"Not all of the puzzle pieces appear to fit together at first but in time you'll realize they do, perfectly."
EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE
I LEARNED FROM A JIGSAW PUZZLE
I LEARNED FROM A JIGSAW PUZZLE
1. Don’t force a fit. If something is meant to be, it will come together naturally.
2. When things aren’t going so well, take a break. Everything will look different when you return.
3. Be sure to look at the big picture. Getting hung up on the little pieces only leads to frustration.
4. Perseverance pays off. Every important puzzle went together bit bybit, piece by piece.
5. When one spot stops working, move to another. But be sure to comeback later (see #4).
6. The creator of the puzzle gave you the picture as a guidebook.
7. Variety is the spice of life. It’s the different colors and patterns that make the puzzle interesting.
8. Working together with friends and family makes any task fun.
9. Establish the border first. Boundaries give a sense of security and order.
10. Don’t be afraid to try different combinations. Some matches are surprising.
11. Take time often to celebrate your successes (even little ones).
12. Anything worth doing takes time and effort. A great puzzle can’t be rushed.
Author unknown
Scattering Of The Pieces
Last fall, owners of two Brittanys from the ATB family encountered unexpected health issues related to serious back injuries sustained in near fatal car accident. They could no longer provide the level of care the dogs were accustomed to and reached out to us for help. When I learned the dogs were currently being boarded at a reputable kennel in Ohio I wanted to get them out of there right away. I just didn't know how. John suggested we contact friends of ours who also live in Ohio. Surely God intervened because not only were they more than willing to help but they actually lived fairly close to the kennel! (April, a vet tech, and her husband Steve operate a game farm and breed English Springer Spaniels. A few years ago John and a friend of ours ran dogs at a NSTRA field trial and stayed at their house.) Despite her own health issues, April immediately offered to go to the kennel, check on the dogs and share her observations. A day or two after the visit, April made arrangements with the dog's owners for them to be released into her care where they enjoyed a few days with new friends.
Assemble The Border
By now, I had let our network of wonderful ATB family and friends know about our re-homing situation. The response was over-whelming and we even heard from our breed rescue organizations who offered to help in anyway. From the start there were several good potential inquiries. Even so, I just couldn't get to where I felt it was the best 'fit' for these two special Brittanys despite the interest.
As each inquiry fell short of my expectations for one reason or another, I also knew April could not keep the dogs indefinitely. Then, our friends Pete & Kira, who own Wilson and Annie, offered to be a 'half-way' house for the dogs. For a few weeks they would happily welcome them into their country home as their pampered guests, love on them, meet their needs, assess them and more. Soon a plan was in place for the dogs to get to New York.
When assembling a jigsaw puzzle usually you start with the border. It defines the space that you have to work within. Looking at the scattered pieces you wonder if they will ever fit together. But piece by piece you realize you can connect a few of them. Our friends were helping to complete a border. Both in Ohio and then in New York.
Pieces Start to Fall Into Place
Pete and Kira completely opened both their home and their hearts to "Maggie" and "Charlie". Their own two Brittanys seemed to understand how special their guests were. Although displaced, confused, and unsure they responded positively to their new situation. Kira provided them with accommodations suitable for guests of a posh B&B. She sent daily videos, photos or updates of the dogs that made me smile. The love, assessment, care, and attention given provided the framework, and if you will, the "border" for what would follow. I know there were challenging moments but I also know that a necessary healing began to take place, a healing unlikely to have occurred if these special Brittanys had gone anywhere else. All the dogs were of known lineage, each one sound and balanced. And all concerned were well aware of normal animal behavior and canine communication was well understood by all concerned. A perfect "half-way house" for two special Brittanys stopping midway on their journey with an opportunity to readjust, relearn, and progress while an abundance of love was poured out upon them as well as necessary vet checks and grooming.
Don't Force A Fit
For awhile it was a matter of trying to MAKE pieces fit together. Have you ever tried to 'jam' two pieces of an interlocking puzzle piece together? It is tempting to do this when they look like they should be put next to each other.
As things progressed it was clear that they were to return to the place of their birth, here to Maine with John, me, and our crew. Afterall, we are their family in every sense of the word! Although at that point in time no definite plan was in place, by faith my heart still believed there was a special situation waiting just for them. After their wonderful experience with our dear friends in New York, John drove there and back to bring them "home."
Speaking of John, he often compares how salmon know when they have returned to their spawning ground to the way a Brittany born here reacts to being with us again. Based on their reaction to a initial romp around the yard or even to littermates, sire or dam who may be here, often it seems indeed they do sense the familiarity.
One of the first things we did when Charlie and Maggie arrived was oversee a full pack run around the yard with ALL the crew. Maggie ended up romping with her father. Clearly we could see her confidence was stronger than Charlies. It only took her a few hours to feel comfortable enough to jump up into a chair! It took Charlie a few days longer. Hemi gave sideway glances to this new boy-dog (son of Jack dog) like he was daring him but was quickly reminded we are the pack leaders of the house. Consequently, there were no issues.
Although we're completely fenced in and all our dogs run freely for the first few days we only allowed Charlie and Maggie outside if we had them on an extended nylon lead about 20' long. (Speaking of leads - I think extendable/retractable leads should be banned but that is another story.) The next step was to let them just drag the leads but when they did not come when called it was back to square one. My biggest concern was they would scheme together and escape!
Maggie and Charlie obviously were brought up responsibly and with lots of love. We had the benefit of personally knowing the breeding behind them, knowing they are not a 'rescue dog' or a 'shelter dog' meant whatever extra baggage they may have brought along, wasn't going to be anything serious. These are both very smart and kept us entertained! They are great dogs. Completely house broken, participated in agility, passed AKC Puppy programs, and checked out AKC Rally too. They just loved the opportunity to eventually run freely off leash and within no time were running back to us when called. John brought Maggie to our friends outdoor agility course just for fun and she showed them she knew what to do there.
The Pleasure and Glory of
the Completed Puzzle
Slowly but surely we watched the puzzle come together, yet not in the way we first imagined. Although many expressed an interest in welcoming Charlie and Maggie into their lives, there were just as many who I knew ultimately would NOT be
the best 'fit'. There are things we learned along the way. I had assumed Maggie and Charlie should be kept together, believing they were dependent upon each other and a strongly bonded pair. I also thought this would best honor their prior owners wishes and we had no plans to separate them. They showed us all that while they adored each other, they also were wonderfully independent of each other. No matter what, we were committed to remain involved with Maggie and Charlie's future, just as if they were puppies leaving us for the first time. And along the way we realized they could indeed thrive and be happy living separate lives.
Miss Maggie Rose is living the life of a well loved family pet in an active home with two other dogs, one of which is from our program. In other words, she is with an ATB family about 40 minutes away. One of her owners is at home full time! The picture in the completed puzzle above shows Maggie relaxing in her new home. which is in the country surrounded by acres of land. Maggie is doing great and quickly bonded with her new owners upon their first visit here.
And that leaves "Charles" as John affectionately refers to him. He and John have become very close. I know this is due, in part, to how very much Charlie and reminds him of our beloved JackDog, Charlie's sire. (I saw a lot of our sweet Molly Rose in Maggie's eyes, daughter of Molly.) Charlie has made himself right at home here and is very comfortable and happy as part of our pack. It took a little while for all the boys to understand Charlie is here to stay but now they romp and play. We have open runs with ALL things Brittany under close supervision. Hemi was so sad for a long time about the loss of his friend Jack so in a very subtle manner, Charles' presence has helped. John couldn't wait to get him out on some birds to see what to expect and sure enough, Charlie shows a lot of potential. If all goes well once the snow leaves, Charlie will probably be out in the field preparing for an AKC Hunt Test. He absolutely loves to spend time outdoors and he would stay there for hours if we let him. Charlie seems to see something beyond what is in front of him, much in the same way his grandmother Treasure will do. For long periods of time he will stand or sit in one place, just gazing out in such a surreal way. He can be a puddin' head about coming back into the house sometimes but we're working on that.
In closing, we remain in touch with Maggie and Charlie's previous owners. They are our friends who we care about. I keep them in my prayers and am happy to know that all things considered, the future is truly looking bright! Praise God.
Take care and God bless and as always thank you for your interest in All Things Brittany. Next up I hope to share about my incredible experience judging the 2018 American Brittany Club Western Futurity. John, Ann, & ATB
If this story has touched your heart in anyway, or if you feel others would be encouraged please feel free to share it, thank you!
As each inquiry fell short of my expectations for one reason or another, I also knew April could not keep the dogs indefinitely. Then, our friends Pete & Kira, who own Wilson and Annie, offered to be a 'half-way' house for the dogs. For a few weeks they would happily welcome them into their country home as their pampered guests, love on them, meet their needs, assess them and more. Soon a plan was in place for the dogs to get to New York.
When assembling a jigsaw puzzle usually you start with the border. It defines the space that you have to work within. Looking at the scattered pieces you wonder if they will ever fit together. But piece by piece you realize you can connect a few of them. Our friends were helping to complete a border. Both in Ohio and then in New York.
Pieces Start to Fall Into Place
Don't Force A Fit
As things progressed it was clear that they were to return to the place of their birth, here to Maine with John, me, and our crew. Afterall, we are their family in every sense of the word! Although at that point in time no definite plan was in place, by faith my heart still believed there was a special situation waiting just for them. After their wonderful experience with our dear friends in New York, John drove there and back to bring them "home."
Speaking of John, he often compares how salmon know when they have returned to their spawning ground to the way a Brittany born here reacts to being with us again. Based on their reaction to a initial romp around the yard or even to littermates, sire or dam who may be here, often it seems indeed they do sense the familiarity.
One of the first things we did when Charlie and Maggie arrived was oversee a full pack run around the yard with ALL the crew. Maggie ended up romping with her father. Clearly we could see her confidence was stronger than Charlies. It only took her a few hours to feel comfortable enough to jump up into a chair! It took Charlie a few days longer. Hemi gave sideway glances to this new boy-dog (son of Jack dog) like he was daring him but was quickly reminded we are the pack leaders of the house. Consequently, there were no issues.
Although we're completely fenced in and all our dogs run freely for the first few days we only allowed Charlie and Maggie outside if we had them on an extended nylon lead about 20' long. (Speaking of leads - I think extendable/retractable leads should be banned but that is another story.) The next step was to let them just drag the leads but when they did not come when called it was back to square one. My biggest concern was they would scheme together and escape!
Maggie and Charlie obviously were brought up responsibly and with lots of love. We had the benefit of personally knowing the breeding behind them, knowing they are not a 'rescue dog' or a 'shelter dog' meant whatever extra baggage they may have brought along, wasn't going to be anything serious. These are both very smart and kept us entertained! They are great dogs. Completely house broken, participated in agility, passed AKC Puppy programs, and checked out AKC Rally too. They just loved the opportunity to eventually run freely off leash and within no time were running back to us when called. John brought Maggie to our friends outdoor agility course just for fun and she showed them she knew what to do there.
The Pleasure and Glory of
the Completed Puzzle
Slowly but surely we watched the puzzle come together, yet not in the way we first imagined. Although many expressed an interest in welcoming Charlie and Maggie into their lives, there were just as many who I knew ultimately would NOT be
the best 'fit'. There are things we learned along the way. I had assumed Maggie and Charlie should be kept together, believing they were dependent upon each other and a strongly bonded pair. I also thought this would best honor their prior owners wishes and we had no plans to separate them. They showed us all that while they adored each other, they also were wonderfully independent of each other. No matter what, we were committed to remain involved with Maggie and Charlie's future, just as if they were puppies leaving us for the first time. And along the way we realized they could indeed thrive and be happy living separate lives.
Miss Maggie Rose is living the life of a well loved family pet in an active home with two other dogs, one of which is from our program. In other words, she is with an ATB family about 40 minutes away. One of her owners is at home full time! The picture in the completed puzzle above shows Maggie relaxing in her new home. which is in the country surrounded by acres of land. Maggie is doing great and quickly bonded with her new owners upon their first visit here.
And that leaves "Charles" as John affectionately refers to him. He and John have become very close. I know this is due, in part, to how very much Charlie and reminds him of our beloved JackDog, Charlie's sire. (I saw a lot of our sweet Molly Rose in Maggie's eyes, daughter of Molly.) Charlie has made himself right at home here and is very comfortable and happy as part of our pack. It took a little while for all the boys to understand Charlie is here to stay but now they romp and play. We have open runs with ALL things Brittany under close supervision. Hemi was so sad for a long time about the loss of his friend Jack so in a very subtle manner, Charles' presence has helped. John couldn't wait to get him out on some birds to see what to expect and sure enough, Charlie shows a lot of potential. If all goes well once the snow leaves, Charlie will probably be out in the field preparing for an AKC Hunt Test. He absolutely loves to spend time outdoors and he would stay there for hours if we let him. Charlie seems to see something beyond what is in front of him, much in the same way his grandmother Treasure will do. For long periods of time he will stand or sit in one place, just gazing out in such a surreal way. He can be a puddin' head about coming back into the house sometimes but we're working on that.
In closing, we remain in touch with Maggie and Charlie's previous owners. They are our friends who we care about. I keep them in my prayers and am happy to know that all things considered, the future is truly looking bright! Praise God.
Take care and God bless and as always thank you for your interest in All Things Brittany. Next up I hope to share about my incredible experience judging the 2018 American Brittany Club Western Futurity. John, Ann, & ATB
If this story has touched your heart in anyway, or if you feel others would be encouraged please feel free to share it, thank you!
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