#dog train isn't linear

[fayeandknight]

Update

On Me:

My back is still stiff/painful in the morning but gets less so during the day. Coincidentally I have today and tomorrow off so I've been able to be gentle with myself. The pain is less each day and I'm mobile faster each day as well.

On Forte:

He's been working his fluffy butt off. We've been doing about 15 minutes in the dog park parking lot three times a week. I've added more structure to neighborhood walks and gone back to solo walks since there are a lot of dogs here.

I've stuck to pet friendly places with wider aisles and outdoor shopping complexes so that it's easier to create space as needed. He's not had any big reactions to dogs since witnessing the dog park fight. But I can tell he's still not entirely comfortable passing by dogs at close distances.

Here's a clip of us practicing proximity alerts for people.

At around the 5/6 second mark a dog came out of the store right behind us and he shows a bit of widening of his eyes/stress. I'm pretty sure the alert (nose touch to my hand) is for the person but it was very hesitant so I didn't reward it. Both to ensure he gives a stronger alert I'm less likely to miss and to make sure I'm not feeding a possible connection to the dog. Shortly after another person came up behind me and he alerted with a more distinct nose touch that I did reward him for.

His progress has been amazing and I'm so proud of him. Going to continue to hold off on non pet friendly places for now though. I want to make sure I'm not rushing him and that he's truly comfortable passing dogs with space before putting him in a situation where it may be harder to do so.

[citrine-elephant]

vendetta leon looking at chris with those big ol' puppydog eyes, shakin his hips as chris scowls

no leon, you DON'T deserve a treat. you pissed on the carpet while black out drunk.

[mcromwell]

Genuine question, sorry if it's dumb -

How do you work when there's something on the line? I find I freeze, and it's just so much more difficult to properly organize myself to produce something I'm proud of. But you've been to conventions, and you sell your work, so I'm assuming you feel pressure at least *sometimes.* do you work with it? Around it?

Hey Tymbul, it's not a dumb question, it's actually a really good one. I can only answer it to the best of my own abilities, in regards to my own art and practice, so mileage may vary.

This feeling of something being is "on the line" was what burned me out hard in 2019/20. I'd been making and sharing art for decades and all the while my thoughts took the shape of, "it has to be GOOD, it has to SAY something, it needs to hit X and Y requirement to be worthy" etc. Wherever that habit of pressuring myself came from, it wasn't helpful. I would glare at the blank page and curse every sketch I made because it (and by extension, myself) wasn't ever good enough.

I knew something had to change, so I changed. I began trying to make art with no pressure. Instead of pushing myself I let my foot off the brake. I changed the way I talked to myself about art. "I'm going to make this as good as I can. And if I can't, there's always next painting." I began starting a piece with fast, easy, not-precious stuff--random paint smears, doodles, gesture sketches. The pressure was off when all I had to do was start with trash and play around. If it just wasn't working and I had to scrap it or start over, oh well, it was just trash. I still run into this pressure today, though. Growth ain't linear and all that. Old habits die hard. I have to snap myself out of it with a feral screeching JUST THROW PAINT ON IT RRRRRRRRGH and I can usually let up on the brakes enough to get it going. It's a journey.

I like to think of this in terms of dog training. If you punch your dog and yell at it, that dog is going to have fear and doubt and won't be a healthy dog capable of performing the tasks you ask of it. But if you use positive reinforcement, they develop confidence and become dependable and sturdy. If you sit down to make art and every time its a barrage of IT HAS TO BE GOOD! YOU HAVE TO BE PROUD OF IT! EVERY NEW PIECE HAS TO BE BETTER! IF IT ISN'T YOU'LL BE A FAILURE! WHY AREN'T YOU DRAWING YET then man, that dog is cowering in the corner, it is not going to sit or fetch or anything. What if instead you said, "Okay! Time to make something. Let's do warm-ups and thumbnails to prepare so I'm ready to jump in. I am open to surprising myself by making something I'm excited about, but I won't beat myself up if today isn't that day. I know by doing this I'm practicing and getting better, it is never a waste." You are much more likely to Do a Thing if that thing feels good to do. That's just being an animal, man. Positive feedback.

To be honest, though, I still haven't found a successful way to make commissions less like pulling teeth. My method of art-making is to fuck around and find out and that's not a conducive method for a comm, which usually has a ton more expectation and strict parameters and my nemesis: Should-Look-Like. I am good at some things, I am not good at comms. Progress is not linear. I am still learning. My efforts to let up on the brakes made it so the car was a lot harder to control... for better or worse.

Hope this helps. Mostly, my advice is to find out how making art can feel good to you and then make a ton of it. Make more art than you think you should. It gets easier. And don't punch your dog.

[sinceileftyoublog]

Benny the Butcher Album Review: Everybody Can't Go

(Def Jam)

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Over the course of his rise, Benny the Butcher's been ticking boxes, and Everybody Can't Go might be the biggest checkmark of all. The Buffalo rapper's Def Jam debut isn't so much a linear story of how he started on the streets and arrived at his current throne, as it is a juxtaposition of flexes and contemplation. That is, on the album's best sequences and even within its strongest songs, Benny balances braggadocio with the vulnerability inherent in reflection.

Take a glance at the featured artists and producers involved in Everybody Can't Go, and you can sense its momentousness. He teams up with not only the heavy hitters of his Griselda crew but top rappers of their time like Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg, the latter of whom helped Benny get his Def Jam deal. Every song is produced by either heady legend The Alchemist or banger expert Hit-Boy. "When I invite 'em to the lab," Benny raps on opener "Jermaine's Graduation" over an Alchemist piano loop, "They be scared to play what they got," proclaiming his musical prowess and shooting down any unfounded rumors that Griselda would be breaking up. It almost makes you forget that earlier in the verse, he waxed on his mother's drug abuse and dealers like him who didn't survive, but with Benny, the ability to switch headspaces on a dime is the product of many lives lived.

Throughout Everybody Can't Go, Benny deftly mixes humor and pathos. He outshines even Jadakiss and Babyface Ray on the snare-heavy "Pillow Talk & Slander", declaring "I got the aura of a boss" and delivering the line of the album, "I lay on a n**ga like Katt Williams' perm," before lamenting that he was never able to provide for his brother (rapper Machine Gun Black) when he was alive, or even bring him along for his current ride. Benny is gripping on "How To Rap", navigating the greed and negativity inherent in street hustling and the music industry, all while subverting expectations. "Turn it down and show 'em that your number was inarguable / And when they double back, you charge 'em triple what they offered you," he raps, letting us in on a pearl of wisdom before winking, "That's how you rap--they probably thought this was a coke song."

Benny and many of the album's featured artists bring the best out of each other, and not just because Lil Wayne hilariously exclaims, "My kennel is a bungalow," on "Big Dog". Snoop Dogg's verse on "Back Again" is ad-libbed and unexpectedly but thankfully casual. Armani Caesar is spritely and horny on "Buffalo Kitchen Club". ("He like what he see in his visual / I make that dick disappear, it's a miracle.") Even Benny's vocal timbre is versatile in conjunction with others, Hit-Boy tastefully dipping it in auto-tune on "Big Tymers" to diverge with Peezy's drawl. And of course, the album's closest thing to a posse cut, "Griselda Express", gives you that craved mix of Benny gruffness and Westside Gunn's thrilling shrill trills. It's a self-reflexive song that simultaneously possesses a universe that extends beyond the scope of Everybody Can't Go and makes Everybody Can't Go better. That the crew has given a new life to hip hop vinyl collecting and appeals to both conscious rap fans and contemporary hip hop heads renders their potential akin to Benny's favorite analogy--an unstoppable train. But as much as Benny looks forward and back on Everybody Can't Go, you get the sense that he and Griselda know it's an achievement worth basking in for some time.

[borderlinereminders]

Can I ask you a question? My therapist tried to reassure me that things tend to get better for ppl with BPD when they are in their 30s, but I'm 19 right now and it feels horrible, and that is so far away to hurt so much, how did you manage to get through it? I'm trying so hard and it feels like everything sucks anyways, especially because I'm physically disabled too :(

I didn't have some major break through, or life changing thought process that fixed things for me.

I held on to little things until I was ready to try and recover.

It was little things like when I'd have suicidal thoughts, I'd tell myself things like "my dog won't understand why I don't come home". I'd remind myself of the new season of my show I wanted to see. I'd find little things to look forward to.

Overall, I'd tell myself "you can kill yourself any time. It doesn't have to be now. Why not stick it out and reassess later? What is there to lose by trying?" People have definitely expressed a dislike for that train of though of mine but it worked for me.

I also want to say that while a lot of people experience things getting better in their 30's, that isn't always the case. Maybe she was trying to reassure you that it wouldn't always feel this way and not set you up for unrealistic expectations. But I can understand why it feels discouraging and I think she should have approached that better with you.

For me, things started getting better a lot sooner. I started managing my symptoms bit by bit. Things like finding skills for working on my harmful urges (these usually led to my friendships failing which just added to my hurt at the time) or finding ways to self soothe and cope made it all suck a little less in the moment. I focused on the good. A lack of emotional permanence can make that hard because when it feels bad it feels like everything is bad. But I'd focus on little things like "oh, a book I'm excited for is coming out" or "I can't wait to go cuddle my dog". I intentionally had to walk myself through and do these things, but I realized at some point that they come more naturally to me now.

I didn't focus on a big goal. I just focused on working on little things and over time I realized that I was doing so much better. I think one important thing to remember is it doesn't happen overnight. And I don't say this to be discouraging but to be encouraging. What I mean by this is you aren't just magically better one day. It's a gradual thing and isn't always linear. This means that it likely won't hurt to this intensity the entire time you're trying to get through things. ( I noticed at some point that while I still had bad days, they were usually less severe and less frequent). And maybe it'll feel more manageable a lot earlier than you expect.

[felixfellowish]

My truthful, personal dog ownership story so far...

I've been wanting to write about this for a long time already but never seemed to find the right time for it. It's not a thing you can describe quite easily or just with a few words, but I decided to try my best just before going to bed. Enjoy :3

So, some background: I had wanted a dog for a loooong time. Ever since I was a kid, I had asked my parents if we could get a dog. We didn't, but we got a cat instead and I ended up growing up with the said cat and I loved him more than I could ever describe. But yeah, long story short, after we lost our cat and I had recovered from the most painful grieving stage, I started researching different dog breeds. Because shiba inus have cat-like quirks and my bf, who knows a loooot about dogs, encouraged me, it was the dog breed I settled on. And I waited around 5 years until my life situation allowed me to start the process to get a dog of my own.

As I said, I had waited around 5 years. I knew getting a dog was going to change my life, but I was ready for it. Because I had social anxiety, I thought having a dog would help me, even though it wasn't going to be pleasant at first. I was ready to love another animal again and create wonderful memories together. The moment I saw the photo of the the puppy I was going to get was wonderful and unforgettable. We drove to the breeder with my bf and brought the little baby home.

And then I got the most major puppy blues ever after my bf drove back home (we're in a long distance relationship.) Do I really know how to take care of the puppy? No one told me it was going to be this hard. Am I ever going to be able to have some alone time again? After experiencing lots of hardships in my life, I always felt like my home was a safe space for me - somewhere where I could hide from the world, and now there was this needy creature there distracting me 24/7. My mental health was killing me - I couldn't stop crying, I couldn't sleep, I was like a walking zombie and I felt like I had made a big, big mistake. I had to be honest to my folks and my bf: I don't know if I'm going to make it.

They could've been really nasty to me about the whole thing. After all, it was my own decision to get the dog and hell, why was I whining about it after waiting for so long. But no, everyone was very, very supportive towards me. I ended up travelling to my mom's place with Toru (the puppy), just so I could get some sleep. My mom promised to help however she could, and sometimes it's enough when you have someone by your side when you're feeling down.

Adjusting was hard, but I'm more than happy to say that I don't feel the puppy blues that much anymore. The word itself, "puppy blues", really doesn't describe how bad it can get, because I was having a full blown mental breakdown. Toru himself has been an easy puppy overall: he's smart and was mostly potty trained from the start. He started teething quite fast, and so me and my mom's ankles have suffered a looooot, but we've survived even that (thanks to my bf who has made lots of visits and helped me to become better at understanding dogs and different training methods). I'm still veeery stressed sometimes, but things are getting better day by day, and I know recovery doesn't isn't always - if ever - linear.

Having an animal in your life is not easy in my opinion. It's not easy to make space for them in your life and to love, because they end up meaning the world to you. And even though the beginning has been rough, I don't know, I'm extremely proud of myself for enduring everything.

[borderline-babble]

Long time no see!

I've returned to this blog once again to vent about my mental health downward spiral and ny attempts at getting it back on track.

I've nearly got 2 years clean from heroin and other hard substances :)

My abusive ex is finally out of my life :)

Im moving to a new state next year :)

Im training to be a dog groomer and I'm happy at my job :)

I got diagnosed with ASD :) (relived to finally figure my brain out a little bit more)

Unfortunately, my anxiety is atrocious, I've had the same nightmare every night for years, my GERDS is really acting up, I think I've relapsed back into bulimia, (I'm nearly at my heaviest weight again from all of the meds I'm on and my thyroid issues) I have zero desire to work out when im not feeling well and exhausted from work, my OCD is the worst it's ever been and I can't fight my compulsions, my very first love is back in my life except with a wife and baby, and I finished a 3rd round of accutane and once again it didn't work.

I've been feeling heavily agitated. I'm always angry. I want to be mean and nasty to everyone, but that's not cool. I do my best to redirect my anger bc im not really angry at them.

I hope I can find a solution soon. Recovery isn't linear, but I don't plan on letting go.

[7-oh-ta1]

The vibes I got while playing botw were so fun!! could you reccomend me ur fav Zelda games? Or just have fun explaining them? I'd love some good recs if u have time! ^^

AWAH YOU ENJOYED BOTW????? I'M SO GLAD;;; IT'S THE GAME EVER FR... I WANNA HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS SOMETIME IF THAT'S ALRIGHT;; 🥰

I'LL TRY MY BEST TO REC GOOD ONES;;!!!

Uuuuu okay so I've played every Zelda game besides the Oracle duo & the Four Swords BUT I have watched playthroughs!! Botw is a very unique Zelda game because it was created to break the status quo of the series so there isn't another Zelda game quite like it!! The others are very linear stories! So based on botw that's a hard one to follow up....

For you I think you would like Twilight Princess's vibes!!!!!! I love twpri..... It's sort of got this eerie but sacred vibe like "do not be afraid" as you get further in the game and I think the mature tone suits you! I think you would also really like Midna and the light/twilight/dark symbolism (it is a bit heavy handed since it's a rated T game lol but I enjoy it) also you are a dog in that game. :)

A Link Between Worlds might also interest you, it's got the whole mirror worlds going on and I don't want to spoil it but the story is really good imo :>> not the most complex but who cares!!! Is good!!!!!! I think you would like Ravio and Hilda :>

As for my favorite, it's Skyward Sword bec I'm a baby who likes the water colors BUT ALSO heavy religion themes and I love those >:3c Zelda becomes catholic the game but it's like. What if Jesus was your girlfriend and I love that 💞 The dungeons are also very fun especially the ancient cistern. The story is also HEAVILY important to botw's.... also my favorite Link !! Is here!!! He's so talkative and so silly just the guy ever he just loves his best friend soso much and he just wants to sleep and he's like a disney princess w/ birds and that's iconic of him <3 + The moments when he's like dead serious you KNOWW he's dangerous bec what did you possibly do to piss HIM off...... Also Zelroolink polyam is endgame. 2 me. 😌 AND THIS ZELDA??? The fans sort of infantalize her but she's so complex and interesting and tough as nails she's my gorf. GirfFriend. Hylia my loathed beloved.......

If you're okay with playing the most ugly as shit game ever, Spirit Tracks is also in my top 5 :) THE STORY IS BASIC AND BAREBONES BUT YOU DRIVE A TRAIN AND ZELDA IS YOUR COMPANION!!!!! THE WHOLE TIME!! SHE'S JUST THERE!!! NO SEPARATION LIKE USUAL!! AND SHE'S A HELPFUL QUEEN WHO CAN IN SOME CASES KILL FOR YOU AND I LOW HER SHE'S MY FAVORITE ZELDA AND HER N LINK'S RELATIONSHIP IS SOOOO GOOD HERE!! So like the black and white plot doesn't even matter bec ?? They're slaying??? And the puzzles are really fun :)

OKAY OKAY I'VE TALKED ENOUGH THIS IS SO LONG;;;;; special Wind Waker mention bec it's a perfect game but I didn't want to name all the 3D Zeldas 🥲🥲

EDIT - WAIT HERE'S ONE OF THE GOOFY CUTSCENES I WAS TALKING ABT

[and-i-ran]

Fitness from October to March

Running

Yesterday, I ran a mile to compare with the mile I ran in November. The results were remarkable. My average heart rate was down 10 points. My max heart rate was also down 10 points. I only ran for 25 or 52(can't remember) seconds in zone five. It only took running zone 2 intervals for 5 months.

I started out the intervals at 3 mph walking and 4.5 mph running. Sometime in October or November I added 5 minute running intervals to the end of the workout for a total of 20 minutes with zone 2 intervals, 5 minutes running, and 5 minute cool down. This was to be more in line with the 80/20 method where 20 percent of running will be at higher heart rates and 80 percent will in zone 2. I progressed to incline running for a few minutes in running interval and have also added a few minutes of decline running.

Somewhere between October and December, I saw some gains in the running intervals. They were becoming longer than the walking intervals. That felt pretty amazing and really showed improvement. I would compare my time in zone 2 with earlier runs and it was increasing. However, my running intervals returned to looking "toothy" like far-spaced pumpkin teeth. I reminded myself that progress isn't linear and kept doing what I was doing and tracking my time in zone 2.

I was getting a little unmotivated though. All of my effort and consistency and my results appeared to be back tracking. I wondered if I had a heart condition until I finally started to compare my time in zone 1. My time in zone 2 had increased, but also had my time in zone 1! My theory is my heart rate lowered too quickly during the walking sessions and my watch wasn't checking and reporting heart rate changes fast enough.

My latest running workout is now at a faster walking pace. I think that this is the key to improvement and eventually running an entire mile in zone 2. My hypothesis was that, with walking at 3mph and running at 4.5 mph, I would eventually see a straight line after seeing longer and longer running intervals compared to walking intervals. This was was proven wrong! I need to continually challenge my heart. I needed to increase the minimum speed range and continue to challenge my heart.

The weather should be warm enough to run outside in May. Until then, I will continue to increase my lower range incrementally and continue with 4.5 mph as the running interval rate. I would like to also continue experimenting with inclines and declines.

I recently read an article about a woman runner who does short intervals, long intervals, hill runs, and progressive runs. I would like to incorporate these into my running but continue to do it with zone 2 intervals. She also does this in a 2 week cycle. I will think about how to incorporate these training concepts into my plans.

Yoga/Pilates

I probably repurchased the ashtanga yoga book after my last post. Then sometime in January or maybe even December, I repurchased the pilates book. I have chosen to focus on the asana sequence from the 45 minute sequence at the back of the book. Initially, I focused on ensuring that I wasn't going to overuse my trap to prevent the sneck problems from reoccurring. I have also omitted the up dog(?) and am still working on my chataranga. After building upper body strength to prevent sneck-injury, I have now begun focusing on opening my hips and working on the flexibility of my hamstrings. As for pilates, I have decided to remain with the 9 beginner poses until I feel really solid.

[a-dusty-individual]

Fuck it, here is the pros and cons to each game. This is all subjective, I do personally believe everything I am saying and know others who agree with me, too. The opinions of a complete stranger probably don't matter all that much, but I do want you to have a good time and enjoy yourself playing fallout. This is also pretty long, so I'm gonna put it below the cut.

Fallout 1 and 2

I put em together cause the pros and cons pretty much apply to both, and you should really play through 1 and then 2 for the best experience.

Pros

Where it all started

Written beautifully, moral choices especially are written great (given how 3 handles em this is pretty big)

Very fun turn based combat (based on gurps im pretty sure)

Exploration is fun and flows nicely

The characters, the voicing, the writing, the animations. All incredible.

Building your character feels meaningful since you get options to do certain things with different skills.

Both are set in the western USA, so there are links to FNV that the others don't really have.

Cons

Obviously, the games are very graphically outdated. Tbf to them they are almost 30 years old.

If you aren't used to games with the afformention turn based combat, I don't recommend starting here. They aren't very forgiving (as in my first time playing both, I died in the starting area multiple times.

Fallout 3

Pros (I fucking hate fallout 3 so much so this is hard for me)

There are occasionally some good bits in the story. I won't say any more so as not to spoil them.

Playing 3 will make a lot of 4 make more sense since 3 and 4 are the only games on the East Coast. Certain characters and concepts that appear in both for example.

Cons (thank god now, I can shit talk 3)

The game starts so fucking slowly. The intro is god-awful and honestly almost made me give up playing because I got really bored. It has also made me not want to play again because I know it's there.

The story is really not very well written at all. Again, I am not going to elaborate on that much because I dont want to spoil anything for you. But just know there are some decent sized plot holes, and the story really struggled to make me care about what i was doing and why. It is also very linear. You are just following a path the whole way.

Moral choices are shallow as hell. All of them boil down to "am i playing as a mass murdering psychopath or am I... not doing that." The game world also doesn't really react to these choices.

The gameplay gets really easy after a bit since the game is designed so that you can go anywhere right as you leave the vault. So the fame doesn't feel like it has a sense of increasing challenge. The raiders you fight are always the exact same difficulty.

Your character build outside of combat feels pointless since everything is just percentage based, so you can just save-scum speech options instead of worrying about building an actual character.

I am assuming since you mentioned playing 1 and 2 that you are on PC. So this game requires a PHD in computer science, and you must have at least 1000 years of tech-wizard training under your belt in order to get it to function properly on anything later than Windows 7.

Fallout: New Vegas (again)

Pros

Cmon, you already know this game is fantastic, frankly one of the best ever made.

You get to play again with a different faction or a different build or take a different companion around with you.

Motherfucking Robot Dog

Cons

You can't romance companions, which frankly is bullshit.

It isn't really something new for you. It could be worth going to a different game to get some new insight first.

Fallout 4

Pros

Obviously it is graphically the best

The weapon, armour, and power armour customization is wonderful.

Can finally romance companions.

Speaking of the companions are all great and have very nice storylines of their own.

It's a lot easier to mod than the rest (if that is your kinda thing, personally i love modding games, but tis up to you)

Has the same bonus new vegas does with having multiple factions to pick from.

Voiced player characters. Some people don't like this, but I do. Mostly because the voice actors did a fantastic job, and the same goes for the rest of the game's voice work

Cons

Has the same issue of a slow start and intro that 3 has. It isn't as long, and imo isn't as boring, but you still aren't right into the game like you are with 1, 2, and New Vegas.

The base-building. I'm just not a huge fan of it. Beyond the quests that require you to do it, I rarely touch it.

I don't like the radio host, especially compared to the smooth mf that is Mr Neeeewww Vegas and even Fo3's 3-Dog

They did the BoS diiirty.

Alright. I believe that is everything. Enjoy your time in whichever part of the wasteland you choose next friend.

[girlhorse]

Yknow, I think I'm starting to unlearn the whole "breed doesn't matter!! Stop pit bull hate!!!" mentality, but I'm still stuck in some kind of cognitive dissonance. Could you explain more about the situation? I guess I'm afraid to learn about the truth of the matter from non-biased sources, mostly bc of a family situation.

Anecdote time: I know my brother has his heart in the right place but he keeps adopting random strays without knowing how to manage/train them properly-- I love those 3 girls to death but two, the big pit mix (sweetheart with humans, domineering at dog parks, built like a tank) and German shep (also sweetheart, *very* energetic, not walked enough) have recently been ganging up on the newer one (husky mix, somewhat skittish and prim, a diva who loves very selectively) to the point that we volunteered to take care of the pit so the husky girl can catch a break from their pack mentality.

My bro is very torn up about this but honestly it's a long time coming, he's a workaholic who never took our advice seriously (we have trained/raised two large working breeds and have given *HIS* dogs basic training on normal family visits just bc they really needed it) and his dogs get left alone in his yard during the day-- the breaking point is when the husky girl got minor but still skin breaking injuries from one of the dogs. Pit is staying with us and our Belgian sheepdog mix who is quite good with her, they've had no issues since this started, and the other two are now getting along better. I feel for him but I'm out of pity at this point and honestly patience. His girls don't deserve this, especially not the husky :(

This is definitely a hard situation to be in, so i feel for you.

I would absolutely encourage him to rehome the husky. TBH he doesn't sound like he's providing enough enrichment or exercise to his pitty or GSD, either - two breeds that can be VERY driven and will start exhibiting "problematic" behaviors such as destructiveness when they are under exercised. So adding a third, highly energetic breed to the mix just isn't going to work for him. I think if he does not intervene the husky will just get hurt again; and the only way i can think of that would make his "pack" work would be to completely reintroduce the husky by following a highly structured routine (ie letting them walk together and meet in a neutral area outside of the home/yard, separating them in the home and feeding them nearby each other with a barrier between them, etc. before letting them loose together in the house) or to implement a strict crate and rotate schedule. I don't really see that happening with your brother being so busy with work that he can't even spend much time with his current dogs.

(FTR i am only mentioning this because it is relevant - want to stress i am not moralizing aggression at all, just want to make a point. While many pitties don't exhibit dog aggression, the fact of the matter is, not too long ago, they were used in bloodsports - namely dog fighting - and were often meant to kill other dogs in the ring. While dogfighting was banned a few decades ago, many pit bulls STILL have dog aggression, because that was so thoroughly bred into them, and newbie owners either don't *want* to recognize this or don't know the history because of pitbull PR (ie the nanny dog myth). Sooo sometimes people try to have their pitbulls interact with other dogs without knowing for sure that their dogs are dog social, which can sometimes end pretty disastrously. Not saying your brother's dog is like this at all, but it's entirely possible for a dog aggressive pit to be ok with one or two dogs and NOT be okay with other dogs)

i know sometimes with social interactions dogs do try to establish social dynamics with each other in order to reduce conflict in the long run (not like a linear hierarchy, but they do seem to have a pecking order of sorts that can be dynamic and change at any time) so it's possible the two girls are trying to put the husky in her "place", and the husky is not tolerating it. Ive seen this happen in dog play groups many times, where there are basically dogs that will bully and challenge other dogs to vie for a better "rank", which usually either ends up with one dog ""submitting"" orrrr a dog fight.

(I am trying to avoid using the word dominance but i know sometimes it is appropriate, but i am NOT by any means an animal behaviorist so i do not want to lead you astray)

BTW If anyone dogblr following me wants to correct anything ive mentioned please don't hesitate to do so lol im pretty new to dog behavior and willing to learn more!

as for why breed matters. that is a whole can of worms that i dont think i can answer fully, but I'll say this. Dogs, since the beginning, have been bred to do different tasks for/with humans. Every breed has been so thoroughly refined over the last 1000s of years that their literal wolf/predator instincts have morphed into tasks that are useful for humans - dogs like collies know how to herd without being taught, sight hounds want to chase, terriers instinctively bite-kill vermin/small animals, retrievers are compelled to retrieve, etc. you get the drill. wolves on the other hand are compelled to complete the prey sequence, which ends in consumption of prey. (it isnt quite this simple really, and dogs can absolutely still have the compulsion to complete the prey sequence, but i just want to try to make some sense) Wild wolves also aren't nearly as attentive to humans as dogs are; dogs have literally been bred to be attuned to our body language and our emotions, and are also way more dependent on humans than wolves are.

There's a video actually that i think beautifully demonstrates this by showing the difference between how a collie and greyhound respond to a mechanical hare, i cant find it but i will try to describe it. A mechanical hare is running. The greyhound races to catch it by chasing it around the track. The border collie does not chase, but attempts to cut off the hare at the front. Same prey drive, with different parts of the prey sequence being used (greyhound - chase; collie - eye/stalk)

Until very recently, while dogs have always been cherished companions, they have also been "tools" used for very specific functions/jobs to help humans. Nowadays the need for dogs in specific tasks has decreased dramatically, and dogs with say, high drive, are being placed in homes that do not know how to fulfill those needs. Border collies without something to do are probably the most anxious creatures you will ever meet. Terriers adopted to families with cats or small animals are sometimes in for an unfortunate accident, if they don't know better. People who own hounds sometimes don't understand at all why their dog is so loud and barks so much. It's so incredibly vital that people understand dog breeds as they are, not fault them for their literal genetics, and have realistic expectations for living with and training dogs of a certain breed.

All that is to say, yes dogs have personalities, yes dogs are individuals, and yes dog breeds are also basically GMO wolves that live inside of our homes, rent free. Knowing the breed your dog is will set you and your dog up for success in whatever it is you want to do with your dog, whether it is having a companion, doing dog sports, hunting, training in service work, etc.

[quirkless-accident]

Father figure. Penelope Spectra >:]

Danny had his reservations about the new guidance counselor at school. He was around her a lot, though, because of his recent sessions with Hound Dog. Mr. Aizawa wanted him to try therapy out after the whole Undergrowth incident, and, well, Danny was willing to try pretty much anything once. And over the course of the month his mental health he has found it easier to smile, easier to will his hands to stop trembling. Whenever he has a panic attack, Hound Dog is right there to assure him that progress isn't linear, and that he's getting better. It just takes time.

But then Penelope Spectra came to U.A.

In light of recent events with Undergrowth, there was a surge in therapy sessions from Hound Dog, and Nezu, the omnipotent Rat God of U.A. had thought it best to hire another counselor to take some of the weight off of Hound Dog's shoulders. It made sense, but there was something Danny knew that everybody else didn't.

Penelope Spectra was a ghost.

He wanted to tell Aizawa, but he was already so busy between being a teacher and some new case that he had accidentally overheard him talking about with Present Mic. Danny has never backed away from a conversation faster in his life. If Eraserhead ever found out he eavesdropped-even accidentally-it would be detention for life. Maybe his afterlife, too.

So the best he could do was tell Hound Dog he was interested in seeing the other counselor, just to see what she was like. Hound Dog had thankfully not taken it personally. The pro had mentioned that some therapists are better for different people, and it's important to find the right one so they can be on the road to recovery at a steady pace. Or something.

His first session had left him absolutely drained. He didn't talk much, not like he did with Hound Dog. He doesn't even remember most of what she said. It feels like he got kissed by Recovery Girl, exhausted to the bone and his mind full of cotton. When he came back to class after his free period, Aizawa looked more than a little concerned. Danny had just yawned with a promise that he was fine, really, before keeping himself from falling asleep for the rest of the class. Thankfully he sat next to Iida, who was more than willing to help on that front.

And what's worse is that he doesn't have anything on Spectra. He doesn't remember what she said to him, only that they caused alarm bells in the back of his head. He could go to Nezu, but then he'd have to out himself as a half-ghost. It was bad enough that Aizawa knew. He didn't want to burden anybody else with the knowledge that he was a freak of nature. And what if Nezu saw his halfa status as cheating? He'd be thrown out of U.A. so quickly he'd get whiplash. And then he would be stuck with his parents again. Now that he's had the taste of freedom, he doesn't know if he'd be able to survive going back to them.

So of course, the only logical solution was to take care of this himself.

-----------

Over the course of the next week, he could see his classmates being just as exhausted as he had felt after his first session with Spectra. And it wasn't contained to just his class. 1-B and some of the gen-ed and business course students traumatized by the Undergrowth events sought out Spectra in the hopes of getting better. Now nearly the entirety of U.A. save for the majority of the teachers were sluggish.

Foundational Heroics and combat training were an absolute bust. Not even Midoriya, Mr. Sugar on Wheels, with his nonstop energy, nervous or otherwise, was super into it. His normal mumbling was just a garble of tired sounds and a depressed sigh that had him leaning against the wall with Todoroki, who was sporting some pretty impressive bags under his eyes.

Seeing his classmates suffering like this, it made his stomach roll. He felt sick, and angry. He was going to confront Spectra, and he was going to throw her back into the Ghost Zone if it was the last thing he did.

---------

"I know what you are," he snarled, dropping his bag in front of him. It was unzipped, and the thermos was just a quick reach away.

"Well, I would hope so," Spectra said. "It is on my plaque," she gestured to the name plaque on her desk. Dr. Spectra, Therapist. Danny scowled at the sickly smile she gave him.

"You know what I mean," he said, his anger rising.

"Spit it out, then, kid," she said, as if she had already won. "What am I?"

---------

Aizawa tries his best to be as observant as possible. He knows something is wrong with his class. He knows something has Danny specifically on edge, and if he's on edge it's probably some dumb ghost bullshit.

The only thing that's changed recently is a new member of their staff. And Aizawa isn't blind to her fake smiles and the predatory look she gives students. How her skin seems so glow more with each passing session. Most of his students, he knows, have given her a shot at least once. With all of the events that 1-A has had to go through, therapy was mandatory for them. He thought the option of a new counselor would be beneficial, just in case she was going to be able to help them in a way Hound Dog couldn't, but looking over his twenty kids who were slumped over their desks-even Iida-he knew something was wrong. And he knew it had something to do with a certain therapist that had been hired.

He had told Nezu his concerns, which had been quickly shared. It was how Aizawa found himself strolling down the hallway with omnipotent Rat God hiding in his scarf.

Just as they were reaching the door, however, there was a crash. Something breaking, maybe a vase, and a loud thump. He heard somebody grunt in pain, and wasted no time in kicking the door down.

Spectra, in all of her terrible glory, was pinning Danny up against the wall by his throat. He was willing the rings to come, but they flickered in and out of existence. His head whipped around to face Aizawa, before his eyes flickered over to Spectra's desk.

Aizawa ducked and rolled in that direction, narrowly missing a blast coming from the demented school therapist. He landed right next to the thermos he's seen Danny use. He grabbed it, dodging another blast, before uncapping it and pointing it at Spectra.

She screeched in frustration as she was sucked through. Aizawa quickly capped it before Danny could get sucked in with her. Once she was secure, he ran over to Danny, grabbing his face tenderly.

"Are you okay?" He asked, tilting his student's head this way and that. His neck would have some bruising, and the cut over his eyebrow would probably scar, but otherwise he looked okay. Still, Aizawa didn't relax until he got the confirmation from Danny.

"I'm-yeah. Sorry," he rasped. Nezu climbed out of Aizawa's scarf and looked around the destroyed room and at a very terrified looking Danny.

"Well, I believe an explanation is needed, yes?" He said. Danny just slumped against the wall and nodded, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. Shouta squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.

"We'll be okay," he said. "Nothing bad is going to happen."

--------

True to his word, nothing bad happened. Nezu had been told about Danny's quirk origin, and the Rat God had taken it with a chuckle and a cup of tea. Nezu made him promise to tell them if there were any other ghost infiltrations so that they could be handled properly by the pros. Once their meeting was over, Aizawa took Danny to the empty 1-A classroom.

"Why didn't you tell me she was a ghost?" He asked him once they got comfortable. "I know your secret. I could have helped."

"I didn't..." Danny bit his lip, looking away for a brief moment. He dropped his gaze to his hands before he continued speaking. "I didn't want to stress you out more. You're always tired and complaining about how our class gets into villain trouble, and I-I accidentally heard that you had a really stressful case you're working on outside of all of this and I-I just didn't want to burden you again and-"

Danny's stream of words came to an abrupt halt when there were two, strong arms suddenly squeezing him.

Danny had been hugged enough to recognize what it was, but the sheer comfort, the sheer tenderness in his teacher's touch...That was unfamiliar. It was like he was putting all of his care into a single embrace, and Danny couldn't help the tears that came. It only made Aizawa squeeze him tighter.

"You're not a burden," his teacher said. "You never will be."

Danny, as much as he tried not to, could only cry harder as a response. He's never heard those words before, let alone in such a paternal tone. And Danny knew from experience that Aizawa didn't say shit he didn't mean. He reached up and fisted his hands in Aizawa's jumpsuit, and cried even harder.

---

Once Danny had calmed down, Aizawa took a small step back. The kid looked absolutely exhausted. And he was going to wait until they had a more solid case to speak to him about it, but he couldn't wait any longer.

"Danny," he said. The boy lifted his gaze to finally meet Aizawa's, and the pro did his best to offer a comforting smile. "The case I've been working on...It's to take down your parents."

He watched as the boy's expression went from confused to shocked, before quickly going through the five stages of grief right before Aizawa's eyes. His bottom lip started to tremble again.

"R-really?" He said through a hiccup. "Why?"

Man, wasn't that a loaded question.

"Because you don't deserve the way they treat you," he said. "You're smart and caring and you're a great fucking kid. You shouldn't have to live in fear of them. Now, we probably have enough to take them down on illegal support equipment and lack of proper safety protocols, but if there's anything you would like to come forward with, that would be a one way ticket to prison."

Danny's eyebrows furrowed together as he processed the words that came out of Aizawa's mouth. Like he couldn't really believe that this was all happening. That someone had finally cared enough to do something about his horrible treatment by the people who were supposed to take care of him.

"Where would I go?" He asked eventually. "I don't have any other relatives I could go to. Not any that could afford to take me in, anyway."

"Well," Aizawa sighed as he leaned back, his spine popping in a quick sequence. "You have two options. You could either become a ward of U.A. where you would stay in the dorms all year 'round, and leave when you graduate. Or...Or you could..." Fuck why was this so hard? Just spit the words out! "Every hero has an emergency foster license. So, if you wanted to, I could take you in."

Danny went back to shock. His jaw was on the floor as he stared up at Aizawa with big, blue eyes. They were full of nothing but hope.

"You...You really want me?" He asked in a small voice. And man, wasn't that just fucking heartbreaking. Aizawa nodded, and in the blink of an eye he was being tackled in a hug. He squeezed the his kid back just as much, letting Danny burry his face in his chest. He's not sure how long they stayed like that, but Aizawa made sure to not let go.

Eventually, though, when everything calmed down, Danny pulled back and gave him a watery smile.

"Thank you."

[therealbrigeedarocks]

gamefreak/nintendo: our new game will be open world! you can choose from 3 storylines! up to you when and where you want to go!

me: oh sweet so i can just dash off to a new area and grab a pokemon i really want because the wild 'mon will scale to my level, right?

gamefreak/nintendo: ...

me: cuz you guys have a fire-tauros and a ghost dog i need in my life right now and if i can nab and train them early...

gamefreak/nintendo: ...

me: ...fellas?

gamefreak/nintendo: ...actually...

me: the game is still linear isn't it and i'll have my ass handed to me if i'm underleveled

gamefreak/nintendo: pretty much

me: GOD FUCKING DAMN IT

[spaceinvadeeer]

yet another lil post i write while waiting for sleep to claim me gjfnfk this is gonna be some hc ramble but feel free to do with that what you will. //tw mention of trauma just to be safe

i've been thinking recently about how i tend to leave hanatamago out of my world building which is really upsetting, so i wanna give her some spotlight in the vintage nordics timeline.

i think i've mentioned this in my introduction to me and @5577v 's timeline but as quick recap, finland adopted his dog somewhere in the 60s. this was primarily to have some company as the post-ww2 period felt increasingly lonely, not to mention the fresh trauma he refused to deal with despite it taking a huge toll in his mental stability. but although hana was never trained in any way (from what I could gather service dogs apparently weren't really a thing until the late 70s), she would exhibit unusual behavior like scratching and barking when her owner started drifting into a traumatic episode.

i can imagine it takes fin some time to notice it, but once he does he (and sweden, later in) just keeps rewarding the behavior to reinforce it. overtime he'd start taking her to public events with him as she's not only a grounding companion, but also a way to alert the others if fin suddenly gets overwhelmed.

but even if that floofball finally gets her stubborn owner to face his demons (baby steps, ofc!) not everything's perfect by a long shot. finland himself often ignores hana's signals out of fear of being seen as a bother, it takes some time for the others to learn the do's and dont's of dealing with their anxiety-ridden friend, they're not always able to help him without making the situation a bit awkward, but it's the journey that matters. my favorite thing to think about is how despite the many mistakes they make, they'll learn and move forward together. baby steps. some arguments along the way but that's okay, cause progress is never linear.

wow this is cheesy isn't it

n e way good night everyone, request art is on the way as well as (hopefully) part 2 of the vintage nordics timeline.

[enigmasong]

What I get from this is that the last island on the log pose route contains a quest marker that explains what the ponegliffs are and how they pertain to the island that would be named Laugh Tale.

And that Crocus told them how to get to the last island of the log pose route because he expected that to be how they learned of it too. He didn't expect them to run into someone like Robin and unlock that quest early. Because that's how the Roger pirates did it.

Let's give this the analogy that the Roger pirates adventure was Twilight Princess*, but the Straw Hats' is Breath of the Wild.

(*basically any Zelda game besides BotW and the first one would do for this analogy, but Twilight Princess is the only game I've played, so I'm going with that one.)

Cat and Dog recognize that they're not on that linear path though, and tell them the secret to reaching Laugh Tale and freeing them from the log pose route.

Which, getting into speculation here, has some pretty interesting implications once you look at the wider vibe of fate the series has and the mystery of the civilization that once (implied to) stood o Laugh Tale).

Because a lot of things that's happening now seems to be something those ancient people had predicted and prepared for.

The Grand Line is very much setup as a linear video game progression - the way it funnels people west to east using Reverse Mountain canals, that only allows access to the western side of it, and the log poses, which always point to the next island to the east, and the calm belts that prevent easy access from both sides; and the way it's split into the two stages with the second one, the New World, being far more difficult; and the way it creates a natural level progression with the way it weeds out the weak and leaves only stronger and stronger opponents the further east you go.

And as Geoff Thew said in his second Mother's Basement episode on Made in Abyss, video game mechanics in stories that aren't video games are mad sus (not his exact wording). Since comics and television stories don't need to function like video games, when they do, it comes across as deliberate if they do (or bad writing, which One Piece isn't).

The Grand Line is clearly manufactured, or at least had its natural traits repurposed, for the purpose of getting someone to Laugh Tale the long way round.

And it is becoming clearer and clearer that they probably had a particular Link in mind and this wasn't a general survivors tournament for the prize. And I'm not even gonna bother to pretend it's somebody other than Luffy and his crew - frankly, it'd be a cheap final season GoT twist if it wasn't.

Which begs the question what the role of Roger and his crew was. And I think this thing I was talking about to begin with could go a way to answering that.

Because if the Straw Hats don't need to go the final log pose island, then it must not be there for them. I recon it was put for Roger specifically to find.

I think the Roger Crew's role is specifically to prepare the path for the Straw Hats to make it to Laugh Tale. And that's what everyone from the crew, save Buggy, does when they meet them - Shanks encourages Luffy to become a pirate by giving the boy his hat from Roger, Crocus tells them how the log pose works and how to get to the final island it points to, Rayleigh trains Luffy, Dog and Cat tell them what they need to do to get to Laugh Tale.

And then, of course, Roger uses his death to create the Great Pirate Era that puts the idea of finding the One Piece and becoming King of the Pirates in Luffy's head in the first place.

And this might be an intentional part of the mysterious people's plan.

There is still some holes in this. Why do they need to have the ground paved before them? But that come across as part of the mystery right now rather than a flaw to my theory.

[au-golden-girl]

Ability last night was comically bad. 😂 Four weeks off, and Aspen forgot everything she knew. She tried to play with other dogs, wouldn't engage with me worth shit, missed jumps, dropped rails... Holy hell. Next week will hopefully be better. I guess dog training isn't always linear progress.