Ringo on a Roll
Today’s day trip to Lake Erie Metropark marks Ringo’s fifteenth outing since we started this weekly routine. The early trips were bumpy, and I wondered if I’d be able to keep them up. But I committed to the habit, and week after week, we headed out rain or shine.
The progress made has been well worth the effort. I’ve found that the most rewarding things in life typically come with hard work and slow results, and the efforts I’m putting into dog training now are a good example of that. While we still have work to do, Ringo’s improvement to date can be seen both during our day trips and at home in daily life.
Ringo was once the dog whose severe separation anxiety had me trapped at home, and now he is the dog who has me out and about again. He’s my go-dog, and that’s an amazing transition.
This began as preparation for the ultimate road trip - a cross country move I plan to make in a few years from Michigan to New Mexico. Having three well-behaved dogs who can tolerate a four day trek across country is going to be important for our safety and my sanity. But the benefits go well beyond being prepared for a future move. My bond with Ringo has grown closer, his trust in me as a guardian seems stronger, and we are just having a lot of fun together. ❤️
