It isn’t until time becomes a demanding variable that we realize that what was is no longer.

“Whenever there is a meeting, a parting is sure to follow. However, that parting need not last forever. Whether a parting is forever or merely for a short time… That is up to you…”

We all embark on our own journeys. We tackle struggles, triumph over successes, remorse over failures, and try to drive ourselves in the direction of happiness. A large part of that journey involves learning what that is, what it looks like, and how exactly to I attain it?

New Mexico, Truth Or Consequences: this is what happiness looked like to me. Just near Turtleback mountain off the Rio Grande, this small town is home to an amazing natural heat source. There is a plethora of options for lodging and access to the wonderful natural hot springs. Ranging from budget options to more finer experiences, we were pleased with every business we visited in town.

We had awesome opportunities to attend lots of events. A Christmas parade, a boat show at Elephant Butte lake, lots of live music at T or C brewing, adoption events, art hops, markets! I can’t possibly list them all!

And of course, homed in a very special place in my heart, Desert Haven Animal Rescue. If you’re following along, my previous post goes very in depth about Desert Haven. But I will still give a spotlight here to the absolute most deserving place.

Not just a place but a full blown community that stretches well beyond the boundaries of the town, or even the next few towns over. A very large network of donators, advertisers, volunteers, and fosters. A community that I am very proud to be a part of, and look forward to returning to.

I send the most appreciative gratitude I could possibly muster to this community! I left feeling somber and excited. Finally, I feel like I have life plans that endlessly lead me somewhere I want to with absolute predictability. Thank you for the amazing campfires, friendly get-togethers, rewarding work, and incredible opportunities! You will remain on our minds until our return.

Please allow me to share the opportunities we had while we were here. We’ve had many, many opportunities to experience thrilling success here.

Oh, Crockett, sweet boy Crockett. He is honestly the sweetest little boy. Nine months old, he’s been at Desert Haven the majority of his life, and he loves every minute of it. This playful joy is extremely hesitant around men. And I couldn’t go near him.

So I watched endearingly from the fence as Hannah and other animal care providers gave him love and snuggled him. I would enter and he would cower and run.

For the first week I left him alone. His food was delivered nearby and single, simple attempts were made to lure him. No success.

The second and third week he continued to cower, but began to approach for treats before leaping away. At this point I would sit near him and he would quickly get to his feet if I so much as scraped my feet on the ground.

By the end of the first month, Crockett wanted to play with me, but not be touched. Upon entering, he would select a toy and proceed to run laps around me. He loved to run after the toy when I threw it and play keep-away. Still, at this point I was not sure if he wanted to be chased for fun, or if I was scaring him.

It took another two weeks. But in the presence of two very good friends, Crockett willingly approached me upon entry to his area. And I will let my face speak for itself here.

A month and a half after arriving at Desert Haven, Crockett and I clicked. I took him on glorious hikes up the mesa on a few occasions. He walks like a charm, and listens even better. We were suddenly great buddies. And there isn’t much that feels as rewarding as achieving exactly what you work towards. A mighty triumph!

We were also blessed with an incredible dog trainer, Rae, who provided guidance, lessons, and assistance with all types of animal care. She took time out of her day to provide personal tailored information to everyone’s personal pets with the same degree of attention she provided for the rescue itself.

Rae worked with Desert Haven and trained onsite staff on some useful basics for dog training. Getting a dog to respond more consistently, return, reduce fear, basic commands, loose leash walking. They then coordinated with the local community and offered free classes with the help of the trained onsite staff. I am proud to have provided for the community, and I fully intend to continue to use this knowledge to support the rescue!

A similar story with the shy and kind Playa. A gorgeous little thing, she is the mother to Crockett. She is known to be selective, but frequently approaches new people quickly. This beautiful dog gave me months of torment as she greeted me wagging at the fence-line, only to retreat upon my entry.

I was graced with a few moments from Playa where she would allow me to approach with a meal and get a few reluctant pats in. It wasn’t until my last week at Desert Haven that, after lots of dog training classes, one on one time, working with my own dogs, and reviewing lots of provided references documents, that I began to deliberately watch their body language.

Like clock work, I would enter the enclosed space next to Playa’s, one with another dog (Crockett or Effie). Which dog didn’t matter. When I started to pet them and particularly speak to them (because I always tell the animals how great they are), Playa runs to the fence and wags.

After seeing this a couple of times, I realized she was willing to let me pet her through the fence. I finally wondered “would she willingly approach me if I was on HER side of the fence?”.

Yes. Yes she would. And suddenly we hit it off. How depressing it was for it to be at the end of such a wonderful journey, but what an absolute privilege to win over such a wonderful girl. It will be the go-to technique for her, as we tested it with others with success. Big win!

I think it would be BAD Luck to not bring up Lucky dog! This wonderful bundle of energy lost his previous owner and still had much life and love to give. He was a rehabilitation dog with brittle bones, and a broken back leg. After getting a capable and fantastic team to agree to rehabilitate, Lucky was delivered to our warm embrace. His surgery was completed and his care plan executed. Rigorous and methodical care methods were implemented to ensure he received the correct therapy and attention needed to lead him to success.

During this recovery, this poor dog was dragged through the mud. After getting a small scab on a walk he chewed into it. Obviously in pain, he favored one leg. The leg his surgery was on. Additionally, the happiest dog in the world wagged with love a little too aggressively. This was clearly not ideal, and so the team made lots of efforts to ensure he was cared for. Scheduling became more difficult, employees took additional time to spend with him, often showing up early, staying late, and just spending time with him. Special enclosures were made with padded kennels, walls, rubber and carpeted flooring to prevent slipping and dirtying the paw.

I personally had several overnight sessions with him to give him a break from his small enclosed space; intended to keep him from actively jumping, running, or otherwise injuring himself. He is an extremely excitable dog when you enter, but after spending some time with him, he just wants to hang out. He makes for a great pillow, and he thinks the same of me. His favorite treat is a hot dog, and he is greatly willing to work for it! Hannah and I had a BBQ in the community back yard with Lucky, and he was grateful to get to lay in his choice of sun, shade, dirt, or house!

Because of the incredible dog lessons, both with the team and personally with Rae, we have gotten a grapple on our own girls like never before. Long daily walks, hikes, play time. Ida and Izzy have never been so busy before in their lives, and behave more satisfied then ever.

Having conquered basic commands, Ida and Izzy can both sit, lay down, spin, touch (bring nose to hand when asked), and a few other crazy things we taught them, we have been working endlessly on desensitization and impulse control. Rae provided us with tools and techniques that has allowed us to watch incredible growth from our dogs.

Ida is such a goofball when she is in work mode! She gets very excited and animated, oftentimes leaping into her commands happily, knowing a treat is quick to follow. She loves long slow strolls and having plenty of time to sniff the area thoroughly. Her recall has gotten so good that she basically doesn’t leave our side save for high value distractions (anything alive).

Izzy is a beautiful hard worker these days. Now nicknamed “mission dog” due to her desire to do her job, Izzy loves to pull. When we hiked up to the mesa, Izzy made sure the leash was taught and the travel was steady. Seldom distracted in this state, we used her desire to work as leverage for training, and in our time here spectacularly increased her recall.

Both of our girls are absolutely works in progress, but so are we as trainers. We have always vowed to do right by our girls, and we have never given up. All good trainers know that training never truly ends!

Leaving Truth or Consequences, and Desert Haven along with it, leaves us with an empty feeling. When we originally embarked on this journey, community is what we wished for. The fact we found in on our first real stop is amazing, but there is still so much to see. So with a sturdy handshake from Greta and a deal to return in November, we head out on our next journey. Here we come, Taos New Mexico!

Love the adventure? Buy us a coffee for more! Donators help us complete projects, get us to the next location, keep the RV moving, and of course lots of coffee! Thanks!

Check out Hannah’s art on Instagram or her website!

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