Priorities

" How do those of you with hectic
schedules squeeze in valuable training time?"

Cut something out. It is VERY easy in dogs to get in over your head. You
can see it regularly - someone shows up with a dog, takes a class, takes
another class, brings a new dog, takes another class, brings another
dog... before you know it, they have 18 dogs and a divorce.

It is also common that kennel clubs, private training organizations, or
simply instructors, don't WANT you to have a life. People with lives are
treated badly, laughed at, kidded, made to feel like they aren't REAL
dog people. News flash: "real" dog people have lives.

Sit down and write out your priorities. Are you having a great time and
just feel guilty because your dogs aren't doing as well as someone
else's? Then stop feeling guilty. Or are you really getting frazzled and
want some time to work and play with your own dogs, after all, why do
you have dogs? Then drop some of your activities and work and play with
your own dogs.

You are in this situation by accident, but STAYING in this situation will be
something you do by choice.

I have fibromyalgia. I have a husband, two kids in college, 30 llamas,
two dogs, classes and seminars, and my husband's office to run. I'm also
very middle-class and grew up thinking that people who don't clean their
own houses are scum. It was tough to hire someone to do that job, but
SOMETHING had to give. Give up the dogs? The seminars? The classes? The
llamas? The family? The housecleaning? HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM TOUGH
CHOICE!!!!!! Now we've got someone to clean the barn, too, and help
feed the llamas, and occasionally someone else grooms the dogs for me.

Bottom line, decide what your priorities are, and then do something
about it.

Sue eh?