Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I really should read my own blog.

They’re not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

In my day, never was longer.

Conservatism: there are some people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

Just because you believe it, that doesn’t make it true.

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

If you’re pissed about Biden’s speech, he was talking about you.

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

Today’s GOP: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

Accountability, motherfuckers.

Meanwhile over at truth Social, the former president is busy confessing to crimes.

Let’s finish the job.

The willow is too close to the house.

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Dog Blogging / Confidence- We’re Getting It!

Confidence- We’re Getting It!

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Just got back from a long walk with Lily, and she is really starting to come out of her shell the past two to three days. I’m starting to really get a sense of her personality, and she is starting to get playful. Here is a pic of her on the ride over to rails to trails:

Lily is at her absolute best when she is walking, but I’m noticing improvements around the house, too. She came out from underneath the desk to let me put the harness on her yesterday (only took five minutes of coaxing), which is a marked improvement from me having to get on all fours and drag her gently out. She also almost came to me from the other room when I yelled, but stopped at the last minute and I just couldn’t get her to go the extra few feet. Baby steps, I guess. Last night she even left the bedroom and study and came to lie on the couch with me for a bit, and that was a big step.

But the biggest change is her confidence while walking. Not only is she not timidly looking back at me to see if I am going to hurt her the whole time, but now she is looking back at me confidently with her tail in the air. She no longer freaks out when people go by on their bikes, either. She still has no clue what to do with balls or toys, but her more playful side is starting to come out. Her favorite game is while we are walking, and I was trying to describe this to someone earlier, but she starts to get all proud and hold her head up and start to almost prance like a horse on its way to the starting gate. I’ll then start saying “Who’s a good doggy? Who’s a good doggy? LILLLY!”, and she starts to get all excited and bounces up and down, and does that cute dancing dog thing. Here is a series of her doing just that (also, check out that curled tail!):

More after the fold…

Check out this tongue action:

Here she is doing the little tap dance I was talking about earlier, and I’m really hoping I can train her to go from there to jumping up into my arms on command:

This picture got cut off, but you can really see her prancing:

And here she is just being silly Lily:

And now, the last quarter mile, dragging a wee bit:

At any rate, I think we are making really good progress. I can tell she is getting better, and I know she has the instincts, and this may sound silly, but I honestly feel like I am having to coax the dog out of her. It is in there, and she knows instinctively how to be a dog, just no one ever let her or showed her. I’m thinking we will totally be ready for obedience school in two weeks.

Reader Interactions

198Comments

  1. 1.

    Comrade Stuck

    Those are the best pics yet of her, all 50 of them. She is looking like she knows she’s a dog, meant to have fun.

  2. 2.

    pika

    I love the prance, but most of all I love the purposeful, confident step of the last photo.

  5. 5.

    CaseyL

    These are wonderful!

    What a sweetie! (Lily’s pretty good, too :)

    Seriously, she looks so much better than when you first brought her home: sleeker, more confident, even more comfortable in her own skin.

    Be interesting to see how she reacts to doggie finishing school (aka “obedience training”).

  6. 6.

    tinat

    I love the fact that you took a chance on her and now you are as proud as a new papa! Your Lilly updates are the highlight of my web surfing lately, leaves me all warm and fuzzy!

  7. 7.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    John – okay admit I have tears in my eyes, she is doing so good however, you have to recognize the “play bow” in pic five! When a dog (puppy whatever) places its front paws and legs on the ground (with butt in the air) it is ASKING TO PLAY, she is asking you to play with her, recognize that and then PLAY!

    PS) google it

  8. 8.

    Tank Man

    This is truly remarkable for the short amount of time you’ve had her.

    She looked like a completely different dog when you got her. Her eyes were anxious and scared.

    This dog looks like a dog.

    More Lily updates, please.

    Good dog, Lily.

  15. 15.

    Liz

    I’m not allowed to enter the parking lot of Petsmart or Petco on weekends – my family will not have another dog/cat. We have 4 dogs and three cats, all adopted and from what I can tell for the same reason Lily is with you and thriving. I believe their eyes tell you about their soul. I can’t tell you what a wonderful feeling and big smile you bring to me by sharing your experience with all of us – I look forward to it every day. Thank you

  16. 16.

    demkat620

    Wow! She looks very happy John. Very happy. I suspect she is going to have an amazing personality when she gets comfortable with you.

  17. 17.

    shelley matheis

    Oh, man. You brought tears to my eyes describing Lily’s ‘walking’ game. (And those great pics.)
    You’re right, check out that tail. She could scratch her own back with it! ;-)

  18. 18.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    Link to explaining the “play bow”

    http://www.pets.ca/pettips/pet-tip-105.htm

    You can “play bow” Lily by doing exactly the same thing, get down on the ground, put your arms straight to the floor and put your butt in the air, and say “do you want to play?” she will recognize the posture immediately and will want to play.

  20. 20.

    Tank Man

    Lily is expressing solidarity with the Pomegranate Revolution. Why aren’t you, freedom hater?

  21. 21.

    Violet

    Oh, I love these photos! John, you’re doing such a great job! Lily looks like a completely different dog. So happy and having such a great time!

    I love all the tongue and tail! Okay, that sounded extremely dirty. But it’s great to see her wagging her tail and looking very dog-like. Warms my heart.

  22. 22.

    JL

    Next week you’ll have to show us pictures from week one, week two and week three. What great progress.

  24. 24.

    Death By Mosquito Truck

    You need to tackle her, let her know who’s boss. Then she’ll come when she’s called. Dogs need a clear chain of command.

  30. 30.

    neill

    Oh Gawd, I love the “dancing dog” thing…

    it’s right up there with the “crazy cat thing” — running around the house chased by or chasing invisible foes…

  35. 35.

    maye

    I agree she looks so different in these pictures from the first ones. Amazing progress in such a short time.

  36. 36.

    gbear

    I’m thinking we will totally be ready for obedience school in two weeks.

    You know, that sounds like the last sentence in Part One of a novel in which you know everything is going to go to hell in Part Two.

    She is a cutie. Have you left her alone for any extended periods yet? How does she handle you leaving her with Tunch?

  38. 38.

    geg6

    You have me literally weeping with happy tears, John. Good doggy, Lily. Amazing dog, Lily. Oh, and I agree. That’s a get down here and play with me posture.

  40. 40.

    spudgun

    Awwwww, whooozzahgoodgirrll?! Whooozzahgoodgirrll?! Whoozzzahwozzawoozaboosieboosieboobooboo?!?

    :-D

    Good job, John!

  41. 41.

    JonathanW

    I see that you’re using an Iranian Freedom Leash to walk Lily. Sully would be proud!

  44. 44.

    Bad Horse's Filly

    @Litlebritdifrnt: Two minds. I have tears in my eyes, too and was thinking the same thing about the play stance. If you imitate it, you can get almost any dog to play with you (bow with your hands placed on your thighs, feet spread apart, head tilting back and forth).

    Edit: I see you’ve already described how to imitate!

  48. 48.

    spudgun

    Ah, I just noticed, she’s not cowering on the floor of your car anymore! Yay! Amazing girl…

  50. 50.

    Delia

    She just looks so happy. Is she jumping around in a little circle.

    I’ll tell you, there’s nothing like knowing you’ve made a dog happy. Their hearts are so simple and their needs are really quite easy to gratify: basic kindness, good walks, good food. And the boundless love you get in return and that absolutely beautful dog smile.

  54. 54.

    Bill H

    You are a credit to all dog persons, John. She is doing wonderfully well. I don’t really like dogs, but I am hugely enjoying watching Lilly’s progress.

  56. 56.

    geg6

    Can someone please tell me who this Joe Buck guy is on my teevee and why I should or shouldn’t watch him?

  60. 60.

    geg6

    Okay, cancel that. I don’t care who he is. Anyone who books Brett Favre and Michael Irvin to whine about the tough life of multi-zillionaire athletes on his first show isn’t interested in having a second show, I guess.

  61. 61.

    debit

    The Lily updates are the highlight of my day. Seriously.

    @kommrade reproductive vigor:
    I know. I was doing the “I will not get a dog” chant all weekend. I already have three cats.

    Speaking of cats, and sorry for the OT, but the Humane Society here in Minnesota is so overloaded with cats (at least 75 coming in a day) they are offering 2 for 1. Seriously. If I didn’t have the three previously mentioned, I’d do it. If anyone here has been thinking about getting a cat, now’s the time. Even if it’s just fostering for the summer (they’re looking for foster homes too). Please consider it.

  63. 63.

    just visiting

    She has the funniest little ears. Do they ever perk all the way up, or are they permanently floppy at the ends?

    (I’m so proud that I managed to ask that without ever once saying “earection”)

  64. 64.

    GReynoldsCT00

    She’s such a sweetie John! It says a lot about you that she is coming around so quickly. We love the updates — something good in the midst of all the madness.

  65. 65.

    Bey

    That laughy face is perfect! And it’s just the beginning – it’s going to get even better.

    How great is that?

    @debit:

    I was fat and happy with my 5 cats last summer. Then my friend said he had a rescue that I needed to meet. Every day since I’ve wondered how I lived so many years without a dog. She stole my heart. And the cats like her too.

    Do it. You never go wrong loving something that needs it.

  68. 68.

    Elie

    Lovely Lilly!

    I feel vicarious pleasure in watching her evolving engagement and love for you. It is one of the best gifts that life has to offer — the love of an animal companion.

    What gets me is the change in her eyes — and that awesome tail now curled confidently over her back —

    Fabulous!

  70. 70.

    lizzy

    When I paint a portrait, furry or otherwise (mostly furry), I always begin with the eyes. If the eyes aren’t right, don’t capture the soul, there is no point in continuing. Lily has wonderfully, happy eyes.

  71. 71.

    Jennifer

    I’m gonna go into Cesar mode here, but all this walking you’ve been doing with her is the best thing you could have done – he would say that’s what helps you bond as a pack and establishes your status as pack leader…which is the best thing you could possibly do for an anxious, timid dog to give her confidence. From what you say about her walk behavior it certainly seems to have worked for her, anyway.

  72. 72.

    SarahLoving

    Lily’s lead shows me you’ve changed your stance on the importance of visually supporting Iranian canine democracy.

  73. 73.

    rknight

    John,
    Love your site (ever since you were discovered by TRex?).
    Please don’t be in a hurry to go to obedience school. My friends and I have done more rescues than, really, my heart can stand any more. Point being, my best friend rescued a Catahoula Leopard Hound who had been horribly abused. Just as she was learning to trust again, (not his idea; wasn’t me –no names) she was sent to school. Re-set button, basically. When Lily knows Daddy won’t let anything happen to her… You are doing a Man’s work, sir. Sorry for the de-lurk now and long windage.

  74. 74.

    Peter J

    Since I see Pamela Anderson in the top left corner, I’m going to repost this altered photo from one of the former Lily threads, hoping that this time someone will see it and perhaps find it remotely funny.

    And while I’m owned by a cat, Lily sure is a cute dog.

  78. 78.

    geg6

    Oh God. I thought I’d watch and see if this Buck guy is any good. Let me say, based on the Favre interview? No. And he’s promoting Chad Ocho Cinco for later in the show. What is this? The Who’s The Biggest Possible Dickhead Show?

  79. 79.

    Blue Raven

    I am now dead from squee. Lily is a darling and you, John, are her hero. *squee*

  80. 80.

    lovedog

    Nice having a new best friend isn’t it?

    (She looks a little like Dobby the House Elf in that 1st pic with those adorable floppy ears)

  81. 81.

    linda

    awwwwww… her transformation is amazing. she just looks so happy. betcha she’ll be a lapdog by the end of the month…

  82. 82.

    You Don't Say

    I’ve been waiting all day for the Lily update! Yay! She looks great and so happy.

    I’m missing Tunch. A photo please, sir!

  83. 83.

    debit

    @Litlebritdifrnt: Well. Local law has a limit if three per house. And I rent. And I really want to avoid becoming known as “Crazy Cat Lady.” Plus all my cats demand attention all the time. I can’t imagine trying to accommodate more and be fair to all of them. But mostly it’s fear of the “Crazy Cat Lady” label.

  84. 84.

    JenJen

    O/T and it’s probably in the other thread, but I see you Sully welcomes your mockery, John! And, as always, so do we. :-D

  85. 85.

    bystander

    Outstanding. What a huge leap forward. We got the next Cesar Millan right here. When you get to this level, you’ll be able to charge admission to this site.

    Way to go, John. You done real good. Clearly, Darling Lily is becoming one very happy little girl.

  86. 86.

    DemonDem

    John –

    Enjoy these moments. Owning dogs is always a joy – they are terrific companions and an endless source of joy, with the occasional frustratuon thrown for good neasure. Even so, when you rescue an animal like Lily and watch the dog become a Dog (capital D b/c am on blackberry and don’t have italics) it is simply a wonderful feeling – there is the obvoius happiness you feel for Lily, but you should also indulge in a little pride and happiness for yourself, because you have done a great and noble thing, and BOTH your lives will be the happier for it.

    GOOD DOG LILY! – I am thrilled for you both.

  87. 87.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    @debit:

    My husband bought me a t-shirt this weekend at Myrtle Beach, it is blue, and in pink letters it says “crazy cat lady” and I was pleased and proud of the title. The other title of which I am proud of is “dotty English Woman” my life’s ambition is to be known as “the dotty English woman down the street that talks to her cats” I am working on it, someday I will get there.

  88. 88.

    gbear

    @debit:

    I saw that story about the animal shelter in the Trib last week. I’ve got two shelter cats now (from the Humane Society near Como Lake). One of the cats is 15 years old and I’ve told myself no new animals until she’s gone. I wish I could support another animal but it’s not in the budget. I don’t know if the next pet will be a dog or cat, but it will most likely be a shelter animal.

  90. 90.

    Cain

    OT – the robin I saved was a fledgling and my cat apparently didn’t even touch it but sat in front of it while its parents where swooping all over the place like “get your hands off our kid!” I’ve been told that they would sacrifice themselves to save their young. Thank goodness that didn’t happen! Kudos to my cat who rather just sniff flowers than go after baby birds. Fledging back under the watchful eyes of the parents who were making a racket after the fledgling took off. Makes the heart feel good, just like watching Lilly adjust to her new life. Go Lilly!

    cain

    (see it wasn’t about me after all. haha)

  91. 91.

    Notorious P.A.T.

    I’ve heard that you shouldn’t put your dog’s name on their tags, because if someone steals him or her they will know how to call him or her. Anyone else heard this?

  92. 92.

    debit

    @gbear:

    I know, it’s hard. My oldest is 19 and a shelter cat (got him when he was 6 months) and the other two were feral and living in my back yard. Bringing another animal in when a cat is elderly and frail is always a risk, and my old man doesn’t have any teeth left to defend himself during the sorting out process.

    @Litlebritdifrnt: I salute you, Crazy Cat Lady!

  93. 93.

    Krista

    John, after a crappy day, seeing the sheer joy that Lily is emanating is like a tonic for the soul. She looks like she’s utterly full of beans, and it’s just such a huge change from before — to see her demeanor change from wary, to confused, to cautious optimism, to contentment, and then to see her playing and dancing and laughing — well, chalk up another commenter with tears in her eyes.

    And seeing you being such a softie and such an awesome daddy to her…well, that’s just a bonus. :)

  94. 94.

    John Cole

    @JenJen: The whiplash. Couple threads down, I am the worst person in the world. This thread I am the best person in the world.

    I just don’t understand how wearing green is helpful. It just seems like an empty gesture.

    Beyond that, it could be dangerous. What happens if the movement can not actually sustain itself, yet the students confuse the support of a bunch of high-profile American bloggers with the support of the American government?

    Maybe I’m just scarred from going down this frenzied road once before as a warblogger in the run-up to Iraq and am being too cynical. I just don’t see how we are helping.

  95. 95.

    Krista

    I want pictures of John sticking his ass in the air and asking the dog to play!

    Heh — that’s quite the mental image. As long as nudity and mops are not involved, it’s all good.

  97. 97.

    MikeJ

    I’ve heard that you shouldn’t put your dog’s name on their tags, because if someone steals him or her they will know how to call him or her.

    If your dog gets stolen you want them to be more unhappy than they already will be?

    I suppose it depends. Are you more worried about your dog getting loose and lost or stolen?

  98. 98.

    wonkie

    John, I got teared up reading your post. I am so happy for Lily. Every dog should have a person like you.

  100. 100.

    Comrade Stuck

    @John Cole:

    I just don’t understand how wearing green is helpful.

    It isn’t. Though Funeral Black might be apropo, honoring all those who died today in America for lack of health care.

    Obama has this, and is handling it like an adult. He could go all George H.W. Bush after the Gulf War that got 100,000 Shia’s killed for no reason. The MUP is smarter than that, which is a very good thing.

  102. 102.

    JenJen

    @John Cole: John, I completely agree with your sentiment, and have through a few blog posts now. Seeing that post on Sully’s site ticked me off. I’m almost surprised he didn’t give you one of his “award” tags. He’s really caught up right now. I was surprised he wasn’t able to step outside himself, and instead give you “Dissent of the Day” honors. Oh, well.
    By the way, PBS’ “America At A Crossroads” is airing an excellent program about The Morgantown Mosque right now. I highly recommend anyone who doesn’t know the story catch the repeat.

  103. 103.

    Jen R

    @John Cole:

    What happens if the movement can not actually sustain itself, yet the students confuse the support of a bunch of high-profile American bloggers with the support of the American government?

    Does that seem likely to you at all? I haven’t seen any evidence that they’re that staggeringly unaware of how the world works.

  104. 104.

    Jager

    Ahhhh, let’s see:
    1. She has figured out the “giant” person isn’t going to hurt her!
    2. Fresh water and regular meals.
    3. A warm, comfortable place to sleep.
    4. A cat, who ignores her rather than pissing on her.
    5. Long walks in the fresh air and she gets to go in the car, too!

    She ain’t stupid, life is as good as it gets for a pooch!

  105. 105.

    moe99

    I have just one word for Lily and that is:

    “Squirrel!”

    Those who have seen Up will understand.

    As the mom of two dogs, a black lab and a miniature dachshund, it does my heart good to see this.

    Thank you, John.

  106. 106.

    John Cole

    Obama has this, and is handling it like an adult.

    The idea of this mess with McCain and Palin in office gives me chest pains. The State department would be completely staffed with Weekly Standard interns, we would have removed the blue in our flag and replaced it with green, Secretary of Defense Kristol would be drawing up war plans, McCain would have troops moving in Iraq to the Iranian border, and Sarah Palin would be on every cable network reassuring everyone of her foreign policy creds, telling everyone that “on a clear night I can see Iran from my house.”

    It’s terrifying to think about.

  107. 107.

    magisterludi

    You are earning her trust- poor babe probably hasn’t experienced extended human kindness in her life.

    You are a credit to homo sapiens, John Cole.

  108. 108.

    Crashman06

    @geg6: A little late here, but if you’re still reading…

    Joe Buck is the announcer for sporting events on Fox. He is a self-important, pompous windbag, and he sucks. Him and Tim McCarver make the worst baseball broadcast team this side of John Miller and Joe Morgan.

  109. 109.

    DemonDem

    Notorious P.A.T –

    I concur with MikeJ. People who advise not to put pets’ names on tags have a valid point, but I guess it depends on where you live and how you view human nature – for me the one time I’ve lost a dog (bolted out the door after a squirrel and took the better part of a day to find her) actually helped the guy who found her calm her down by using her name and petting her while I came to pick her up.
    By the same token, if you’re worried about people absconding with your pooch, knowing the dog’s name makes it all the easier. Double-edged sword, as they say.

  110. 110.

    beabea

    First time here today, checking for a Lily update–and sure enough…

    …but is this really the same dog??

    The dog we saw last week, was Lily-to-be. It’s so heartwarming and inspiring to see the real Lily come into being before our virtual eyes. Thank you for sharing this amazing journey with us.

  111. 111.

    gbear

    And here she is just being silly Lily:

    It won’t be long until we see the silly hillbilly Lilly spilling willy-nilly.

  112. 112.

    Nicole

    Still not enough Lily pix for me. I also had a crappy day and needed this. She looks terrific.

  113. 113.

    geg6

    Thank you, Crashman06. And that explains it. I try to never, ever watch FOX with the sole exception of when the Steelers are playing an NFC team. But even then, I turn off the sound and play the radio broadcast with the original Tunch as one of the play by play men. WDVE rocks the Steelers. And baseball is his regular gig? Well, I live in Pittsburgh. I haven’t watched baseball since 1992. Two words: Sid Bream.

  114. 114.

    Steve T.

    Notorious P.A.T. — I have my dog’s name on her collar, which is a comfort though she’s never run away (or shown any inclination to). The idea that a dognapper would know how to call her doesn’t make sense to me, since if a stranger called her name she might turn and look, but she knows it isn’t ME!!

  115. 115.

    Svensker

    Excellent! What a wonderful thing to see that tail up and that happy smile.

    My retardo dog next door who didn’t know about playing learned really fast after we got the walking part down. Took her out in the yard and got a good chew toy and threw it. She looked but not very interested. So I ran after it — that was a good game! So for a while, I’d throw the toy and run after it and she’d chase me (if the neighbors were watching they must have been sure we were both nuts). Then we got to the point of her grabbing the toy and me trying to get it away — which is most excellent fun. Silly boxer doggie still hasn’t figured out a) I throw toy b) she chases toy and c) brings it back to me to start again. But we all get lots of exercise and have fun.

  117. 117.

    tripletee (formerly tBone)

    @John Cole:

    I just don’t understand how wearing green is helpful.

    And yet Lily has a green leash. At least she doesn’t hate America Iranian revolutionaries.

  118. 118.

    Jill

    Lily is a sweetie and while she certainly deserves a lot of credit, you are obviously giving her a lot of love and allowing her to feel extremely safe, otherwise she would not be able to make this progress. Well done, John.

  119. 119.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Crashman06:

    Joe Buck is the announcer for sporting events on Fox. He is a self-important, pompous windbag, and he sucks. Him and Tim McCarver make the worst baseball broadcast team this side of John Miller and Joe Morgan.

    Yes, this. He is also the “son of” someone, which is how he got his job. I often have to mute him and McCarver so I won’t break my nice TV.

    Sigh. It breaks my heart to hear of all the unwanted animals, especially black ones. They are usually the last to be adopted.

    However, Mr. John Cole, you are a prince among men. The pictures of a happy Lily is an excellent way to wind down the day. Thank you for adopting her and thank you for bringing her such joy.

    One more thing: Tuuuuuuuunch!

  120. 120.

    xyzzy

    Damn, John. Good for you. I haven’t read and don’t care what anyone has to say. You have done a good thing here.

  121. 121.

    J. Michael Neal

    Joe Buck is the announcer for sporting events on Fox. He is a self-important, pompous windbag, and he sucks. Him and Tim McCarver make the worst baseball broadcast team this side of John Miller and Joe Morgan.

    As painful as it is for me not to put Joe Morgan at the bottom of the list, I have to say that McCarver and Buck are worse than Miller and Morgan. Much, much worse.

    Unless the ESPN crew lets Steve Phillips into the booth. Then they are the worst crew ever.

  122. 122.

    Fulcanelli

    I keep going back up thread to look at those pix of that happy pup. She’s soooo fuggin’ cute. I know you’ve had a ton of advice, but I’d like to pass along a safety tip our trainer taught us…

    Find a special treat she’ll go wild over, give it a special name or word, and gradually teach her to associate ONLY that word with the extra special treat. That’s the ONLY time she’ll get it is when she hears that word. Work with her once or twice daily for a few weeks, and make sure you deliver the goods when you use it.

    Our word is “freetime”. When our pup Max hears that word, NO MATTER WHAT what he’s doing he stops and comes running because he knows he gets a lump of string cheese, his favorite, even if he’s outside running around in the backyard.

    They’ll often ignore you calling their name if they get loose in all the excitement, but once she learns to associate ONLY that sound/word with her favorite treat, if she ever gets out or loose on you (take some of the treat with you while walking, for example) call the special word and she’ll come back. It’s worked for us like a charm.

  124. 124.

    J. Michael Neal

    It breaks my heart to hear of all the unwanted animals, especially black ones. They are usually the last to be adopted.

    I didn’t know black animals are the last adopted. I brought Eddie home because I was afraid that having a crushed ear, a big scar on his head, and a mouth that doesn’t fit together quite right would make him the last adopted. This is a good thing, since it turns out that his heart is bigger than the rest of his slowly disappearing body.

  125. 125.

    CynDee

    What a difference a week with John Cole makes.

    We took our doggy to an obedience class but found some of it was just too harsh for him. We then read books and tried things on our own. Maybe that’s not quite the way to go, but we didn’t have a whole lot of choices in our little community and didn’t like the tone of what we were seeing in this particular class. We learned that you have to keep an eye on how you think your dog is handling the stress of the class. We weren’t into harsh domination — the main thing for us was to make sure that the dog will always come to you when called. It could be a matter of safety. Very important that they obey and come so you can keep them safe.

    The second most critical thing, we found, is to understand how dogs think and behave and what’s important to them — there are reasons for everything. It really helps you both if you know a lot about dogs so you don’t confuse a vulnerable animal and make them feel unsafe and uncertain about you. It’s great that you have so many people here sharing all their dog experience. When we got started we were sheep in the jungle, as my husband likes to say. But our doggies made it through. Three beautiful creatures were with us for 11 years and made such a permanent difference in our lives.

  126. 126.

    passerby

    This is really happy news John. Thanks for uploading all those pics.

    And from the looks of those haunches of hers, bet you’ll be able to get her to jump up to you on command in no time.

    Speaking of command, where’s/how’s Tunch?

  127. 127.

    Fulcanelli

    @asiangrrlMN: Both our pound hound dogs are mostly black, with some rusty brown ( the ‘pims’ on the eyebrows and the bow ties) and white, as were all our dogs in the past. Never noticed the adoption rate being different for black dogs, we prefer them just because…

  128. 128.

    DougL (frmrly: Conservatively Liberal)

    I agree with others here, Lily wants to play! You might consider getting a Frisbee for your walks. I talked my sis into trying a Frisbee with her dogs and her Akita absolutely loves it, The best part is that once you teach the dog to bring it back, you get to stand in one place and let her exercise! :)

    She looks like she is coming along very well, quite a difference in just a few days. You must be a nice guy because pets don’t like assholes. You can tell your pets like you by the way they look in the pics. Ok, it is clear that Tunch just tolerates your presence but at least Lily worships you. ;)

  129. 129.

    passerby

    BTW, thanks AhabTRuler, love the Tunch Blimp, Super Lily and the rest of your masterful work. Keep ’em coming.

    Cracks me up.

  130. 130.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Fulcanelli:
    @J. Michael Neal:

    Yeah, because of the superstition thing. At least, it’s that way in MN and in many different states. Plus, many people think that black animals aren’t as pretty as other-colored animals. No shine or something like that.

    I have two black cats (brothers), and they are the bestest cats ever.

    AhabTRuler, great photoshopped pics. I really like the Tunch blimp.

  132. 132.

    trollhattan

    JC, late to the dance this post but whatever it was that you spotted in Lily that drew you to her (“Luuuuke…”) two weeks ago is really coming out now.

    Kudos all around!

    As you’ve discovered, a dog’s job is to walk and she’ll now happily do this until your legs have stumps at the ends where the feet are now. A worthy cause! Much continued success to you and darling Lily.

    Okay, I’m mixing songs now. Also.

    p.s She may never figure out the ball thing, but keep trying. Our Gracie loses interest in mid-flight (the ball, not the dog).

  133. 133.

    tavella

    @John Cole: Maybe I’m just scarred from going down this frenzied road once before as a warblogger in the run-up to Iraq and am being too cynical. I just don’t see how we are helping.

    No, I’m with you, John. It very much does remind me of that, where people are essentially roleplaying a fantasy. Like watching Les Miz, except real people might die not just sing about it.

    That doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t follow it, or do whatever helpful things they can do, like convincing Twitter to move their downtime, but when people start patting themselves on the back and doing the “we are all Iranians now!”… yeesh. You ain’t an Iranian, and if they get shot down and die and their country turns to oppression, you won’t pay any price, just shrug your shoulders and move on to the next cool thing.

  136. 136.

    Adolphus

    I’m going to go out on a limb and defend Sullivan in this room. I do think some of his the gestures he has taken and suggests are fairly empty and not likely to do much good. I don’t see how they can do much harm except for his suggestion that the president wear a green tie. That could be dicey. I have never had much patience with empty political or religious gestures, but on the other hand I can’t think of much I feel that passionate about, so maybe the loss is mine.

    And there is the rub, the same passion that leads him to make these suggestions and change the color of The Dish is the same passion that has made his site my first stop when I log on for updates on what’s going on. He, and I assume his staff, have been tireless tracking down links, photos, videos, people to interpret the Farsi in video clips, not to mention the twitter feeds. He admits that his site right now is more for the feel and emotion of what is happening than it is reasoned analysis, and that is what I go there for. When this is all over we will be chin deep pundits and spin and cold, dispassionate analysis and it will take years for all the details to come out for a full accounting and reaccounting from historians and political scientists. But right now, for this American coddled in his AC with the freedom to speak his mind when he wants to and not many issues for which he feels much passion, Sully’s site is the first time I have felt look inside of something like this, with the possible exception of the Buddhist Monk’s protest in Burma. Again, through Sully’s site.

    I guess what I am trying to say is,whether you agree with him or not, Sullivan has always shown a passion for political freedom even in places most Americans have never heard of.
    I am willing to put up with the empty gestures and at times maudlin and hysterical tone because that same passion is bringing me information and emotion I would not have ordinarily gotten. It’s a package deal. And I think it is a pretty good deal.

    Edit: Oh, and great job with Lily. I don’t believe in heaven or angels, but if there was such a place with such beings there’d be a kennel side seat for John Cole and anyone else who opens there hearts and homes to rescued animals.

  137. 137.

    asiangrrlMN

    @AhabTRuler: Huh? Beating? How? Can I vote?

    @tavella:

    No, I’m with you, John. It very much does remind me of that, where people are essentially roleplaying a fantasy. Like watching Les Miz, except real people might die not just sing about it.
    That doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t follow it, or do whatever helpful things they can do, like convincing Twitter to move their downtime, but when people start patting themselves on the back and doing the “we are all Iranians now!”… yeesh. You ain’t an Iranian, and if they get shot down and die and their country turns to oppression, you won’t pay any price, just shrug your shoulders and move on to the next cool thing.

    I agree with this. It’s an easy way to feel good about doing something without actually doing anything. I mean, it’s like affixing a flag to your house or a yellow ribbon decal to the car that says, “I support the troops”. In the end, it doesn’t really mean anything.

    In addition, this is not about us. We have no stake in this (I mean we as a society, not we as a country), so it’s fairly easy to wear the green and raise our voices in unity. I’m not saying this very well. Sorry. I just wanted to say, our asses are not on the collective line. Theirs are.

  138. 138.

    Tattoosydney

    @Litlebritdifrnt:

    John – okay admit I have tears in my eyes, she is doing so good however, you have to recognize the “play bow” in pic five! When a dog (puppy whatever) places its front paws and legs on the ground (with butt in the air) it is ASKING TO PLAY, she is asking you to play with her, recognize that and then PLAY!

    This.

  139. 139.

    AhabTRuler

    How? Can I vote?

    It’s really just the number of unique views from flickr. So far 110 people have clicked on Tunch, while 72 have clicked on Super Lily. You probably “voted” for both.

  141. 141.

    AhabTRuler

    Another vote for Tunch.

    Nope. I would assume that it goes by IP address or cookies, but it won’t count you again unless you take steps to spoof it.

  143. 143.

    gbear

    You must be a nice guy because pets don’t like assholes.

    Ummm….does that go for cats too? :(

  144. 144.

    asiangrrlMN

    @AhabTRuler: Aw, crap. I’m not smart enough to do that. But wait, I have two computers, so would that work?

    @gbear: Personally, I don’t think so. My brother is a great guy, but my cats flee from him because he walks heavily. However, if they were to suddenly snarl at him, then I would wonder what he’s done to them. As it is, it’s just that they aren’t used to much noise or commotion because, believe it or not, I’m pretty quiet.

  148. 148.

    Phoebe

    I totally think he’s kidding with the “John Cole be damned!” – I thought it was funny, and assumed he meant it that way.

    Apparently those green-wearers in Iran would like us to wear green, so I’m wearing green and changed the facebook avatar to green, because what the hell, if they WANT me to, then of course. I never got the sense that the troops wanted us to buy magnet ribbons. They wanted us to send them care packages, which I did once.

    But I’ve been distracted from my original purpose here:

    Oh my GAAAAWWWWWWWD!! The rib-crushing sweetness of that dog.

  151. 151.

    J. Michael Neal

    In addition, this is not about us. We have no stake in this (I mean we as a society, not we as a country), so it’s fairly easy to wear the green and raise our voices in unity. I’m not saying this very well. Sorry. I just wanted to say, our asses are not on the collective line. Theirs are.

    Sure, my ass isn’t on the line. I understand that some people may not really get that, but I do. Yeah, wearing green tomorrow is a cheap and easy gesture, and it won’t make much difference, but I’m still going to do it. I’m not saying that everyone needs to, but, if that’s what you feel, don’t let either the annoyance caused by the insufferably self-important on the one side, or the mockers on the other, stop you.

  153. 153.

    x

    Awwww…

    A happy, smiling, dancing doggie.

    My old pal, Kemo, (Romp in Peace), was the laughingest, dancingest, wigglyest doggie evah! I used to turn on the music & we’d dance together.

    Lily is blossoming.

    You are both very lucky to have found each other.

  154. 154.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Phoebe: Ok, if it’s true that they want us to wear green, then I would be for it. Is that what Sully’s saying? Does this mean I have to read Sully?

    @J. Michael Neal: Yes. This is true, too. I just think that too many times, people want to co-opt other people’s revolutions. I don’t want that to happen.

    @Tattoosydney: About ready to fight the demons.

  155. 155.

    Comrade Luke

    I have to admit I’m a bit stunned by the quick change. I had no idea animals could change that fast.

    So looks so much happier now than that first picture you posted. You should always keep that one as a baseline whenever you get frustrated with her :)

  156. 156.

    J. Michael Neal

    @asiangrrlMN: I’m not planning to co-opt anything. It’s their revolution, which is why I find some of the accusations about us egging them on and endangering them so outrageous. It assumes that this is somehow our choice to make, and if we weren’t showing support, they’d have given up and gone home already. Bullshit. That has it exactly backwards. They are perfectly capable of making the decision about whether to risk their lives on their own, and they appear to have done so. The chances of anyone here in America co-opting anything to do with this other than the merchandising rights is close to zero.

  158. 158.

    Jen R

    @asiangrrlMN: Not sure what Sully’s saying, but following Iranian posters on twitter, I saw many pleas for people around the world to wear green and not to forget them.

  160. 160.

    slag

    @Doctor Science:

    When you think of Lily’s life just ten days ago it really does bring tears of joy to the eyes.

    Agreed. Comparing the two sets of pictures is truly moving. Just shows what a little love and direction can do!

    I stand by my impression (pursuant to Anne’s post on treating kids like pets) that animals and kids have very similar needs and can be trained using similar methods. Butt-in-the-air play stance not necessarily withstanding.

  161. 161.

    KarenC, unless someone else has that name already

    Go Lily!

    @aisangrrlmn

    Sigh. It breaks my heart to hear of all the unwanted animals, especially black ones.

    Had a skinny, dirty, nasty-looking black cat show up at my back door a couple of years ago. It was extremely hot out, and the poor thing was panting and miserable. I gave him some food and water, thinking “just this once.” I already had three cats, didn’t want to take in another one.

    Superstitious hubby comes home a few hours later, and the nasty-looking black cat is still on the deck near the back door. He’s creeped out, and says, “Don’t tell me you FED it.”

    “Okay, I won’t tell you.”

    But I was true to my word — I only fed him once. Creeped-out, superstitious hubby fed him twice a day after that.

    He also: left the umbrella up over our table in case it rained so the cat would have a dry spot to sit; put a pillow outside on the deck for him to sleep on; and then finally threw some toy mice out on the deck. “Fake prey?” I asked. “The cat lives outside. You don’t think he has anything to chase?”

    Finally, after about a week, hubby said, “Maybe you can take him to the vet or something, get him checked, make sure he’s okay?”

    “Why run up a vet bill? He’s not our cat.”

    “Um… okay.”

    Silence.

    Then I asked, “Should we take him in?”

    “Might as well.”

    So superstitious hubby convinced me to take in the nasty-looking black cat.

    We named him Elwood. He stopped looking nasty about three days after we took him in — he’s very glossy now. And very affectionate. Every Halloween I give him an extra hug because I can’t imagine what some dumb teenager would have done to him if he were still wandering around outside.

    Wow, that was long. I gotta stop with the late-night posting.

  162. 162.

    Mister Papercut

    It’s a good thing you appear to be besotted with this dog, John, because by the looks of these pictures the feeling is way mutual.

  163. 163.

    MikeJ

    I stand by my impression (pursuant to Anne’s post on treating kids like pets)

    Is this like Frank’s famous, “treat a dame like a lady and a lady like a dame” advice?

  164. 164.

    MelodyMaker

    just got home, now able to ditto some other comments.
    Dude, Cole, you’re an inspiration and I love these posts.
    If I wasn’t just a month out from surprise-adopting cat #3, I’d be at Animal Ark in Hastings looking for a Lily. Too much drama here at this point, and like someone above I’m probably holding off on additions to the fambly until littleOldLadyCat#1 goes to her reward. It’s her house. Her little tortie sister (once featured right here on B-J) is not warming up to the new chick. “feisty,” they said. too true. Pissy or uriney as well.

  165. 165.

    Onihanzo

    Apologies if someone’s already mentioned this but… stack another racist fiasco log on the GOP fire:

    The picture you’re looking at on the right was allegedly sent from Sherri Goforth, research analyst executive assistant for Sen. Diane Black, on May 28 via e-mail, under the headline “Historical Keepsake Photo.” We’ve never seen President Obama in person, but we’re pretty sure those pair of spooked white eyes against a black background don’t quite do him justice.

    Picture at the link.

  166. 166.

    Glocksman

    I’ve always been a dog person, but I’ve also had a soft spot for cats and view those who abuse animals as scum.

    My niece runs a ‘large breed’ rescue (website here), and the way some of those poor dogs were treated by their ‘owners’ brings tears of pity and rage to my eyes.

    When you help a shelter dog, you’re performing God’s work.
    Bless you for what you’ve done with Lily.

    May the three (Lily, Tunch, and you) of you have a long joyous life together.

  169. 169.

    Ash Can

    This whole Lily story is just a pure joy, every bit of it. Does the heart good. I came to this site some time ago via a GOS link, and stayed because the host is an all-around mensch, as evidenced in Lily’s smile. Bravo.

    Oh, and…

    “The idea of this mess with McCain and Palin in office gives me chest pains.”

    …This.

  170. 170.

    Laura W

    Being the gracious, forgiving Christian woman that she is, Palin Hopes Men Like David Letterman Evolve.

    As proof of her deep commitment to evolved men:

    “I’m glad he’s acknowledged we’re right,” said John Ziegler, a creator of the film “Media Malpractice: How Obama Got Elected and Palin Was Targeted.” “I think it’s a good first step in the right direction, but I don’t think it’s enough.” Part of the problem, he added, is that Letterman made a “horrendous attempt at an apology” last week, when he devoted several relatively light-hearted minutes to the controversy, invited Palin on his program and repeated the joke.

    Mr. “Moderate Degree of Rationality” impresses date with his awesome evolvedness:

    At dinner (where he talked with his mouth full at about 3:15), Ziegler opined about relationships and in a nutshell, he thinks women are foolish. He believes marriage should have contracts that come up for renewal and review every five years. Isn’t’ that romantic?

    When he said, “I realize talking about women and being rational is an oxymoron”, that did it. Ms. Long Island was officially repulsed. It was the turning point of the date. She didn’t even finish dinner, ending the date right there.

    Where’s JenJen?

  171. 171.

    Zuzu's Petals

    @Laura W:

    Not to mention these lovely comments from Palin’s AG nominee, Wayne Anthony Ross:

    “If a guy can’t rape his wife, who’s he gonna rape?”

    “There wouldn’t be an issue with domestic violence if women would learn to keep their mouths shut.”

    Edit: blockquote sux

  172. 172.

    Laura W

    @Zuzu’s Petals: No wonder you and I haven’t been able to sleep over the last few hours, what with all of this accelerated evolution going on. It’s stimulating!

  176. 176.

    Zuzu's Petals

    @Laura W:

    Palin’s “acceptance” is slightly bizarre, to say the least:

    This is all thanks to our U.S. Military women and men putting their lives on the line for us to secure America’s Right to Free Speech

    Never misses a chance, does she?

  178. 178.

    WereBear

    Okay, Glocksman @165, I threw a little money to the rescue, because she’s doing wonderful work.

    When I was in a position to have dogs, we’d go in and ask for the biggest puppy in the shelter; because they have a harder time getting a home.

  180. 180.

    JL

    Morning. Letterman has been attracting more viewers that Conan. I found it interesting that NBC gave Sarah an open forum to spew her disgust. Leno made similar jokes and nary a word about it.
    I’m not defending Letterman’s remarks because they were over the line, but Sarah and NBC are doing their best to keep the story going. If they were disgusted by Dave’s behavior, Bill O’Reilly’s love of telephone sex would also upset them.
    What Sarah forgot to mention was the military gave us the freedom to be hypocrites.

  181. 181.

    Zuzu's Petals

    @JL:

    Hey, not just Leno. Conan was worse by far during the campaign:

    “Saturday night, Sarah Palin is going to drop the first puck at the Philadelphia Flyers’ hockey game. Then Palin will spend the rest of the game trying to keep the hockey players out of her daughter’s penalty box.”

    By the way, it turned out that it was Willow who attended that hockey game, not Bristol.

    But nope, nary a word.

  182. 182.

    The Saff

    Love the Lily pix! She looks like she’s on her way to thriving with you and Tunch, John.

    I’ve said it before but people who rescue animals are my heroes.

  183. 183.

    gex

    The best pic is gooddoggy4. That’s a really good sign. It’s the coy, playful bow move that my dog does when he’s feeling really playful and happy. It’s good to see Lily in that stance. These are great!

  184. 184.

    Scuffletuffle

    Yay for Lily and Yay for John…excellent progress! Be patient with the play thing–I take in stray cats and it can take a while before they feel safe enough to play. The first time I see one of them tentatively batting at a cat toy, I invariably cry like a baby. I’m a proud Crazy Cat Lady and right now am working on a stray long-haired black kitty with a beautiful bottle-brush tail. I convinced him to stay in my basement last night out of the rain and am hoping for a gain in confidence soon. If he stays, he’ll bring me back up to eight cats. My high was nine, but lost two last year, both rescued strays–may they rest in the peace, love and joy that they brought me.

  185. 185.

    shortstop

    In a hurry this a.m. and didn’t have a chance to read the thread so am probably echoing 100 people, but MAN! These photos are a 180 from the early shots. This is the body language of a dog who’s really starting to enjoy herself. Congratulations to both of you and I’m proud of your good work with her!

  186. 186.

    Mary

    @asiangrrlMN:

    On the black animals issue – it’s very true and more or less universal. For a variety of reasons all black animals linger in shelters. Big black dogs, especially.

    Part of the reason is that animals with dark faces don’t photograph as well, so it’s harder to fall in love with a petfinder picture of a black cat or dog. Another part is probably just visceral fear or superstition or implicit bias that makes people associate black with bad (and I don’t mean this in the racial sense, although I’m sure there’s a correlation there as well. But that’s a whole different conversation.) I’m pretty sure that someone has done a study of people’s reactions similarly behaved dogs – say 2 labradors – that are different colors. People instinctively prefer a yellow lab and are more likely to fear the black lab. I have zero empirical proof to offer, though. I just vaguely recall reading it, so take it for what it’s worth.

    Anyway – topic. John, you’re doing a fabulous job. Lily looks so happy and your joy really comes through in your writing.

  187. 187.

    Deb T

    Congratulations!
    You are doing a great job with Lilly. I think walking can be a miracle cure for some dogs.
    Scratch her behind the ears for me.

    Deb

  188. 188.

    RememberNovember

    positive reinforcement- and positive outcomes for previous negatives allways work. Our dog used to get car sick on short trips- anxiety of abandonment I guess. He learned that going in the car meant going on vacation, and to family’s houses and to the park and it was a good thing. In the meantime- we had to give him Bonine for motion sickness.

  190. 190.

    Damned at Random

    We call out Lilly-cat Lillia the Sillia. Your Lily appears to be earning the same nickname.

    My late stray loved her walks too. It was the best part of the day for both of us. Lily will soon be bringing the harness to you – she is a happy girl.

    Check out your obedience instructor – if they use “choke” chains or any punative methods, look for someone else. Your dog will still be fragile and the wrong training methods could undo a lot of your good work. You want to use clicker training and positive reinforcement only. (The only exception, IMHO, is snake avoidance training, but I don’t think there are many poisonous snakes in W Va)

  191. 191.

    Roq

    Haha, the Lily Blog has now become my first-stop each morning. I love that pup!

    She is *sooooo* lucky to have ended up with you. You’re a model dog owner!

    Btw, I’m a horse person. When she prances, it’s call it a passage. If she does it in place, it’s a piaffe. ;)

    Here’s the best example of both I’ve ever seen:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKQgTiqhPbw

  193. 193.

    Robert Waldmann

    I don’t understand the meaning of the green leash. Are you and Lily expressing solidarity with the people struggling for Democracy in Iran ? Or are you suggesting that Moussavi is a running dog of imperialism ?

    What do you mean it’s just a leash which happens to be green ? Things aren’t allowed to just happen to be green this week.

  195. 195.

    Jackie

    Wow! She’s already trained you to say, “Who’s a good doggy? Who’s a good doggy?” Smart girl. Keep letting us know the new tricks you learn, John. I have three dogs, so I am extremely well trained and have a vast repertoire of tricks.

  196. 196.

    JadedOptimist

    “Who’s a good daddy? Who’s a good daddy? JOOOOOHN!” Yes he is! Yes he is!

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