Don't Kill Bill

I got such a warm fuzzy from the photos in the most recent post on this blog, I just had to share.

I do, of course, adore Boston Terriers, a bull-and-terrier breed. You can see the bully heritage on the doggie-tilt-a-whirl photo at the bottom of the post.

Bill is, however, not a fortunate son, when it comes to his genetic past. Bill is a puppy mill dog. His owner, Kyla's loving perseverance has helped him recover from tremendous deficits.

Bill's story is a classic example of how "normal" dogs are treated differently. Normal dogs go on walks. Normal dogs enjoy play with other dogs. Normal dogs get to act wild, and no one thinks, "Oh my god! He's about to... [insert nightmare here]."

Treating dogs who are NOT normal as if they ARE? This is no small feat. There is nothing normal at all about a quaking dog! Kyla has done a fantastic job of transitioning Bill from where he was, while constantly aiming for "normal". Bill could have been diagnosed as a "fearful" dog. Is that what you see in the pictures?

Focusing on what success looks like is significantly more important than focusing on what steps are taken to get there. In fact, excessive focus on the HOW of getting there interferes with focusing on WHERE you are going. It's a bit like driving a car by watching the steering wheel and the pedals!

Enjoy! And don't forget to share Kyla & Bill's story with your dog-loving friends!