#free dog training resource

[millenniallust4death]

An update for the Ask An Expert: Dog Trainer (@molosseraptor) webinar:

I'd like to thank Allie for the excellent presentation! She did such a good job balancing the content to appeal to both dog sport people and pet owners. I recognized so many concepts from FDSA courses but Allie explained everything so clearly and in such an interesting manner. 

Thank you to everyone who submitted/asked training questions. Without you, the discussion wouldn't have been as fun. I thought Allie's response to a question from an owner of a Border Collie used to herd cattle to be particularly insightful. 

I'll be sending out an email later this week to everyone who signed up for the webinar. The message will include a link to a recording of the session on YouTube, a list of resources mentioned in the session, and a text transcript. The video will have indexing/chapter marks to each question so that you can navigate directly to the question(s) of interest. I think making the information easier to access is important but it will take me a few days to put it all together. 

[squirble]

what tasks does your dog do / is learning to do?

he's learning mainly ptsd work bc hes kinda small! i just got him a week ago but currently im teaching him how to do pressure therapy (we weighs ab the same as a weighted blanket, 25lbs) & how to tuck when in public! he picks up on things so fast he's already got tucking about 50% down!

[crabofthewoods]

currently thinking about a universe where having your own whumpee(s) is like. a widespread thing. and i want to dump my train of thought somewhere so here you go

stronger/more durable whumpees are worth more because they last longer — maybe they’re used as lab rats for whumper to test a new torture device or weapon

on the other side of the spectrum, weaker whumpees are worth less — maybe they’re usually bought in bulk

whumpees being bought and given to family members as gifts during the holidays (like a dog — pet whump possibilities??)

“buy one, get one free”

“handcuffs/weapon(s) not included”

online quizzes telling you what kind of whumpee would be best for you (again, like a dog)

immortal/super-powered whumpees being auctioned off (i have the mental image of whumpee being in a cage in front of a crowd like in that one jurassic park movie idk)

whumpers trading whumpees

whumpees being used as currency; whumpers exchanging whumpees for food/resources/weapons

whumpees being labeled as “new” or “used”

whumpers complaining to each other about how much weapons/handcuffs/etc cost now because of how many people are using them

[zhukzucraft]

Wild Life - Chapter 2

A fan-made Life SMP session project by Zhuk and Schmomo

>Chapter 1< or >Read it on Ao3<

“So you’re breaking up with us,” Martyn said, matter of factly.

“Is this supposed to be shocking?” Cleo asked, “You leaving to go be with Etho, instead?” She laughed a little, cycling through her inventory for her iron pick. 

“It’s nothing personal!” Bdubs insisted, quickly, “I just feel bad for the guy, you know?”

“He is washed up,” Grian agreed, his voice carrying from up high where he was building up their tower of cobble. 

“Exactly. Wait, no! No, he’s not!” Bdubs huffed, “But it was harsh how we all ditched him.”

Yesterday had been a mad dash for resources, like all first days in the Life games tended to be. Bdubs’ plan for starting the Life game challenge had remained the same as always: stick to Etho. But that hadn’t really played out the way he wanted it to. When he’d circled up with his group near the exposed iron vein on the side of the mountain, everyone had realized at the same time an important fact: He, Impulse, Cleo and Skizz were all dogs. 

Etho was not. 

“He’s a cat, Bdubs,” Martyn said, his tail swishing about in warning behind him, “A filthy feline, if you will.”

“Shouldn’t we be building bridges?” Bdubs tried, his own short tail quite flat against his body.

“No, we’re building a tower,” Grian called from above. 

Cleo snorted, trying to cover her smile with her free hand. 

“The man is lost without me,” Bdubs continued, “And I really just want to check on him, is all. Don’t you trust me?”

“Not at all,” Cleo said with a smile, “But go on then, find your cat boyfriend if it’ll calm your anxious heart.”

Bdubs rolled his eyes, turning away and padding to the edge of their platform. After the iron had run dry, Skizz and Impulse had ventured further up the mountains. Bdubs knew his history with fall damage well enough to stick to more solid ground. Cleo had decided to join up with Martyn and Grian who were discussing some grandiose plan to take control of the entire lake. He had followed them without a second thought. 

Now, he stared out at the vast expanse of water before him, “You know, we really should build a bridge–”

“No bridges!” Grian shouted, “That’s the whole point!”

Bdubs threw his hands up in the air, defeated with his teammates–former teammates? It was unclear at this point. Bdubs was about 65% certain he would come back to them. Maybe less so now that this base Grian and Martyn were insisting on would prevent him from any kind of sustainable horse travel. 

He pinched his nose and jumped into the water, shuddering as the cold temperature hit him. He pushed through, diving down past the many salmon and cod to head to shore. By the end he was doggy paddling, which was fitting he supposed. When he reached the shore line he shook himself out, his ears floppy atop his head and smacking him ever so lightly. 

His comms buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out. 

Solidarity has made the advancement [Diamonds!] Smallishbeans > ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Smallishbeans > HE’S THE FIRST ONE?????? Smajor1995 > just wait for the swimming in lava message to appear soon enough Skizzleman > i don’t have anything to contribute but as another S name i felt the need to say something GoodTimeWithScar > same! Grian > Your username starts with G, scar GoodTimeWithScar > are we starting our own train now, G? Solidarity > DOES ANYONE HAVE FOOD THEY CAN THROW DOWN MY HOLE?

“Poor fella,” Bdubs sighed out without even a hint of pity. He put his communicator away. He glanced around, seeing the remnants of other players from the falling leaves and missing dark oak trunks. He decided to keep to the edge of the forest, just in case. After a few hundred blocks, the dark oak gave way to a plains biome and–

“HORSE!” Bdubs shouted, sprinting over to the magnificent herd of beasts. There were six of them, all deep browns and blacks. Some were even spotted with white. “What beauties,” he praised as he petted one of the wild mares, who shook her mane out at him. He hauled himself onto her back, only to be bucked off. He was no stranger to the process, however, and kept at it, taming the entire herd by the time the sun was shining directly above him. 

“Now I just need a saddle,” Bdubs said aloud, before frowning. Right. He needed a saddle. What were the odds he’d stumble upon a dungeon anytime soon? He wondered if they were using the leather recipe in this game. That would be oh-so-fortuitous. 

He hadn’t been paying attention, and the horse he was seated upon had wandered further into the plains, toward the great big snowy mountain they’d all pillaged for iron yesterday. He wondered if Skizz and Impulse were still up there. Why were all his friends moving into such horse-hostile environments? Bunch of scum, the lot of em. 

The land opened up in front of him and he let out a surprised shout of terror. He quickly jumped off the horse, only to land precariously at the edge of the gaping ravine. 

That was a close one, Bdubs thought to himself, imagine being the first to die. And to fall damage too. 

He scurried backwards, giving himself a few blocks of distance. Sheepishly he looked around to see if anyone had seen him shrieking. Luckily, no one was around. 

Where the heck was everyone? Had no one decided to settle in these plains? He frowned, turning all the way around before getting himself dizzy. How was he supposed to find Etho with everyone hiding? Everyone was still green for void’s sake! There was no need to be so un-neighborly yet. 

“Cowards! All of ya!” he shouted out to no one in particular, cupping his hands around his mouth to make sure his important message carried. 

“Is someone out there!?”

Bdubs startled, looking around for the owner of the voice. 

“Hello!?” 

He narrowed his eyes, following the voice several blocks to the right. He stopped right before the ground gave way to another hole. 

“OH THANK THE VOID!”

All the way down below, surrounded by dripstone, was Jimmy. In full diamond armor. 

“BDUBS YOU HAVE TO HELP ME!” Jimmy shouted, “I'VE GOT HALF A HEART AND NOTHING TO MY NAME!”

“I don’t know about that,” Bdubs called back, sitting down on the edge of the hole, “You’re covered in diamonds.”

“I’ve got no wood, no tools and no food,” Jimmy lamented, “Please, do you have any food to spare?”

“How’d you manage this?” Bdubs asked, his ears perking up.

“There was some mild panicking when I dug into lava,” Jimmy said, “Very mild. I may have thrown half my inventory into it. These are minor details. Anyway, can you spare a mutton? I’d take it raw at this point.”

Bdubs cringed, “You’re lucky Scott didn’t hear that. He’d never let you live it down.”

“Scott’s dead to me!” Jimmy shouted back, “He and Joel and Etho found me just to laugh! The nerve!”

“Etho?” Bdubs blinked, honing in on his mission with laser focus, “You know where he went?”

“You get me outta this jam, I’ll take you straight to him, I swear on my half of a heart.”

“And one of your diamond pieces,” Bdubs added, standing back up. 

“You’d take the shirt off my back in my most trying time?”

“If it’s made of diamonds? Of course!” Bdubs replied, rummaging through his inventory, “After all, my hand might slip and grab my lava bucket instead.”

“ALRIGHT!” Jimmy shouted, “Just please! I can’t live down being yellow first again.”

Bdubs chuckled, taking mercy and flooding the hole. Jimmy quickly swam up, clawing his way onto solid ground and giving himself a firm shake to dry himself off. His long fluffy golden tail rained water droplets everywhere.

“Ah, a fellow dog of culture, I see,” Bdubs noted.

Jimmy cracked a smile, “Once a big dog, always a big dog. Woof, woof.” He picked himself up, taking off his diamond boots and handing them over. “Now please, some meat would be nice.”

“Oh I don't have any food on me,” Bdubs replied casually, slipping the armor on. “Should have probably grabbed some before leaving my crew, now that I think about it.”

Jimmy let out an anguished cry, hands shooting out to take hold of Bdubs shoulders. He dug into the iron armor there, “Are you KIDDING ME?” he shouted, close to tears, “Do you have any idea what I’ve been through!? Wave after wave after wave of creepers and zombies hounded me down there. Half a heart, Bdubs! I could trip and it’d be the end of me.”

“I’ve got a bed if you want to set your spawn here,” Bdubs offered with a bright cheery smile. Jimmy screamed out in aggravation. Bdubs patted his shoulder.

“Oh, that explains it.”

Jimmy and Bdubs turned at the sound of a third voice, and emerging from one of the rolling hills of this biome was Mumbo Jumbo of all people. 

“Mumbo!” Bdubs exclaimed, giving a friendly wave. “And on top of a mound!”

“Hmm? Oh! Yes! Once a mounder, always a mounder,” Mumbo replied with a grin, carefully hopping down the blocks to make it to their sides. His skin black and white tail shot out for balance. “Although, I’ve graduated to new heights this go-around. You could say I’m a mountaineer, now.”

“Well, ain’t that nice,” Bdubs complimented, “Are Skizz and Impulse with ya then?”

“Oh yes!” Mumbo assured, “BigB too.”

“Lovely catching up,” Jimmy interrupted, eye twitching, “But we have pressing matters at hand! Mumbo, do you have any food on you, bud?

“Hmm? Oh. Oh right, food. That would have been a good idea, wouldn’t it have been.” Mumbo realized aloud, tapping his chin thoughtfully.

“YOU PEOPLE ARE IMPOSSIBLE!” Jimmy screamed.

Bdubs laughed, patting Jimmy’s shoulder and spreading his other arm out over the horizon, “Look, we’re in a plains biome, I’m sure we can find ya something to munch on.”

“All the animals are gone already!” Jimmy snapped, “This is the life series not Hermitcraft!”

“There’s plenty of horses,” Mumbo pointed out, unhelpfully. 

“I CAN’T EAT A HORSE.”

“Not hungry enough, eh?” Mumbo replied. 

Jimmy paused mid scream to laugh, “Alright, that’s a good one.” He then returned to screaming, “I’ve got two ticks left in my hunger bar before I starve to death. And that’s gonna be on both your consciences now, I hope you know.”

“I’m sure I can convince Etho to part with some snacks when I find him,” Bdubs assured.

“Isn’t Etho a cat, though? At least, that’s what Impulse told me,” Mumbo said, “Why are you looking for him?”

“Because I’m me, Mumbo, that’s why,” Bdubs snapped. 

“Right,” Mumbo said, “Should have expected that. Anyway, if you’ll excuse me I need to collect some redstone down in that ravine. No reason, of course.”

“Of course,” Bdubs played along. He waved as Mumbo pushed past them, black and white spotted tail wagging behind him. He turned back to Jimmy, “Now which way did Etho go?”

Jimmy sighed,  “He went further up, toward Scar’s place, I think. Have you been there yet? Last I saw him he was making some sort of shanty on the lake edge.”

“And that’s where we shall go,” Bdubs announced. 

“I can’t sprint,” Jimmy said, looping an arm around Bdubs’ as a preventative measure. “Don’t you dare leave me behind.”

Bdubs laughed, but acquiesced. Slowing his pace down as they walked through the peaceful meadows. It was strange to see so few mobs and people. Eerie, really. But eventually from the fog appeared a new structure at the lake's edge. A fishing hut made of oak and spruce, already with a nice pier jutting into the water. 

Scar came into view first, arms waving about as he spoke to three other players. Even before he rendered, Bdubs could tell the tallest silhouette to be Etho, most likely standing beside Joel and Scott based on Jimmy’s previous recollection.

“ETHO!” Bdubs shouted, abandoning Jimmy completely to sprint over to him. 

Etho’s head shot up, and there was a soft crinkle around his eyes as they lit up in recognition. “Oh snappers, it’s a Bdubs!” he exclaimed, lifting  his hand to wave at him. 

“Why, hello there, Bdubs,” Scar intercepted, coming in between them before Bdubs could go in for the hug, “Welcome to my dock.”

“Right,” Bdubs nodded. “It’s a nice dock.”

“Thanks, I made it myself. Took all my wood,” Scar continued proudly, his gray and black tail swishing dangerously behind him.

“That’s not even true,” another voice snapped, and Bdubs quickly saw Lizzie coming into view. She was munching on a fish, her small ears folded close to her head, “I made the dock. You only made the shanty.”

“Details,” Scar waved off with his ever present smile. 

“Food!” Bdubs shouted, pointing at the half eaten cod in Lizzie’s hand, “Jimmy needs some! Lizzie can you spare a fish  for the starving man behind me?”

“Oh, Bdubs,” Joel groaned, his striped tail drooping in disappointment, “You actually helped him?”

“He was supposed to stay in the hole.” Scott clicked his tongue, shaking his head. 

“Dogs, amiright?” Joel offered cheekily. Bdubs couldn’t help but let out a petulant little huff at that. 

By that point Jimmy had finally staggered over to them, doubling over to rest his hands on his knees. “One tick! One tick left and I die before your callous eyes!”

“I’ve got food, Jimmy,” Lizzie assured, digging through her inventory, “But you’ll have to swear your undying loyalty to me first.”

“FINE!” Jimmy agreed. 

“See, this is how you get into so much trouble, Jimmy,” Scott commented, “You agree too quickly to things.”

“The man’s on death’s door, Scott. You can’t blame him,” Scar defended, even as he took out his own cooked cod to eat in front of him.

“To seal the deal I shall give you this!” Lizzie announced, handing over a bone. 

“Am I joke to you?” Jimmy growled, holding the bone, “You expect me to eat this? Just because I’m a dog? Har, har, har, everybody.” He pretended to give the bone a bite, only for his jaw to snap right through it. He blinked, surprised, nostrils flaring and bringing the bone to his mouth to properly chew on it. 

And then he ate it completely. 

“Oh,” Lizzie said, dumbfounded.

Joel started to laugh, “Did he seriously just–”

“There’s a terrible bone joke just waiting to be made here,” Scott snickered, politely covering his smile with his hand. 

Jimmy’s face colored, “Shut up! Just hold on a second,”

“Did it work?” Bdubs asked, intrigued. His floppy ears did their best to perk up.

“It…worked,” Jimmy confirmed, eyes widening 

“So I can punch you now? Thank void I’ve been having to hold back this whole time–” Joel started, pushing his way forward and winding his arm back.

Jimmy screeched, high pitched. Etho’s arm shot out to grab Joel by the scruff of his shirt while the poor golden retriever quickly ran behind Bdubs. “It didn’t FILL me up! I’m not anywhere close to healed yet. Get away from me, Joel!”

Lizzie stared at one of her bones, appraising it. Carefully, she raised it to her mouth and gave it an experimental gnaw. She grimaced.

“Let me try it,” Bdubs pawed at the bone, curiosity having gotten the best of him yet again. He immediately managed to snap it in half with his teeth, despite missing several. His eyes widened, “Huh. It’s not half bad!”

“This must be a dog thing,” Lizzie murmured, putting a finger to her chin, “I mean you can feed bones to wild wolves so it sort of makes sense.”

“Wait a tick,” Jimmy said, straightening up, “Wouldn’t that…Wouldn’t that mean…” He let his voice fade off as he rifled through his inventory to pull out a piece of rotten flesh. 

“Oh that is vile, Jimmy!” Joel snapped. 

Jimmy took a bite. His eyes widened. “NO WAY! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?”

Bdubs tilted his head to the side. Jimmy handed him another piece of the zombie flesh and he took a brave bite. An explosion of flavors hit his tongue all at once. Savory rich barbecue with just a hint of heat at the edges. He could feel himself salivating for more as he gobbled up the supposed rancid meat. “Oh my! This is gourmet!” 

“Are you telling me, I’ve been panicking for the past few hours when I could have eaten any of the 40 pieces of rotten flesh in my inventory!?” Jimmy cried, sinking down to his knees. 

“This is amazing,” Joel snickered, “I’m glad you dragged us out here, Scott.”

“I’m full of great ideas,” Scott preened, flicking his hair back to emphasize the point. His blue gray tail swished behind him for added effect.

“Anyway,” Etho said, finally making his way to stand by his old friend, “Fancy seeing you here, Bdubs.”

“Etho!” Bdubs shouted, remembering the whole point of the day. 

“Shouldn’t you be with your pack?” Etho faux sniffled, turning his head to the side. 

“I came to check on you!” Bdubs insisted, pushing toward him. “Sure, I was led astray momentarily, but here I am in the end! That’s got to count for something, right?”

“I’m not letting more people move in with me,” Joel growled, putting his foot down. 

Etho patted Joels’ shoulder, lifting his other hand to scratch the back of his own neck, “Ya see, Bdubs, after that whole debacle, I kinda joined my own alliance. A Fe-liance.”

“Oh.” Bdubs took a step back, wounded. “Oh, I see.”

“Aww man, Joel,” Etho caved immediately, turning to the tabby cat, “Can’t we keep him?”

“Absolutely not.”

“But look at him. How could you say no to that face?”

“Easily,” Joel said. Scott laughed. 

“Gentlemen,” Scar clapped, grabbing everyone's attention once more. Lizzie made a loud ahem, her tail lashing out in warning. Scar quickly amended, “And Lady. Although this has been quite the joyous reunion, I do believe you three came here for business?”

“We came for information, actually,” Scott cut in, taking a step forward, “From Lizzie, really. I hear you’ve got quite the advantage in this game, this time around.”

Lizzie blinked owlishly, “Whatever do you mean?”

“Oh, she’s good,” Bdubs whispered to Jimmy and Etho, who were standing closest to him. 

“That’s the same look you pull half the time,” Etho huffed, crossing his arms.

“Game recognizes game,” Bdubs nodded. “Did I say that right? Gem taught me that one.”

“Joel told me everything,” Scott said bluntly. Joel’s ears pinned back, betrayed. 

Lizzie scowled, turning to her husband, “Joel! You had one job!”

“I didn’t know it was a secret!” Joel snapped, tabby tail lashing behind him.

“Of course it was a secret!” Lizzie huffed. She crossed her arms, glaring up at Scott. “Well, you already know, then. No fall damage.”

“No fall damage?” Etho repeated, eyes widening a fraction. 

“At all?” Bdubs added. “Well, wouldn’t that be nifty.”

“Interesting,” Scott continued tapping his chin, “What else do you know?”

Lizzie glowered, “Maybe that’s all I know.”

“Oh, come on now,” Scott started, his tone lilting as he bent forward to get closer to Lizzie’s face,  “You expect me to believe the great LDShadowlady spent all of her imperial days as a cat and learned only one thing?”

“Oh, Scott,” Lizzie said, turning her head shyly to the side, “You’re gonna make me blush.”

Joel visibly scowled. 

“Anybody got blocks?” Etho asked, “I gotta try this no fall damage thing.”

“Oh, it’s amazing Etho,” Joel egged on, eager to latch onto any distraction from his wife’s annoyance at him, “I went all the way to the height limit. You saw!”

“I did see,” Etho agreed with a light laugh. 

“Lizzie’s got cobble in her chest,” Jimmy pointed out, uncrouching from the chest he’d been rifling through.. 

Lizzie whirled around at him, “Jimmy! I saved your life and you’re going through my things?”

Etho grabbed two stacks easily, turning towards Bdubs, “What do you say, wanna give it a shot with me?”

Bdubs reddened, but he took the offered stack, “Oh, well, when you ask so nicely how could I possibly refuse?” Then he pocketed the stack and put his hands on his hips, “Are you CRAZY? I’m no cat! You think me a FOOL?”

Etho cackled, “Just keeping you on your toes, is all.” He wiped at his eye, and hopped up onto a block, “I’m still gonna check it out for myself, though.” 

Bdubs watched with growing wariness as Etho ascended upwards. He could hear the bickering around him start to die down as all eyes veered toward the white cat in the sky. 

“You know, this has me thinking,” Scar started, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, “We could be a whole traveling circus. Think of all the trapeze arts! No safety nets. It’d be spectacular. People would pay a fortune to see it. And there would be absolutely no clowns.”

“Shh,” Joel shushed, “He’s gonna jump. Jump into my arms Etho!!” he extended out his hands, only to be nudged in the side by both Scott and Lizzie adding up to one solid tick of damage against him. 

Etho did jump and, without a drop of water,  landed on his feet before them. His tail pointed straight out for balance and his own eyes were wide like even he couldn’t believe it. Then he turned toward his audience and asked, “Did that make you jump?”

“Oh, BROTHER,” Bdubs lamented, rolling his eyes. Hopefully, his lambasting would cover up the jealousy and admiration festering just underneath the surface. 

“I didn’t go that far up,” Etho admitted sheepishly after a moment, stepping away from his stack, “But you know what, Bdubs? I bet you could water bucket clutch from that height.”

“No way,” Bdubs said.

“Perhaps we should change the saying from scaredy cat to scaredy dog,” Joel goaded. 

“Good one,” Scott replied flatly. 

“It was NOT,” Jimmy snapped, “Don’t listen to them Bdubs! You don’t need to prove nothin’.”

“Of course I’m not doing something that stupid,” Bdubs assured. 

“I’ll give you this saddle,” Etho offered. 

“Alright,” Bdubs sighed, pulling out the stack of cobblestone and starting to hop up into the sky. He ignored Jimmy’s squawking and Joel’s cackling, instead focusing on not slipping off his precarious tower. As he reached the halfway point he realized very quickly how stupid he was being. “Committing to the bit never did me wrong before,” he murmured to himself. He blinked and then snapped aloud, “Except for every time it did! What the heck am I doing up here!?”

He stared down at his audience and pursed his lips. He couldn’t mine down to them now. He’d never live it down. He’d bring great shame not only to himself but to all of dogkind. Plus, he really did want a saddle. 

“You’re a professional, Bdubs,” he reminded himself, shaking off his nerves and squaring his shoulders. He pulled out his bucket of water, counted to three, then counted to three again, and then finally psyched himself out enough to just jump at the number two. 

BDoubleO100 fell from a high place. ImpulseSV  > OH NO! IntheLittleWood > First Blood TangoTek > Jimmy you can breathe now! ZombieCleo > I let you out of my sight for FIVE MINUTES

Bdubs opened his eyes at spawn and let out a frustrated scream. He stomped around trying to let the anger out. Oh, he was going to murder Etho, his eternal alliance be damned. He started hoofing it to the otherside of the lake, lamenting his lack of horse. His lack of anything. Especially with the sun already starting to set. It wouldn’t be long until night befell them. 

“Bdubs! Over here!” he heard Jimmy shout. He turned his head to see that both Jimmy and Lizzie were running toward him, meeting him about halfway. 

“We grabbed your stuff,” Jimmy said quickly as he started chucking items out of his pockets and onto the ground. 

“I gave Etho quite the tongue lashing too,” Lizzie assured, “Put the fear of the void in ‘im for messing with my dogs like that.”

“Your dogs?” Jimmy questioned. 

“I gave you each a bone, didn’t I?” Lizzie reminded him. 

“I’ve got a bone to pick with a certain someone,” Bdubs interrupted, pushing past them after accounting for his relatively small amount of things.  He sprinted the rest of the way and in no time he found exactly who he was looking for. 

“ETHO, WHAT THE HECK!” Bdubs shouted, glaring as the white cat seemed to curl in on himself nervously. His white ears pinned so close to his head they became lost in his unruly hair.

“I swear I was gonna put down some water as a safety last minute,” Etho muttered, not looking him in the eye. He rummaged through his inventory and pulled out a horse saddle, “You still want the saddle?”

“I don’t want your BLOOD SADDLE!” Bdubs bellowed, stomping his foot for added effect. “I want my life back!”

“Uh,” Etho started, glancing over to his alliance for help. 

Joel stepped in easily enough, “Sorry, Bdubs, we don’t speak dog.” He grabbed hold of Etho’s arm, pulling him away, “Etho! Scott! Uh, we should go work on the base! That isn’t here!”

“Right,” Etho agreed as he allowed himself to be dragged, “We’ve got a tree to build.”

“You’re even building trees without me, now?” Bdubs called out, “I hate you!”

“Quite the tragic break up we’re witnessing, huh boys,” Lizzie commented, shaking her head solemnly where she stood between Jimmy and Scar. 

“What, you and Joel?” Scar blinked. 

“What? No! Bdubs and Etho!” Lizzie snapped. 

“But you’re sticking with me right? Not following your husband out there? I take loyalty very seriously here, Lizzie,” Scar warned. 

“Of course!” Lizzie waved off, “That man’s dead to me.” She ignored the strangled cry of I heard that from Joel, instead giving Scar a bright cheery smile. He echoed it and the atmosphere seemed to grow a bit tenser, enough for Jimmy to take a wary step back. 

“Timmy, where are you going?” Scar asked, turning towards him.

“Yeah, Jimmy, you’re one of us now, remember?” Lizzie cautioned. 

Jimmy swallowed, “Uh, right, about that. You know, you two being cats, and us being dogs–”

“The circus doesn’t discriminate,” Scar waved off. 

“You took the bone, Jimmy,” Lizzie reminded him sternly.

“Erm, Bdubs, what do you think?” Jimmy tried, turning desperately to the silent pug still watching the trio retreating in the distance.  

Bdubs ignored him entirely, instead screaming out “WAIT!” at the top of his lungs. 

Jimmy blanched as he watched his fellow dog sprint away from him, calling out a desperate plea of, “Don’t leave me here alone!”

Bdubs caught up to the cat trio easily enough. He stood right in front of Etho, who still looked too sheepish to meet his gaze. With his sternest glare he demanded, “Give me the saddle.”

Etho gave a nervous chuckle but handed over the item all the same. “So…we’re good now? No hard feelings?”

“Nope,” Bdubs answered with a cheery smile, “You’re absolutely dead to me!” He then swiveled round, racing back to  join Lizzie, Scar and Jimmy where he left them. 

“Oh, thank the void you didn’t abandon me,” Jimmy sighed out in relief. 

“Abandon you? No! Never!” Bdubs assured, throwing an arm around the taller dog, “We’re bone brothers now.”

Lizzie cheered and Scar gave his own approving cackle as he swept them all in for a group hug. From within the inner circle, Bdubs continued, “Alright, new family, here’s the deal. I’ve got intel I can share about a whole host of these TRAITORS on this server.”

Still, even as he shared all he knew about the locations of the other players and their species, he couldn’t help glancing behind his back every now and then, just in case. And each time his eyes met only the empty landscape, he felt the cold wrap around his heart just a little bit tighter.

[technicallyeldritch]

hey hey do you want to look more masc? do you want to pass better as a guy? if not ignore this! keep doing your thing and have fun!

i’m doing a little guide because i couldn’t find a lot of transition advice on here, so i’m doing a guide

first off, body language! manspread. sit like a cool teacher with their ass performatively on their desk. cross your legs but with your ankle on your knee. people will tell you that guy’s don’t slouch as much. this is false you can have the shittiest posture ever do whatever you want.

next, your voice! you can do voice training pre-t to sound more masc/androgynous! it’s awesome! now you may be thinking, “arden isn’t that expensive as shit?” to which i will respond, “why are you paying for shit?” also, you can go on youtube and find tutorials for free. this next paragraph will be based off of one of these.

open up the back of your mouth a little when you say vowel sounds, almost like you’ve got something in your throat (not a damn word). you can use voice memos to record your voice so that you can find something that you like and sounds natural. the phrase “the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog ‘look out!’ i shout, ‘for he’s foiled you again, creating chaos at the zoo’” is a phrase that contains all sounds in the english language, so it’s good for testing.

do you want to bind but can’t for whatever reason? well, transtape is a thing! there are tutorials for that elsewhere. i don’t use transtape. i don’t know how (side note: duct tape is not strong enough to do this. do not use duct tape to bind. it is not safe). there are numerous resources that can provide you with free binders as well! if anyone has a list, please add them. you can also find them pretty easily through google. if you can’t get them delivered to your house, many will also deliver to a friend’s house, in the instance that they have safer circumstances.

beyond that, wearing dark clothes can do a lot to help with that, especially if you go a size up. i wear a lot of black and navy blue medium men’s shirts, even though i’m a small.

do you want dark facial hair, but are pre-t? you can give yourself a darker mustache with mascara. i personally put it on my upper lip and the indent above my chin. you might have to rub it in a bit to get it to look natural.

i hope this is helpful to someone, i’m just listing things i found out along my transition journey

[sleeplesssmoll]

Reverse 1999 Analysis: Why do people follow Vertin?

There is a common theme among arcanists in the Foundation, Manus Vindictae, and the Timekeeper's department: desperation.

Note: You'll see snippets from my other posts and Asks in here since I used them as the outline. If you have deja vu, its me not you.

Before looking at Vertin, we should take a step back and consider the world of Reverse 1999 as whole. There is a long history of humans associating arcanum with demons, evil, and witches. Humans are the majority in Reverse1999 and consider arcanists dangerous due to their unpredictability and powers. The discrimination against arcanists precedes the Storm, however as Manus Vindictae makes the Storm public, arcanists realize they have yet another enemy in a world that doesn’t want them.

With that established, we can look at each faction.

Both Manus and the Foundation use fear and hysteria to herd arcanists like sheep. The Foundation weaponizes humanity’s paranoia against arcanists while Manus utilizes the Storm for their agenda. Both factions also steal the agency and freedom of their followers. 

The Foundation seeks out children because it's easier to train and indoctrinate them to die as martyrs for mankind. They provide basic necessities but they strip their martyrs of their identities and cultural backgrounds. Conformity is a way to instill control. Diversity introduces too many factors and inspires ideas. The Foundation uses lies and corruption to hide the abuse they put arcanists through in the name of humanity but they also provide “shelter”. To choose the Foundation is to choose to be a dog on a leash (unless you're human), but at least you'll be safe from the Storm and you’ll have a roof over your head. They also capture “rogue” arcanists like Regulus if they deem them dangerous.

While the Foundation parades as an important and noble cause for the peace of mankind, Manus Vindictae plays the role of “savior” for suffering arcanists. However, revenge and violence are at their core. You can even see this in their name. 

Vindictae: ceremonial act claiming as free one contending wrongly enslaved; vengeance 

While players usually see these extremists as evil mustache-twirling villains, it's important to look at the role they play in the bigger story. In Nouvelles et Textes pour rien we can see an example of propaganda where they airdrop resources and pamphlets near the Foundation. This is a common tactic used in real life by rebel/fringe groups. If they only caused destruction, no one would join the cause. Their acts of "kindness" are part of a bigger scheme to recruit people to their cause by playing the part of the hero. “You don’t bite the hand that feeds you," encapsulates this mindset. They must bring people to their side to raise an army and grow support for their war against humanity. They will provide the desperate with food and shelter. In return, the arcanists must fight in the name of revenge. Then they brainwash them to take away their agency. However the fear of the Storm and the discrimination against arcanists make them one of the few viable options for arcanists seeking shelter from a world that despises them.

Finally, we can look at Vertin. Why do people follow her? 

Many of the arcanists Vertin’s recruits are cornered and don’t have many options to begin with. 

Regulus recognized the fact the Foundation would chase her down no matter how much she runs, which isn’t the freedom she wants. Jessica is scared of isolation and rejection from the outside world. Joshua is a troublemaker who doesn’t conform and suffers consequences. These arcanists already have a motive/reason to follow her. Another thing to consider is what would happen if they did not? They would be stuck in their current situations for who knows how long. Vertin gave them a way out.

Another important tidbit is Vertin’s approach. In the most simple terms, Vertin listens to people. Unlike the other factions, Vertin hears people’s concerns and addresses them directly. She isn’t herding them with lies or manipulating them with fear, she finds the source of their troubles. She does not make false claims and outright admits she will do what is in her power.

Examples: She wanted to understand Schneieder’s anger and reason for obeying Forget-Me-Not even while under fire. She appealed to Regulus’s love of freedom and appeased Jessica’s fear of rejection by the world. She recognized Druvis’s grief and tried to show her a glimmer of hope.

It’s important to recognize each character’s decision and situation instead of giving all the credit to Vertin. She should be receiving credit for her empathy and understanding of the situation, but not the final decision the arcanist made.

Unlike Manus and the Foundation, she genuinely wants to save people like the other factions claim to do. She’s proven it from her scheme with Regulus after Sonetto appeared in the Suitcase and when she tried to fulfill people’s wishes in Tender is the Night. In comparison, you had the corrupt Foundation taking bribes in Chicago and Forget-Me-Not blowing up people’s heads. Also, Her allies witnessed her and Schneider sacrifice themselves in order to slow Druvis down so the others could escape. Sotheby, Druvis, Sonetto, and their men all witnessed this sacrifice. If we look back in the story, we can see Vertin's selfless acts are done in the presence of others, meaning they know more than just talk.

Vertin is a girl, not an institution. She still depends on the Foundation. She was an insignificant piece of a larger machine where her only job was to record the end of eras. However, she earned very powerful allies because she cared about their wellbeing. Suddenly, the Foundation gave a damn. They were unsettled by her little army. 

Vertin is only as strong as the people behind her and her crew took that risk. They chose to stay with her and fight for her because she fought for them too. Vertin was trying to keep them under her protection instead of letting the Foundation have their way, which is the conversation she had with Madam Z.

Later, Constatine ordered to have her held hostage in a coma and her legs bruised for good measure to hinder Vertin's efforts. Luckily she had Madam Z and Sonetto to pick up her baton.

Vertin is the hero in the player's eyes but in the larger picture, she’s a girl who dared to care too much in an unforgiving world. This is why I believe the crew needs more credit because they are not only fighting for their freedom, they want to enjoy it with the person who gave it to them. Dare say, they have their own motives and compassion. They made these informed decisions on their own so it's not fair to attribute everything to Vertin being a charismatic cutie pie (but she totally is and I get how it's easy to overlook their contributions since we see most of the story through Vertin’s eyes).

[the-ninjago-historian]

Ninjago: Into The Deep (Master Post, Summary, and Q and A!)

Hello everyone! Thanks for stopping by! If you've been on my blog, you probably know about this upcoming project. But for those of you who don't, what is Ninjago: Into The Deep? I'll tell you! Ninjago: Into The Deep is a fully fleshed out Ninjago fan season inspired by legendary fantasy works such as Narnia, Lord of The Rings, and even classic Disney films and more modern adventure stories like Avatar: The Last Air Bender. Here's the summary!

Things are looking up for the Ninja since their battle with the Crystal King! Jay and Nya have gotten married, Lloyd is now training to become a sensei, and Ninjago City hasn't had a major disaster in over a month! (A new record!) Everything seems to be going well, until the team receives a mysterious letter from Queen Vania, requesting their presence.

Once they arrive, they discover an evil plot, orchestrated by former king Vangelis, to overthrow Vania and take the throne again! And having a taste of conquest while on the Crystal Council, the disgraced monarch has his sights set on the rest of Ninjago as well! Powered by a new energy source, Vangelis is now far too powerful for the Ninja to defeat with their current abilities. They must find a new way to defeat him!

This takes the Ninja on a quest to a new world! The magical and beautiful subterranean kingdom of The Deep Lands! There, they must find the Elemental Beasts. Seven creatures created by the FSM and imbued with elemental powers, to teach the first Elemental Masters how to use their abilities. And who control the very balance of nature itself! From these magical beings, the Ninja will learn new powers and skills that are beyond their wildest dreams, and take down Vangelis once and for all! So join us, as we meet new friends, experience new powers, and journey Into The Deep.🍃🌊🔥🪨❄️🐲⚡

So that's it! I also have some cool concept art that should be finished soon!

Now here's some Q and A to answer all your questions! Some are from one of followers, and others I added in just to give general information. 😁 If you don't see a question being answered that you would like to see answered, please feel free to send it in!

(Under the cut because this is LOOOOOONG.)

First some general info.

Q: How will the episodes be released?

A: Each episode is three chapters long. Therefore, split into three parts. (Kinda like how you would have two commercial breaks in a real episode of Ninjago!) One episode will be released every week! Via a released chapter every Sunday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Q: How many episodes will there be?

A: 16-20. About as many a regular season of Ninjago would have!

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Q: What is this series rating?

A: G - PG! I don't do adult humor or gore. So it will be about as kid friendly as a usual Ninjago Season!

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Q: Will there be exclusive characters?

A: Yes! Several! Some including the Elemental Beasts, and even Cole's Grandfather Rocky! More will be released as the series goes on.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Q: Will the season ever be animated?

A: If I aquire the time, resources, and skills, absolutely!

Now, let's answer some questions from one of my followers and awesome friend @dexter-the-dog!

A: Probably the only thing that makes it an Alternate Universe is that Dragons Rising isn't canon to this story. Other than that, it should fit nicely with the canon.

A: YES! The Elemental Beasts! They are so cool! I can't even put it into words! Currently, there are six Elemental Beasts. One for Fire, Water, Earth, Ice, Lightning, and Air. The Air Beast will have a very important role to play in this story! I'm also partial to Cole's Grandfather Rocky, who will also be making an appearance! He's a very interesting guy. And super powerful too! After all, he fought the Serpentine and the Time Twins! So he has quite a few tricks up his sleeve!

A: As Doc would say, #NoSpoilers! Lol! But there is a really cool scene were Nya uses her powers in a new way! It should be EPIC. So cool in fact, I just might animate it!

A: Ah! I can answer both of these! Since Into The Deep is a fan season, it will try to fit into the canon as closely as possible. That being said, the characters are exactly as you would see them in the canon show. No backgrounds or roles changed. But whether they will gain new abilities or new roles? Well that I can't say without spoiling things.

A: It's definitely the Cole x Vania story I have planned. Lol. Yeah, I ship them. I think they're cute. And they'll have plenty of cute moments in this story!

A: Into The Deep happens about a month or two after Crystalized. :)

A: I've been waiting to answer this one! The Elemental Beasts take on a mentor role for each of their appointed ninja. They will help them learn new abilities and fight their inner demons to truly become their most powerful selves. They're also are basically Nature Spirits. Each one controls a certain element in nature from their base kingdoms in the Deep Lands. Because of this, they can never leave to go up to the surface, or the balance would be offset. This factor is important, so make sure you remember it while reading.

And that's all the questions I got! That was fun!

Before I end this post, I'm gonna tag a few people I remember being interested in this thing! (@rinkunokoisuru @shatteredhope123 @miraculous-stud @nocturnal-nexu @dexter-the-dog) Hope you guys enjoy all this info! And thank you for all your love and support. It's really kept me going.😁🫶

Well, that's all for now! Keep an eye out for updates! And I'll see you around! Bye! - ✒️🐉

[slushyseals]

All videos showing people removing barnacles from sea turtles are not rescue videos, they're animal abuse- even if the video is "real".

Please report these videos as abuse and stop letting these people profit off rescue videos

There are many videos where the "rescuer" is actually the one who attached the barnacles in the first place (some you can even see the hot glue underneath as they pull off the pieces). Unless you see the animal in a rescue center with a vet tech treating it, that animal is being abused. How so?

The reason those growths are there is likely something far more dangerous that needs to be addressed. Healthy turtles do not get this level of growth on their shells. So if you see something like this, it’s a sign that this turtle is unwell and has been sick for a while. Scraping off the growths doesn’t solve the underlying issue. Also, doing so without any tools or pain medication can be extremely painful and stressful for the turtle. Often with this level of growth, barnacles will have borrowed through the turtle’s shell into live tissue. And just ripping them off like this without the expertise of a medical professional can do more harm than good. Not to mention that it is WAY stressful and not what the turtle needs most. Imagine if you had a the stomach flu or food poisoning and someone decided to “help” you by first detangling your hair, popping pimples, and exfoliating you when what you really need is fluids and someone to handle you very gently. It’s focusing on the wrong problem first and can worsen the underlying condition.

If you see an animal "rescue" video, always think- how did they find this animal? (Is it likely they just found an animal- or did they put an animal in danger to play hero for clout and ad profits? How did this animal get into this terrible situation in the first place? (The number of giant snakes found wrapped around a dog is pretty unbelievable- usually it's a person abusing two animals they own.) How is this person running into so many animals in dangerous situations? (Especially when you look at their other videos and they reuse the same animals to "save".) I am outside daily and I don't come across anywhere near as many animals needing help like these content farm channels.

Even when videos are real, if they are not a trained rescue worker they are often doing more harm than good! The people kidnapping tortoises and "saving" them by throwing them out into lakes and rivers might have just killed that animal. Many tortoises are land animals and aren't built for swimming like sea turtles, they can easily drown! A surprising number of people don't understand seals need to rest on shore, and end up killing babies and harassing adults by chasing them into the water. Baby seals can't swim for long distances, and chasing them into the water means their mom won't be able to find the baby after she's done hunting fish- the baby will slowly starve to death if actual rescue workers do not intervene!

Heck, some people have found perfectly healthy and happy baby seals waiting for their moms on the beach, but because the person doesn't understand that the mom isn't there 100% of the time think the baby has been abandoned; a man kidnapped a pup when the rescue wouldn't send someone out to get the animal which not only hurt that pup whom he caused to be an orphan, but now that pup is taking up resources that could have been given to babies that actually needed it. Rescues don't have infinite resources and I don't want to put to words what can happen when they reach maximum capacity. (The guy was also very lucky he didn't get bit- seal bite infections are much worse than regular bites!) So many others people mistreat because they don't know better, like the baby seal that had people dumping water and ice on it like it was Free Willy. Or trying to feed them sandwiches. Both of these actions make life worse for the animal.

That video of a dog as a service animal rehabilitating a baby seal? That was made by a couple idiots who likely scared the mother off and caused the baby to starve to death just so they could make their intentionally misinformative video knowing full well they were lieing! Dogs should be leashed and kept far away from any seal as they are a reason many seals are horrifically mauled to death each year! Videos like this are absolutely vile as they misinform the public who own dogs and may see a seal on the beach and think, "Oh! My dog is a good boy and can go play with the water puppy! They enjoy that!" Please do not do this! Seals shouldn't be encouraged to associate with or like dogs, that puts puts in danger not only of cross contamination with things that can make them very sick, but you don't know the temperament of any and every dog that seal will see in its lifetime. All it takes is one- and there are plenty of dogs who act fine around human children and vicious around a random seal they find. The babies don't even have a chance against a full grown dog! Their ONLY chance is that situation never happens; keep your dog leashed, because it will see that seal and shoot off before you can stop it. As well behaved as your dog is on the best day, it has free will and at the end of the day is a dog and will be an animal.

Let's face it, most of us don't know the proper care of any and every wild animal we could run into and can only guess when faced with a genuinely unexpected situation. Any legitimate rescue video should start with the person contacting the local rescue to ask the experienced and knowledgeable staff what should be done if they themselves are not a trained rescuer. Often times the animal is perfectly fine, humans just see something they don't expect and misread what's going on causing a situation that didn't previously exist. Other times if there is an issue, the rescue will instruct the person what to do- which may be to keep an eye on the animal until trained rescuers can arrive. And lastly, please be aware of fake animal rescue channels and report any videos you see and inform others about this so these channels stop being praised and profiting from animal abuse.

[millenniallust4death]

I asked @molosseraptor for a gratuitous dog training clip that I could use to promote the Ask An Expert: Dog Trainer webinar that she’s (generously) giving for my tiny town’s resource centre. Allie did not disappoint. I am so amused by Ash’s glorious fur flying in slow motion. Truly, a classic John Woo action sequence.

Here’s the link to register for Allie’s webinar on 15 April 2023 from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM EDT. It’s free so you can afford to improve your dog training knowledge in this economy. You can even submit your question in advance!

https://forms.gle/7CoVMEM5TXeZ7cJC9

[nyxsealia]

With Easter approaching, just a little PSA not to buy or give rabbits for Easter.

Yes, they're very very cute, and yes, you can get some adorable pictures of them in Easter baskets. But rabbits are not toys. They are little living beings. They need to be cared for and not discarded. They are not starter pets, and they are not good pets for children. A child cannot be the primary caregiver for a rabbit. They're very fragile, have complicated diets, and can be quite expensive. Rabbits can live to be 10+ years, they are not a short term commitment. They are not low maintenance, and can't live in the kind of cage you most often see advertised for rabbits. They either need a large exercise pen or to be free roamed, aka let them live in your home with you like you would a cat or dog. They are very easily litter trained and can become a member of the family just like any pet if taken care of properly.

Rabbits are very social animals and require a lot of attention, they can't be left in a small cage until your kid comes home from school or you come home for work to play with them for an hour. Rabbits are also not cuddly. They're prey animals, and slow to trust. Getting picked up scares them and they need a lot of time to warm up to you. A rabbit that's constantly picked up or grabbed can become aggressive out of fear, you need to approach them differently than you would cat or dog.

The majority of rabbits given as Easter gifts are either surrendered to shelters or abandoned outside. Please please never set a domestic rabbit free in the wild. Domestic rabbits are not wild rabbits, they do not know how to survive. They will likely die within days of being released.

They can be wonderful pets, but there is a lot of misinformation and misunderstandings about how to care for them, and there are a lot of abandoned rabbits. Most toys and treats marketed for rabbits in pet stores are actually not safe for them.

If you are considering getting a pet rabbit, I am begging you to do your research. Understand the commitment for what it is. A few great resources for learning about proper rabbit care are:

The House Rabbit Society

The Bunny Lady

Sincerely, Cinnabun

101 Rabbits

[mandana-the-service-pup]

Mandana Training & Health Update

TLDR: We’re getting a certified vet behavioralist (ACVB) involved.

A while back we tried to work on some new found resource guarding around dogs because we wanted Mandana to be comfortable when the new puppy arrives in December. We tried classes and private sessions at two separate training centers. The last one referred me to a canine behavior consultant. As of today, that consultant is passing me on to another Fear-Free vet at our clinic who is more knowledgeable about behavior than our current FF vet and she will be working with an additional certified vet behaviorist on our case. (There’s only about 80 in the US so they are very hard to come by and expensive but our insurance should cover it)

Mandana is kind of a conundrum. She is so happy, optimistic and eager to please and has an amazing foundation but she’s not responding to science based training in a way trainers expect. As of now, she’s not a danger. She isn’t growling or biting dogs or making any type of aggression towards people. All the trainers who’ve worked with her think she’s a great service dog candidate (I pulled her from PA a while back) who could go back to working once we smooth over a few minor issues, but she’s not responding to science based training in a predictable way so her case continues to get escalated to the next expert.

Mandana is still a pleasure to live with and a wonderful training partner. She continues to do all of her tasks even though I’ve shifted away from service work and public access. I am focusing on helping her live comfortably in her body. It will take time but the prospect puppy will hopefully take some of the pressure off her in regards to service work and maybe if we figure out these issues Mandana can go back to working part time but if not that’s ok too ❤️

[blueboyluca]

Lately I've been feeling a huge need for emotionally intelligent, empathetic and thoughtful content about dog training and care. I feel very fragile at the moment and this sort of thing, while also kind of painful in a way, has been helping me be forgiving to myself and understanding to the dogs in my life. I can't get my thoughts straight to write out anything in detail, but I can share the resources themselves.

This episode was soothing. Christina is a beautiful and gentle speaker and her insights are incredibly valuable. I appreciate her desire to stay out of the limelight, but I do wish I had regular access to her thoughts so it's a bit of a shame she doesn't do social media or anything like that.

Choice quote: "Oftentimes I want to raise my hand and be like, can we evaluate this carceral mindset? And I get looks and I think, cool, not the time, not the place. This is not the space, like, shift gears, let it go, try something else."

This post was a really useful reflection tool. I don't identify as a crossover trainer, since I never trained dogs before, but I still relate because I was raised in a punishment first society regardless of dogs. Even as someone who came to dog training committed to R+ from the outset, it still takes rewiring and relearning and reconfiguring to not default to punishment.

Choice quote: "We humans believe that anger is an appropriate response to being wronged. I agree. There is a lot in this world to be enraged about. The problem is directing that rage at dogs and other beings we control. We are encouraged to believe that dogs are morally wronging us, and that appropriate responses are anger and punishment."

I found so much value in this two-part podcast from Animal Training Academy with Michele Pouliot. She had so much wisdom about how to effectively help people and change minds. And sometimes that means being frustrated.

Choice quote: "When we start working with a dog that's never had positive reinforcement training before, you're right, what's the first thing we do? We build a reinforcement history so that dog trusts us, enjoys being around us, and as soon as we have that relationship we can ask more of them... just because a person called you and made the appointment doesn't mean you have a relationship yet... It's the same as training the dog, you have to build the history."

I'd love to find some more media like these. I've been downloading a bunch of new dog books again, but so far none of them are quite scratching the itch I've got. I wish I could read something like The Secret History of Kindness again, that was one of those rare books that had a profound impact on me.

[riley-coyotl]

Hi! I was going through your Juni tag because why not lol and I am really curious about what, if any, cooperative care resources/checklists/tips you used for her vet visits. I am interested in doing that for my own dog who will let me do anything I want to him but not anyone else. Short of becoming a vet, this looks like a brilliant technique!

Yeah of course! Answering this while tired so forgive any typos or rambling.

So for my dogs, I train cooperative care using a chin rest as their "go" signal telling me they are opting in. But you can use another behavior, whatever works for you and your dog, just something that you can both easily tell whether or not he is saying "yes" or "no."

The process of this involves first teaching whatever behavior you want for the "go" signal, building value and duration in that. Then introducing the concept of cooperative care. I would start with handling/touches that your dog doesn't mind, then work up to handling that he's not thrilled about. Of course start with someone he trusts (e.g. you) doing things. During the process, if he ever stops doing the "go" behavior, you immediately also stop whatever you're doing to him. I try to reward for when they say "no" too (important to remember that they are allowed to say no and opt out and they are encouraged to communicate that!,) though not as heavily as I reward for opting in/completing a handling task. I find that dogs pick up on this concept very easily and quickly so long as you stick to the rules of the routine. And in my experience, once the dog understands the concept of cooperative care handling for one thing, it is pretty easy to get them to extrapolate and apply it to other handling things, even stuff they have never done before!

Once you've got your cooperative care routines trained and practiced at home, it's time to practice with other people/with the vet. Same process as before, start with a simple touch and work up to various handling. I recommend finding a Fear Free certified vet practice who will work with you on this and be patient, and go at your dog's pace. We did ~weekly "happy visit" appointments with our vet where we started just getting Juni comfortable in the room with the vet, and worked up to practicing cooperative care handling with her. If I recall correctly it took us around a year or so before Juni was confident enough to allow her first full cooperative care exam + vaccines at the vet, and I can't stress enough how instrumental it's been having a vet who was willing to put in the time and effort to work with us to get there.

It's also worth considering using anxiety medication for these visits to make things easier on your dog, depending on how stressed or fearful they are at the vet. Juni gets trazodone and gabapentin before vet visits and while we could do all this without it, it makes things easier on her and thus gives us more opportunities for learning to occur.

During Juni's training and "happy visits," we would practice mock scenarios that she would encounter during the "real thing," with less duration/intensity to start with. To give an example, for use of the stethoscope, we started with Juni just holding her chin rest while the vet picked up the stethoscope while in the room with her, and worked up from there. Another example, when working on vaccines/injections, we practice skin tenting (pinch/hold the skin up as is done in preparation for a subcutaneous injection,) and work up to using a fake "needle," first something entirely blunt, then a sharper object like a toothpick, working up to poking harder and for longer. Just work in approximations, go slow, take note of your dog's willingness to participate, and try your best to work within their comfort zone--a good training session is one where your dog can be successful as much as possible.

Ultimately, my goal is for as much handling as possible to be done via consent/cooperative care with all my dogs, even if they aren't fearful and don't "need" it like Juni does. I find that when dogs know that they have the power of choice within this framework, they are more likely to say yes and opt in and allow various handling and be comfortable with it (things are inherently less scary and unpleasant when you can choose whether or not to engage with them.) And of course handling done with cooperation and consent is better for welfare because it involves WAY less stress on the animal.

And because it's often a question that comes up: although it may seem counter-intuitive, at times when emergencies may happen and cooperative care is not an option, I find that the bank of trust you've built up with handling via cooperative care helps even when you have to forgo it and use restraint etc. I think this is in part simply because cooperative care helps the dog to build confidence with being handled in general. It does suck when you have to make a "withdrawal" from your bank of trust (it always makes me sad if I have to do that, and I consider it a "hole" in my training), but it should not damage things so long as you do it outside the framework of cooperative care (i.e. do not offer your dog choice and then in that same exact instance and context, do the handling thing anyways even if they said "no.")

I hope that helps! If you have any specific questions or anything else, I'm happy to try and answer more. I love cooperative care and what it has done for my dogs and my relationship with them, so I absolutely shill it to people any chance I get! haha

[sotwk]

hello there, birthday girl!!!!!!! i wish you only great things: inspiration to write, sweet dreams at night, and a lot of wonderful times with your family! i loge yaaaa 💕💌

to participate on your event, is it okay for me to ask for a match with a tolkien character or one of your own oc's? if you don't feel like doing time, it's absolutely fine!

if you want to, here is my oc: Liliana Wilde 🍄⚔️

She is a woodland elf druid, being trained since her teenage years to become the leader of her sanctuary once the leader wants to retire

She's extremely resourceful and cares about all beings, great or small. Her focus is too become wiser so the people at her sanctuary can count on her without fear, she wants to be a good leader

She is chaotic good. Liliana will be totally comprehensive if you happens to be a follower of a bag deity. She will kill you for hurting a dog tho.

Her twin sister left her when she was a teenager, and Liliana hates her so much she changed everything on her appearence not to look like her. She straighten her hair, became a red head, has a lot of tattoos, makes sure to always have some sort of make up on.

She lives wondering about the word (my girl was born to be a philosopher but forced to fight evil forces) which makes her a bit clumsy. Not in a accidentaly-fell kinda of way, but in oh-you-were-being-beat-up-by-a-devil-and-i-didnt-even-noticed kinda of way.

She is the most loyal girl out there. Once she makes the decision of being your friend she is your ride or die. Black cat energy this, golden retriever energy that: my girl is hound dog energy.

She is a necromancer. As a druid she could follow many paths, and decided that that of rotten and decay was more her style. Lots and lots of mushroom around her all the time.

In bg3 she marries Shadowheart and lived happily ever after in a farm until Jaheira is like "hey cub wanna fight some evil?". A workaholic, if you will

She doesnt take hints. Or do you say what you really mean, or she simply wont get it.

On my fanfics I tag her as "the kind druid", and her own quest is named "the lonely twin". (i have a lovely notion page about her that i am really proud of how great it looks/slightly ashamed about how much time i dedicated to it)

love yaaaaa! 🦋

A wanderer elf-druid with an affinity for animals and nature, has serious family-related angst and a bit of a rebellious free-spirit? The necromancer part is especially intriguing!

This one might be a little eyebrow-raising, but bear with me... The SotWK Matchmaking Machine pairs Liliana with:

CELEGORM, 3rd Son of Fëanor!

Is Celegorm a pure villain? Depends on whom you ask, I guess! I personally think the guy has serious issues, but is not necessarily a lost cause. He no longer had a mother to love and guide him, and his less-than-stellar-role model of a father also died. So, in my opinion, he suffered most from having no gentle companion to properly balance his "fire" out. Being joined at the hip with Curufin certainly didn't help. Fire fueling fire obviously gets out of hand.

Liliana strikes me as a lady strong enough to stand up to Celegorm, is lovely (and powerful) enough to attract his attention, and good enough to steer him to a better path. Damn, imagine all the lives that could have been spared. For her part, I think Liliana would be drawn to Celegorm the Fair's wild, feral spirit and passion--and what druid wouldn't be interested in the protégé of The Huntsman himself?

(My Celegorm fancast is Jamie Campbell Bower)

Thank you for trusting me to match up your OC! :)

This OC Matchmaking game is part of SotWK's Summer Campfire Sleepover 2024. (Requests accepted only on July 11-15, 2024.)

[pigeon-butch]

Hello!! I was just curious about your pigeon setup? More specifically, is it an indoor cage setup? I have always thought pigeons were just outside pets and only recently found out they can be kept indoors, and I am trying to find more information on how indoor care specifically would work! Thanks!

Yup, Quinn's a fully inside bird! Basically he has a dog crate with perches affixed to the sides that he sleeps in but otherwise he has free reign of the house. A lot of people train their birds to wear the little pigeon diapers but Quinn won't tolerate them at all so instead I put newspaper down where he hangs out the most and that keeps things pretty clean! He spends most of his time following me around and hangs out with my family members if I'm not home, and is very good about being carried to bed at night. If you have any specific questions about how I handle stuff with him I'm happy to answer them but also I can't recommend the pigeon care guide enough, it's a fantastic resource for basically everything you could want to know! The companion pigeon chat discord is also a great place to get questions answered and has a ton of really knowledgeable people who can help you out :D

[mortalkombartwistedreflectionau]

Mirror Shujinko/TR Shujinko

One of the most respected Shaolin masters of the Wu Shi Academy. Shujinko was born in a quiet and peaceful Shaolin village, where he and his friends were educated by the likes of Master Bo’ Rai Cho. Among their teachings, all children including Shujinko were also unwittingly transmitted an eagerness to carry everything in his shoulders, to blame themselves when they failed to act in the help of others as if they had wronged them themselves. A seemingly noble sentiment which can twist a person’s path with enough time and the wrong circumstances…

Shujinko was a particularly good kid, always willing to assist those around him. From helping their friends deal with their bully Mekko to trying his best to return the poor dog Nikko to his owner, all while also training regularly with Master Bo’ Rai Cho until becoming one of his most prominent students. He was very appreciated by many in his village, and yet, he wished to do more, which is why he started a journey of his own until being enough experience to do so.

Shujinko started traveling across the different realms on his own, just to discover more, and, in his young hopeful mind, help their citizens to solve their problems as much as he could in the way. Master Bo’ Rai Cho warned Shujinko that such a journey could end with him feeling disappointed, but respected his desires and assisted him in achieving the means. He even asked Lord Raiden if there were any easy means of traveling Shujinko could use, to which he recommended a place known as the Nexus, giving Shujinko indications where to find said portals in the different realms. When all was ready, Shujinko started his journey.

Shujinko lived many adventures, too many to easily summarize. The then neutrality of the White Lotus regarding the different conflicts of other realms allowed him to meet and learn from people of all sides in said conflicts. He tried to learn from them both fighting abilities and ideals, as different as the latter could be in many cases, with the objective of getting wisdom and maturity from them, enough to reach his own conclusions. The old leaders of the Lin Kuei in Earthrealm, the demon in search of retribution Ashrah, the follower of Chaos Havik, the Seidan Guardsmen Hotaru, Queen Sindel of the Edenian Regime. They are but a few Shujinko managed to convince to teach him, one way or another. But perhaps the most important one was the dragon Onaga.

When Shujinko wandered Outworld as a part of his journey, he ended up finding the walled city of Lei Chen, governed by the ruthless Overlord Zeffeero. Said Overlord had tried to take over Tarkatan villages in order to get their resources, which had caused Tarkatans to retaliate. Shujinko witnessed the Tarkatans approaching, and went to warn the people of the city, especially their ruler. Scared, Zeffeero asked Shujinko to ask for help from the Seidan Guard, believing they were a force he could negotiate with. But Shujinko was no fool, a short time in the city had been enough for him to realize what kind of person Zeffeero was. He instead convinced the Seidan Guard to help the people of Lei Chen overthrow Zeffeero, releasing themselves and preventing the Tarkatans from attacking too.

Soon after the city was released, the new governors chose to ally with Onaga and his alliance, out of fearing the problems they had faced would have weakened them and wishing to have their protection. Onaga himself assisted to meet with them to close the deal, and it was them when he met the young Shujinko, who asked him to train him since he knew how legendary he was. Having already heard that it was thanks to the young man that the city could free itself, he gladly accepted.

During his training, Shujinko was also granted a special ability from Onaga, the capability to copy the abilities from other warriors. He believed that for someone so willing to learn from others, it would be the ideal gift, and it was indeed. Shujinko deeply thanked him for it. Onaga also tried to teach Shujinko some of his world views, and guide him in the right path much like others had done for him long ago. Shujinko actually took his words to heart, at least for the time being, especially Onaga’s wish for everyone to be able to decide by themselves. It was one of the greatest preachings of Lord Raiden and the White Lotus, after all, as tempted as they had been to contradict it multiple times. After learning everything he could, Shujinko would leave to continue with his journey.

The ultimate result of Shujinko’s journey after all the decades he spent performing it was his desillusion. He had already become an old man, and while he had actually managed to assist many across the realms, he had also reached to the conclusion that, in the grand scheme of things, he hadn’t really been able to change things. The conflicts across the realms remained as active and violent as they had been from before he was a little kid in his village, from far before he had even existed. While he was grateful for all the people he had known and everything he had learned, he was also disappointed he was powerless to resolve every single problem those people faced by himself. He decided to go back to his home and become a teacher in the Wu Shi Academy, hoping he could teach young members of the White Lotus to fight to change the state of the realms in the future.

When Lord Raiden’s decision to ally with the Edenian Regime came to his ears, Shujinko gave himself time to reflect about it. He had known the Edenian society, and disagreed with many of their politics, even couldn’t deny the undeniable contradictions with the value of free will the White Lotus had once stood up for. But, at the same time, he couldn’t also deny that the Edenian Regime had the resources to intervene in the path of other realms, (supposedly) end their conflicts, at a high cost. Not to mention that whichever side he chose, he would have to oppose old friends of his he had met during his journey. He was clearly conflicted, something which didn’t go unnoticed by people close to him.

Shujinko was visited by many. Lord Raiden, Master Bo’ Rai Cho, Ashrah, even Queen Sindel, who had seen his potential to become a ‘keeper of peace’ from the days she trained him. They had long exchanges, in which they reminded Shujinko of their ideals, their reasons to fight, and how they needed him, unknowingly using his necessity to do his best to assist others in their favor. It was that what made Shujinko ultimately take his decision.

While always preaching to be as merciful as it’s possible even with his enemies, Shujinko is ultimately another ally of the Edenian Regime alongside the rest of the White Lotus, and currently fighting for their cause, to the disappointment and horror of many friends he had once made. He may even be crucial for a key move of the Regime and its allies, since Lady Cetrion has revealed him they had been searching for powerful weapons known as the Kamidogu to use in their favor, and someone with as much knowledge of the realms as he has is very likely to be of great help in finding them…

Glad I have been able to finish it too, for a late celebration of Deception's 20th anniversary! 🥳🥳🥳