Peteyfoozer’s Journey (because journaling’s not enough)

[Mini Horses]

You have a lot to consider. We're here for you whatever you decide. Sure can't say we haven't suggested every scenario life is hard.

 

[murphysranch]

Oh My Lord, FJ. You hit the nail right on the head.

Please listen to Jan....she knows.

 

[Finnie]

Today is Wednesday, so I may be late to the party. But I’m glad @farmerjan hit send on her message.

I agree with what both she and @Mini Horses said about Fen and the rough collie. When you said the rough collie “fits” you, I thought that was wonderful. But then you said Fen was there first so you were just going keep on with him, I felt very sad for both dogs and for you.

Both of those dogs have a chance to move out of a situation that is not their best fit, and into one where they have so much more potential to live out what their personalities are best suited for. And you, while you “love” Fen, are struggling with so much stress because he isn’t capable of what you need.

From my perspective (that of a stranger with a distant, objective, albeit surely not as well informed view) I think that if the rough collie seems to “fit” you, you should give him and yourself a chance to see if that is true and if he can be adequately trained.

However, I also understand that having to make a quick decision in less than a day means that maybe it’s not the right opportunity that you are looking for. If you don’t feel comfortable, don’t rush into it. If it’s meant to be, then the opportunity will be there again at a later date. How long have you and your friend been talking about switching dogs? If this has been simmering on the back burner a while already, maybe now is the time to give it a trial.

As an objective stranger, what I hear is that Fen is making you very unhappy, but you love him, so you are making allowances for it. And I hear that Fen would love to be out herding livestock if he could.

(And I also see a poor young dog saddled with a new mom and baby who aren’t doing him justice but who could thrive if he was with you instead.)

You are the one who has to live with your decision, but give yourself some grace. Most decisions can be changed in the future if necessary. No one makes 100% perfect decisions every time.

 

[SageHill]

Well now I am torn. #5 and her husband (#5 is the boss’ youngest, and was my best friend since she was 11 until she left the ranch to go to highschool. (age means nothing among friends and Elizabeth is special) anyway, she and her husband own the collie. They are working at a ranch about 7 hr away in Nevada. He’s a cowboy who also trains horses and dogs with great skill. She’s currently tied to their baby who is only 6 months old which is why she hasn’t had time for the collie.
Tonight he made me an offer. He really needs a dog to help him right now. They have a couple but one is old and arthritic, another is a young puppy, and I think he does work the other but needs more than one dog…not sure.
Anyway, he offered to take Fen back with them and train him this winter, then bring him back Memorial weekend. That would help him out, I would be able to work with the collie and Fen would have his needs met as far as having a job since I can’t get out and do stuff with him in the winter because of my pain levels.
In some ways it’s a sweet deal. In other ways I think I just can’t.
The Pros are obvious
Here are some of the Cons…
1. I have never entrusted a dog or horse of mine to anyone, ever. I will constantly worry: is he going to get hurt? Will he run away from them? Will he feel we abandoned him? Will he be okay being trained without the same positive reinforcement I use? ( this probably won’t be problematic as getting to herd cows is its own reward for him. )
Will the other dogs be mean to him? Will he miss me like I’m going to miss him?
2. He would be leaving on Wednesday. We pick up the Anatolian puppy (Boone) end of Jan. Boone will be 8 mo old when Fen comes home. Is it going to be a problem for me to get Boone to accept that Fen is ok and is my dog when Fen comes home as a nearly adult dog, that might still want to play?
3. Is it going to be too hard for me not to have Fen here A) emotionally and B) Fen already has a great deal of training and does a LOT of tasking for me at home. There is no guarantee I will be able to teach the collie what I have taught Heath and Fen and he won’t be here to help me this winter…
I don’t know what to do, and I only have 1 day to figure it out…

Damn - late to this one. Fell asleep last night and didn’t check the boards
You can what if yourself into oblivion. I would say try it. Swap dogs. It could work sweetly. Could of course. But it’s the same could as the what ifs you pose.
It could be a permanent solution if Fen and the collie work out in their new homes.

 

[Mini Horses]

Hoping you feel better -- health wise and emotionally.

 

[peteyfoozer]

Thankfully, God made the decision for me. Getting so sick, I couldn’t do anything even if I wanted. It’s a relief. I wasn’t always this big of a flake, honest! I actually wanted the collie to compliment Fen, not replace him. But Fen does do the more critical tasks, he just won’t give me the independence I used to have.
Please forgive my departures from sanity and common sense. Fen doesn’t make me unhappy. I just wish he was more people oriented as it’s damn lonely when I can’t get up and he’s outside all day, but it is what it is.
The good news is, he’s not a Border Collie. Herding isn’t everything to him (or it wouldn’t work here at all) He just has extreme FOMO. (Fear Of Missing Out)
He does a lot of tasking and will be taking on more responsibilities as we go, as far as health alerts. I will just need to be creative about managing the things he doesn’t want to do.
For now, my prayers are to get over this virus and back to doing chores as there are a bunch of things needing to get done. Then I have a couple ideas about how to make a little money on my Functional days…

 

[peteyfoozer]

Hoping you feel better -- health wise and emotionally.

Thank you. It means a lot to me

 

[Baymule]

You are loved and we all want you to know it. I hope you can kick butt on this virus and get to feeling better real soon.

 

[SageHill]

We all have our roller coasters - you've just been on the twisty loop part lately. Lots of irons in the fire and not enough fuel for the bonfire you want. Hope your feeling better soon, and looking forward to see what you've got in mind!

 

[peteyfoozer]

Seeing everyone’s lambing pics is making me nostalgic. I miss my sheeple so very much. I want to find a couple of lambs as soon as possible before Boone comes home. I just haven’t found anything I can afford yet and whatever I get has to fit in a large crate because our truck is still broken. ( He is a mechanic and I have been waiting for 7 years now. He keeps promising to fix it so I’ve been paying for tags and insurance all these years for no reason. You’d think after 30 years, I’d have figured this out )

Prayers and fingers crossed. We go to town Feb 1 for rheumatologist so maybe there will be something for me then.

Got the wall behind the stove finished, and everything on that side of kitchen washed…again. There is no exhaust fan for the stove so everything is constantly getting covered in grease. There must be an answer to this.
Anyway, I got to cross 1 thing off my list.
Painting cupboards and getting counters done next on house list…when my back, wrists and hands recover from today. I’m anxious to finish!

Just starting…

Done!