Brownie’s Holiday Brunch Challenge

We knew brunch would be a challenge for our pup Brownie.  In addition to being cuddly,  effervescent, and a witty conversationalist, Brownie is famous for her enthusiastic omnivorous food-oriented proclivities.  A buffet table heaping with smoked fish, cream cheese, and bagels would be an open invitation for her to help herself.

And, ever-mindful to look for my part in a situation — my part is that Brownie has had no buffet-resistance training at all.  None.  She has been gated off, leashed up, or sent away to doggie day care to avoid having to deal with the fact that sometimes in life there is a tasty tempting buffet that’s not for her.

These strategies work, in that they prevent our dog from cannonballing into the food.  But they are not what I’d call optimal because they leave our poor pup in a state of agitation — she still thinks the food is for her and if she can just get at it then all will be well.  If she’s home, then Mike and I are pre-occupied with keeping Brownie chill yet restrained, which affects the whole gather.

With proper loving training she will be able to be relaxed and happy, free, in the presence of even the dankest spread, and enjoy the cuddles, the people, the vibe, without being ruled by the urge to eat what’s not for her.  She has her food.  We have ours.  So it’s my choice what I do with this being in my care, I can continue to limit her exposure and restrain in external ways, or I can get help to bolster her inner discernment systems.  She’s two.  I believe her life expectancy is 14-16, so if I invest the energy in training her — training us — more thoroughly now she will have, we will have, some years to reap the benefits.  I’m gonna keep going.