Monks and Dogs

I have been ridiculously busy this week and have not been giving any updates!

Last Saturday Duncan and I went over to English Landing. For those not in the Kansas City area, this is a park that is situated along the Missouri River. The river runs along one side, and train tracks run along the other, and there is a walking path up and down the bank of the river. It is a very nice park with plenty of mature trees, a playground and some soccer fields. So Duncan and I went down and walked there. He was a little nervous of the joggers and especially anyone on a bike. But I think that's understandable. He did wonderfully. Two trains went by while we were there. The first was when we were on a part of the path that is closest to the tracks. It was very loud, so Duncan and I stopped and watched it go past. When the second one came through, we were a little further away from the tracks, and we just continued walking. He really seemed to enjoy the setting. I think we'll go again Saturday if it's nice.

On another note, I just finished reading the book I referenced earlier: "How to be Your Dog's Best Friend" by the Monks of New Skete. This book is really excellent training manual. There is so much good information in it to help you understand your dog. And even the sections that doesn't necessarily apply to your particular situation (ie sections on puppies for me) even reading those sections still gave me insights to understanding Duncan. The only section that I skipped over was Reading a Pedigree. I really recommend this book to any dog owner, even if you've owned dogs for years. The copy I have was borrowed from the library, and I plan to purchase my own copy for permanent use!