Writing Project - Darcy's Story

Right now I'm working on a non-fiction book I've tentatively titled 'Darcy's Story'. Two months ago I had to muzzle my Darcy when she's outside at the apartment complex I live in because she'd snapped her leash and went after another dog. That day ranks in the top-ten worst days of my life because I seriously thought I would have to give her up. I thought I was the absolute worst dog owner in the world for letting Darcy's aggressive behavior get out of control. I felt like a complete dumb-head because I hadn't trained my dog right. Thank God stubborn pride kicked in along with my roommate talking me down out of that tree because I dug my heels in and have been working with Darcy ever since.

The book is my way of sharing my story because I read somewhere (I still can't find the exact article) that over fifty percent of dogs are turned in to shelters and rescue groups due to behavior issues. The thing is, behavior issues are solvable problems. They involve a lot of training, constant work, and dedication to the end goal of having a well-behaved dog. My training with Darcy consists of reinforcing positive behaviors and correcting negative behaviors. It also involves lots of repetition, and lots of treats. But the result is a dog who is getting better at obeying every day and who gives me hope that she'll be the dog I know she is meant to be and that I can learn how to be a good and responsible dog owner.

Like right now for instance- she's sitting under my desk looking outside. She growls and barks at people and dogs and cats outside and I'm getting her not to. It's not just a loud 'no' but the better command of 'look at me'. Of course I have a treat in my hand but that's her incentive. Eventually she'll learn that she doesn't need to bark and alert me (especially in the middle of the night).

This is the kind of thing want to include in this book. Earlier I was working on the introduction and I'm sure a lot of it is going into the garbage as there's a lot of bitchiness to it right now. But this is just free writing until I get my traction and figure out exactly what I want to write and the tone I want for this book. I have a rough outline of the chapters and some bits and pieces of those.

So the goal this week is to get the introduction in some semblance of order and to edit out some of the bitchiness.