I am enjoying these accounts so much David, I hope you are making some enquiries about getting published

Great reading, totally compulsive!

I'm catching up after being away for a week. And getting very little actual work done!

Geez Tracy, stop with publishing inquiries already, that's only going to take his attention away from getting his story out to us.

If anything, I think we need to enroll him in a typing course. Faster David, faster. Umm.. Sir, errr...please.

Yup, compulsive is right, addictive even.

Ok, Nos. 11 & 12 are the best yet. Laughing my butt off, having to clean tea spray off my computer screen and definitely getting no work done this morning.

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You can't make an omelet without breaking some light bulbs.

Hilarious. Wiser words were never spoken, I think.

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He then took the time to explain to me how not feeling fear or discomfort around a dog put it at ease with you, and that restraining her when meeting people was building frustration and drive, making her more reactive and likely to bite someone. It all made sense to me, and I had thought of this before. I just hadn't worked out how to train through this, given our current situation.

We've known this before and I'm sure this has been covered many times in this forum, but this really struck a chord with me and how we sometimes did our Mal a disservice by holding her back while meeting people also. Somehow, reading it here the way you put it hit home. Thanks!

 Quote: David Winners

I believe in Fama, in her resilience, her ability, and her trainers. That makes it easier.

I really like what you said here too, a very rational way to understand how you’re coping.

 Quote: David Winners

I would see a person trying to interact with their dog in all the wrong ways, and it just wouldn't make sense to me. It used to really piss me off because I thought the people were intentionally making their animals uncomfortable, which is abuse, when in truth, they were just ignorant.

This statement really hits home as well.

You know, it's interesting, as wordy as I can get on here, it's not at all how I am in real life. Sure, I enjoy good conversation, but where most people can feel quite awkward with silence, I have no problem with it. And if you want to see some strange body language come out in people, try staying silent over the 1 minute mark.

Hubby and I have been together longer than we’ve been apart and it's amazing what body language you learn to pick up on. The small cues that tell you exactly what they're feeling or which direction they're headed.

What an interesting discussion that is.

David, what do think about our sense of smell? It's certainly nowhere near and never will be in the same category as our canine counterparts but do you think we've lost a lot there too.

I've heard that if you find the body odor of the opposite sex offensive, they are someone you should not be with, mating or otherwise. The repulsive reaction is letting you know that your genes are not supposed to be compatible.

I know this is going to sound weird but even after all these years, I still find the smell of my mate incredibly attractive. And this will probably sound even stranger but according to what I've heard, it's the sweaty underarms that you're supposed to judge it by.

I think in this day and age, with all the perfumes and lotions that people tend to use, we've lost a lot of those natural scent capabilities as well, however small they are.

HA! I can't wait to hear how your first bathing experience goes!

Thanks again for sharing these episodes David. There is such a huge void in life when one's best friend is taken away. These are written in such a way that I feel like I know Fama, just a little... and that helps. The way you write puts us right there with you, and spending just a little "literary" time with Fama helps quite a bit.

Thank you so much for posting your story. I've really enjoyed all of it. I might have missed it but I was wondering how old Fama is? How long till she gets to retire? I hope your wife is ready...

Tracy: I'm glad you're enjoying the read. It makes me feel successful. It is hard to encourage people to be emotionally invested in the characters in a story. It is harder than you think to get published. I'm looking into it though. I was hoping I could just email a partial manuscript to a publisher, they would fall in love with it, and the rest would be history, but that's not really how it works. LOL

Elaine: now don't you go getting in trouble on my account

CJ: the trouble isn't typing skills, it's putting it into words in my head. It's a challenge to portray an emotion without describing it, because just saying "Fama was mad" is boring. Trying to help you to feel her emotions is tricky. It isn't easy for me to paint a picture, but it's definitely fun, and rewarding, especially with such a gracious audience.

Greg: it's funny to me that you like 11 & 12 the best, because I thought they were a little flat. I was thinking of going back over them to see if I could reword some of the scenes, but everyone seems to connect with them, so I'm going to let them be for now.

CJ: the smell thing is interesting, and alien to me. I'm going to hit the google machine and get back to you on that one.

Tanya: I hate to burst your bubble, but Fama was always very placid in the tub. It would make for a funny scene though!

Lee: "These are written in such a way that I feel like I know Fama, just a little... and that helps. The way you write puts us right there with you" This is the biggest compliment I could receive as a writer. Thank you so much.

Linda: Thank you so much. Fama is 5, and she should be retiring in 2-5 years. It's a determination made by the Vet and the kennel master. They work until they are no longer able to do the job, which will probably be 23 in her case

Umm.... about the wife thing. She doesn't like Fama. Fama tried to bite her, several times, and I don't blame Pam at all for holding a grudge. I have an absolutely wonderful and understanding wife. I know she is dreading the day when Fama comes home, but she will put up with it, because she puts up with me quite regularly, and remains deeply in love with me, despite my many quirks and flaws. I know that within a week, Pam will be spoiling Fama's paws off and they will be hanging out in Pam's over-sized chair, sneaking treats of mommy's plate while daddy isn't looking.

Here's some pics of around our house. You can see that we are seriously dog people

Part of the herd we had while watching our friend's 3 Chihuahuas.
Pam being all cuddly with Lucky, or Makai. I can't tell which.
Yo Quiero Aunt Pam.
An old picture from back before my Army days.

No comments on the fat black lab. She's sensitive.

David, just keep trying with various publishers and not just the most popular. Try smaller publishers and also magazines. The important thing is to get each one's guidelines and make sure you follow them to the letter.

My Dad had a friend who had the walls in his den wallpapered with his rejection slips. Don't give up. This is too good not to find a publisher at some point.

And re-writes, over and over to correct mundane things like spelling as well as improve the style are part of the deal .
Waiting for the next episode, HINT! HINT!