Maizy's Lessons Part 7: Cheese and Bacon

Maizy doesn't like people who smell different than Marybeth, Grant and I coming into her house.  I mean really, really doesn't like it.  She has gotten better in the three years that we have had her but still she starts to bark and growl as soon as she smells someone different in the house.

We have worked with her enough so that she is getting a little more used to it....and little is the key word in that phrase.  When my parents came to visit over Memorial Day, we were worried about how Maizy would deal with the interlopers!

The first 3 days were difficult with much barking and growling. We were hoping that Maizy would wear herself out and calm down but that didn't happen until day 4.  When my parents came over that morning...something just broke.  Maizy just went into the second bedroom and hung out in her crate even when other new people came into the house later! Of course, Marybeth and I were thrilled so she got two of her favorite things in the world as treats for most of the day: cheese and bacon. (She is definitely her father's daughter!) She stayed there for most of the day only coming out of her crate to go out or come see me when I went to the master bedroom. While we hope that someday she will enjoy being around new people, this was a huge step. 

If you gave me cheese and bacon, I would probably do whatever you asked also.  I have friends who knew they could get me to help them move if they would buy lunch and dinner.  This got me thinking about what motivates us.  Whether it is time, food, money, etc., it doesn't change the fact that we, at times, have trouble doing the things that scare us. And if we do, maybe we will get cheese and bacon for doing it. Not literally of course but I think you know what I mean.  Getting to the point where we allow something to break in our lives comes with rewards, no matter how scary it is.

Thanks Maizy for showing me how to let something break in my life and I hope there is cheese and bacon waiting for me.