The long and winding road to success!

Last night was a long time coming.

Daisy, our 2 year old Havanese finally took, AND PASSED, her Canine Good Citizen test at the local Humane Society.  The test was administered outside, socially distanced from a Rottweiler, a Pomeranian and two adorable Frenchies. It was stinkin’ hot, even by Florida standards, but at least the evening air was bug free.

As I drove home, basking in the glow of Daisy’s (surprisingly 😲) flawless performance, I thought about how long it took us to get her to this point. We had started Canine Good Citizen classes when she was a puppy and we still lived up in Charlotte. I remember dragging her, my husband and myself to the weekly, outdoor training sessions in freezing cold, and often rainy weather..only to have to quit the program three classes shy of completion as we rushed back to Florida because of my step dad’s rapidly declining health.

Eventually (almost a year later) we decided to try again, but down here you have to take a beginner class before you can take the Canine Good Citizen course..so we did that first.  What an unexpected detour that was, but we did it..and then..with the Canine Good Citizen finish line FINALLY in sight..the pandemic hit.

Classes were suspended until last week..after which one more class was held and then this week’s test was given. The real kicker was that our dog was SO excited to see her furry friends again that she was like a bull in a china shop! 🙄  I couldn’t even get her to walk on her leash properly let alone do the harder stuff that required more concentration. She was digging holes, barking and eating grass like a newly liberated puppy prisoner. It was all quite funny except that I was not at all very confident going into her “final exam..”

But she pulled it off in fine fashion..phew..😬

What a long and winding road this has been, but let me tell you..it made last night’s achievement that much sweeter especially under these gloomy circumstances.

Never underestimate the incredible power of accomplishment. Big or small it can have an outsized impact on your circumstances, your trajectory and your attitude. Daisy’s little blue ribbon is a reminder to me to keep creating new goals and working towards them.