April 27, 2009 – Frieda continues to weave herself into the life of the farm. She goes on walks, sits in the yard, stays on the porch, writes with me. Day by day, she calms down. We use positive reinforcement, gentle leaders, alternative behaviors. Like most dogs, Frieda calms down when she knows the rules,and would rather be calm than excited. Training is not about obedience. It is about the soul of a dog, and the way we communicate with them and show them how to live in our world. We have a lot of work to do with Frieda, but we are getting there. It’s been good for me, sharpening my training skills and reminding me of the importance of patience, clarity and affection when training any dog. I thought Frieda was hopeless – it was three months before I could even touch her. Now we roll around the floor and wrestle. She’s a good dog.