite spot up in the veggie beds, the highest part of the garden. She looks over the deck, neighbors back yards and our garden. She’s started resting her head on the wooden garden bed borders and just chilling out there while I work. Her lesson – enjoy the view! […]
Category: Weston’s Lessons
Lesson Ten: Put Yourself First
Our little yellow dog continues to teach us lessons. I’ve struggled over the past 6 months to do something that brings me such joy, takes away any ‘blues’ that I might be feeling, shreads any stress and makes me feel so very happy and good. Exercise. I have always loved sports, played basketball and field […]
Lesson Nine: Discovery
On days that I don’t bring Weston to the beach for a swim, we walk in Pukekura Park. She’s been walking here since she first came home to us, and is a favorite of the staff that work there. (Well they always stop and pet her, so I assume she’s a favorite.) We live just […]
Lesson Eight: Trust
Rodney recently re-built the back fence and there is a part where it meets one of our raised garden beds where Weston can sit and see over to our neighbor’s yard. She’s been sitting there these past few weeks and just barking. Bark bark bark. Bark bark bark. We’ve been running back there, scolding her. […]
Lesson Seven: Be in the moment
We’ve recently had a diagnosis of elbow dysplasia for our sweet Weston. Go ahead, google the term, the first description is horrible, “Elbow dysplasia is a common cause of front-leg lameness in large-breed dogs.” OK, don’t google it. “[youtube=http://youtu.be/_yM-BI6jUiw] Weston has had a weird gate and a bit of a limp at times for […]
Lesson Six: Taking a new path
Each morning I take Weston for a walk. We started with short ones, 10 minutes for each month she was old. We are now at our maximum of about 60 minutes. For months, I waited for her to learn how to swim. People would ask “ahhh, a Lab. Does she LOVE to swim?” And for […]
Lesson Five: Watching the world go by
Weston loves to sit at our front gate and watch her world of New Plymouth go by. She wags her tale, listens to the loud cars, greets people walking by….she can sit there for a very long time. We too love the view from the front of the house. After a long day of service […]
Lesson Four: Exuberance
Weston is passionate about brooms. Once she sees one, she picks it up, and carries it to us, nudging us not-so-gently to pick up the end and run around with her, as she keeps a hold of the bristles. She LOVES this, and Rod can spend hours playing with her and swinging her around. When […]
Lesson Three: Sitting pretty
When Weston sees people approaching her, or across the sidewalk, or running by, or generally sees anyone… she sits and watches them. She’s basically waiting for them to come and pet her. The longer they take to do so, the longer we wait. She’s definitely successful with this approach, it’s confirmation of good manners, […]
Lesson Two – It's OK to get dirty…
Weston likes to get dirty and loves being outside. She digs in the dirt, coming up for air with black earth covering her white face and paws. On our walks she finds smelly things and rolls in them. And as the serenity on her face in this photo shows, she really loved encountering cows and […]