Eyes Wide Open

Puppies are adorable.

All breeds, shapes and sizes.

I love puppies!

When they are first born, they are so tiny, but grow quickly. For a little more than 2 weeks their ears and eyes remain sealed. They can’t see or hear their mom, yet immediately, they know to start searching for her.

Those little legs just start swimming. They push and kick their way to finding a bottle and the comfort of their momma. Once they find her, they nestle close and pretty soon that growth begins.

When those eyes and ears finally open, they begin to take in a whole new world. Everything is a new discovery, except one thing, their mom. They knew who she was from the beginning.

Although they had never seen her, they knew her and trusted her.

And even though their eyes are open, they stay close to their mom, following her, hungry for more.

Luke 18:35-43 “And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging: 36 And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. 37 And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. 38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. 39 And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. 40 And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, 41 Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. 42 And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. 43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.”

This man was blind, yet he could see more than others who had sight. He had spent his life begging for help. Everything people could give him was only temporary. He wanted something more.

It was no coincidence that Jesus just happened to be passing by this man on His way into Jericho.

Jesus knew he would be there.

And like any good father, He called for him.

This was the moment he had been waiting for. He knew who Jesus was. He called Him the “Son of David” claiming He was the long awaited Messiah. He knew what He was capable of. He believed Jesus had the power to give him sight.

“And he said, Lord.”

Knowledge. Belief. Trust. Confession.

And just like that, his eyes were open. A whole new world revealed in that instant.

Colors, light, faces, an overwhelming moment to say the least.

And what did he do in return? Did he run and live the life he had always dreamed?

He followed Jesus.

He trusted him. He was hungry for more of what Jesus had to offer.

“And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.”

Is that what others say about our lives?

We were once blind, but now we see. Jesus opened our eyes because we put our trust in Him.

Did we follow the example of the blind beggar? Did we forsake all and follow Jesus, our sight-giver? Do people praise God because they see the difference He has made in our lives?

Recently, a long time friend of our family gave his life to Christ. For years, we watched him struggle through challenging times. But now, I see a difference in him only God could have made. I praise God for the salvation of our friend and his changed life! I can’t tell you how excited I was to see him proclaim his salvation and follow in baptism. And now, he uses social media to share about Christ and His love.

May our own lives be a reflection of the change God has made in us.

We were blind, but now we see.

Praise God!

- Yalanda

Can I leave my puppy at home for the day?

We get lots of questions from our new puppy families, one of them being, "I work during the day. Is it ok to leave my puppy at home for the day?" Here are some tips that we have for families with a new puppy to set them up for success.

Crate Training - This is one of the most important things you can do to make sure your pet and your home is safe while you are away. The crate becomes the place where your puppy not only gets good rest, but where he or she will enjoy being. If properly trained, this becomes their safe spot. Puppies do have small bladders, so we begin training them for a few hours at a time with the crate, working our way to overnight. They will be able to remain in the create around 6-8 hours with little or no accidents. Here are a few tips for Crate Training we use in our "Tailored to You Training" program here at Wildcat Hollow Retrievers.

1. Choosing the right crate - It's fun shopping around for cute crates, houses and playpens, but is it the best choice for everyday use?

- Choose a crate that has a solid base. This makes clean up easier if there are any

accidents (and there will be in the beginning).

- Make sure it has plenty of ventilation. You don't have to have a fan blowing on them

necessarily, but making sure it has ventilation on at least 3-4 sides is a good idea.

- Size matters. Choose a crate that is big enough for them to stand up, turn around

and lie down comfortably, but not with a lot of excess room. If the crate is too big, they

will use the bathroom in the back and sleep in the front.

We like the Retriever brand kennels. This one is a size Medium, which is the size we use for

our puppies in our "Tailored to You" Training Program. You can usually pick those up at your

local Tractor Supply store. But there's lots of crates out there that will work!

2. Stop boredom before it starts - if a puppy is bored, they will bark, whine, howl, or even find something to chew on they don't need to. We put three things in their crate while training, and only these 3 things:

- old towel for absorbing any accidents

- bully stick

- rubber kong toy

Why only these 3 things? Even though stuffed animals are really cute and cuddly, you don't want them to be left unsupervised with them. All of a sudden, little fluffy will be missing an eyeball, a tag, or half of the stuffing from inside and guess who swallowed it? Bully sticks are not rawhides and last a long time. They are a little more expensive, but you get what you pay for. Kong toys are a great choice because they hold up really well for big chewers. Here at Wildcat Hollow Retrievers, we raise English Labs and English Cream Golden Retrievers, both breeds known for their love of chewing.

3. Regulate food and water - It's time to set a schedule. If your puppy is eating and drinking whenever they want, they will use the bathroom a lot more often.

- Feed in the morning and give them as much as they want to drink in one setting.

When they finish, pick it up.

- Give them a drink throughout the day if you're home and of course increase that a

little if they are playing hard or have been outside for a walk.

- If you aren't home and they are in the crate, they do not need a water dish attached

to it. Believe it or not, your puppy will sleep a majority of the day whether they are

outside of the crate or in it.

- When you come home, get them out of the crate, take them outside for bathroom,

and bring them back in for a drink.

- Feed earlier in the afternoon rather than late in the evening so they have time to get

it all out before going to bed.

- Give them water throughout the evening but take it away around 6-7 pm. If you play

hard after that, give them a drink, but make sure they have time to go outside to the

bathroom before bed.

Puppy-Proof the House - Even if you leave for 5 minutes, your puppy can get into anything that's left out. They are curious, inquisitive, and exploring new smells and sounds. They are learning what is for them and what is not. You are the trainer. You are the one who teaches them.

So, set them up for success.

- If you don't want them chewing on your shoes, don't leave them where the puppy can

get to them.

- Make sure to pick up any electrical cords or other items that might be dangling or

enticing to the puppy.

- Reward them when they do something good.

- If they go for something you don't want them to have, replace it with something they

should have, like their favorite toy. This redirects their focus from the bad to the good.

- Don't leave food out where they can reach it. You may think it's safe on the end table,

but is it really? LOL! Dogs seem to become circus stars and acrobats as they learn

new ways to get to something they want.

Dog Walkers - If you are really worried about being gone too long and feel their little bladders just won't be able to hold it, you can always hire or ask someone to come walk your dog during the day. Maybe there is a neighbor close by or a college student looking to make a little extra cash this time of year.

Pet Cameras - And finally, if you want to keep an eye on little Duke while you're away, invest in a pet camera. Tons of parents use Nanny Cams for their children, why not pets? Some even have a speaker and let you talk to your pooch. But don't be surprised if when you get home, he ignores you and listens more to the camera... ;)

Hopefully, these tips will help you feel more confident about leaving for work or an outing an keeping your puppy at home.

If you're interested in learning more about our Tailored to You training program, message us at wchretrievers@gmail.com.

Taking Care of Business

Leashes - check.

Collars snapped - check.

Squeaky toy in hand - check.

Every morning we head out with a purpose. We hit the trail with our goal in mind. The dogs know they have business to do. Along the way, they can easily get distracted. Whether it's squirrels, deer, new smells, birds, or a stick they think they just have to have, they lose focus. They lose sight of what we set out to do.

Does this happen to you? Do you get frustrated that your dog is easily distracted when it's time to take them to the bathroom?

Here's some great info about training them to stay focused on their business. This article even shares two reasons why it's sometimes difficult to train. But, she offers some great advice and training tips!

Back to our story...

Sometimes, when they get so distracted, I have to provide correction to keep them on track and remind them of why we are outside. They need to remember their purpose for coming on this walk.

I know exactly how long I'm going to stay out there. I know when that time will come to an end. There are times throughout our walk that I'm slow to end it. I mercifully allow them more time, being patient,

waiting...

and waiting.

However, there comes a point when it's time. It's too late.

The time is up.

They missed their opportunity.

Let's forget about the dogs for a second. What a comparison this is to us and our own Master, God! He has given us a purpose (Matthew 28:18-20) and we get so distracted by things in this world that we forget what we came to do. We're too busy trying to get the next big thing that we find ourselves chasing things that are far from God.

As a loving Father, He provides correction, bringing us back to His path, reminding us of our purpose. But there will come a time, when His mercy stops. Those that refuse to listen to His voice, those who refuse to repent and surrender to Him, will no longer have that opportunity.

Time will be up.

They will have missed their opportunity.

Is this you?

Are you too busy chasing the things of this world and running after every distraction that you're missing the voice of the Lord? He's calling. Ready to welcome you with open arms and forgiveness.

If I have any advice for you, it's this:

Don't wait. Run to the Lord today.

The only regret I have about trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior is that I didn't do it sooner.

- Yalanda