New Year Plans.

So ………. what do we have planned for 2016?

There are a number of Ray related projects which we are planning to work on.

The most pressing one is his separation anxiety. While it is a delight having him as part of our lives, it would be really nice to have some semblance of a life without him, and without having to arrange a dog sitter. Given that the only person that he is comfortable with (apart from Carol and I) is Heather, everything must be arranged well in advance as she too has a life!

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A very close second in priority is Ray’s book. While I am at the mercy of Friesen Press in terms of timing, I do want to be able to respond to their questions, suggestions, proposals without undue delays so that the book is available at the earliest opportunity.

As at this moment, the front and back covers are being redesigned to incorporate some suggestions. Once they are finalized, I believe that Friesen Press will then propose a font style/size appropriate for the market sector intended, and also create sample layouts. While this is going on, I will be continually reading (and reading and reading) the text so that I can correct any errors and omissions … and, as many of you can guess, there are so many!!! Finally, they will be expecting me to eventually approve a final draft, and then presumably it is book promotion time.

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We are constantly looking for places where we can let Ray just charge around and be himself, and yet be in a contained area. Those of you who have been following this blog for some time will know what our experience has been with dog parks.

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We have already renewed our subscription to our local conservation areas and will be able to get Ray out on a regular basis. He just seems to love all the sights, sounds and smells in those places and, while last year we took him there quite a few times, we can see no reason why we cannot visit more often this new year!

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One of the perceived benefits of adopting a German Shepherd/Rottweiler X, was the potential to have him as a recreational running buddy however, to date, that has never worked out. Part of the problem could be his Rotti side as, apparently, they can be very laid-back “guys”. There is quite a history behind his track record in this context, but you’ll have to wait for his book to get the full story. Needless to say, we will be trying very soon to get him “up to speed” on at least very short distances. Where we go from there remains to be seen.

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We are also going to try and generate some interest by family members in having some strategically orchestrated time with him. It is so sad when you see this openly affectionate dog being ostracized because of his past, his breed mix, and his size. To me he is one big cuddly “teddy”! I do not expect other people to get that “close” to him, but there seems to be no reason why they cannot see him as at least non-threatening.

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It is going to be an interesting, productive, and hopefully rewarding year. It will also be a challenging year because while Ray is an important focus, I also have many other interests with their own plans for this new year!

I sincerely hope that every one of you also has an interesting, productive and rewarding year ahead.

28 thoughts on “New Year Plans.”

  1. Pingback: Here we go again… – A Dog's Life? (Stories of me and him)
  5. sargentmt's avatar

    I agree separation anxiety is a tough issue to deal with. It has completely changed my social life. My friends are very understanding and come to my house now where luckily Yule accepts them after a good sniff. I wish you the best in working with Ray on this issue and look forward to reading your blog in the coming year.

    Liked by 1 person

    • colinandray's avatar

      Thx Puppy. So looking forward to hearing from you and the other Followers during the year. One big family of multiple nationalities, cultures and beliefs. Wonderful……. and everybody plays so well together!! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • colinandray's avatar

      Hi Ameena. I need plans and structure! As for the book project, I am really excited about it. Looking forward to keeping in touch with you and your writings in this new year. Take care. 🙂

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