Follow the leader

When people usually display images of their pets (normally this includes me too), they choose pictures where the animal looks peaceful, happy, delightful to be around. Rarely do they pick a picture that 100% exemplifies their dog's persona. This is Leo, any day of the week.

I bought "Be the Pack Leader" by Cesar Millan this week and have been tearing through it like a mad woman. Leo is a sweet dog, and I accept him as-is. But something Cesar (in my head, I say it "Say-zarr") has taught me is that Leo is not a balanced dog. Leo is a CRAZY dog (Say-zarr doesn't use these words, but I totally get what he's hinting at). So my motivation for being Leo's pack leader is to help him regain balance that he never had, being separated from his mother at such a young age (Say-zarr says this is an excuse I've made to cope with Leo's madness). And as to quote a conversation I had with LEMonade last night, "I've read all of these books, but nowhere does it tell me HOW EXACTLY to get Finley to stop snarling at me." I think they want you to tackle the whole she-bang before you can get them to stop the little stuff, and for Leo, that little stuff is: doing a freakish dance anytime I even half-way glance at his leash, barking at leaves that blow across the street, and just plain acting like he's had 12 cups of coffee at.all.times.

So just like an alcoholic has to admit their addiction before the healing process can occur, I stand before you, here and now, and proclaim to you this: "Hi, I'm Stacy, and I've got an unbalanced dog." Hi, Stacy.