[Gpdd] Behavior: Bravery for piggies

[Algernon07 at aol.com]

Subject: [Gpdd] BEHAVIOR: Bravery for Piggles
To: gpdd at gpdd.org
Message-ID: <317975.82291.qm at web81308.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Dear Rodent Crew,
Since you are pirates, I was hoping you might give me some advice as to 
become Bold and Brave like you. You see, I'm a very shy girl. Even though my slave 
dotes on my every whim at the faintest wheet (even in the middle of her 
favorite TV shows), I'm still kind of scared of her. Any suggestions on how to 
further train her and overcome my fears?

Wheetings,
Hershey the Meek


Dear Hershey The Meek,
     We are very confused. We just wrote you an email and now we cannot find 
it. Or maybe we closed it. It wasn't even finished. 
     This will be less detailed (or more scrambled) I'm afraid because it is 
very late here at night. Maybe your momma could sit beside your cage and feed 
you things like parsley, stems first since that seems to be the way we most 
enjoy getting our parsley, and then gradually other things so that you'll be 
excited to see her. Barnacle Bill stands up against is cage bars now when Momma 
comes into the room for tummy rubs and tickles under his chin. He's also hoping 
she'll have a little carrot or piece of banana, of course, and often she 
does. Actually, I learned from Barnacle Bill to be fed at the cage bars. That used 
to scare me vey badly.
     Little Barnacle Bill came from an abuse situation and he was very 
skittish. So it was really brave of him when he began standing at his cage bars for 
treats and attention.
     Early on he'd panic (many of us pigies just naturally do that -- it is 
an instinct within us) anytime she got near him. She strarted to use his 
snuggle sack-- kind of encourage him to run into it, then holding the top closed so 
he couldn't jump out, take him to the sofa for cuddles. I'm the real cuddler 
tho. It Just comes naural to me, I guess, or it was maybe that Charlie was 
still here (he's at the Bridge now) when I came here as a baby, and Charlie seemed 
to like being picked up. So I figured it was ok, too.
     But back to the snuggle sack. Barnacle Bill still seems to be 
comfortable in it when she's holding him. She keeps it open on her lap and pets him and 
he wheeks back at her. Sometimes he gets out and runs around on the sofa for a 
bit or lets him hold her without it, but he isn't as brave all the time as 
he'd like to be. 
     But you see, Hershey, bravery sometimes is something people   (or 
piggies) say you are just because you do things. It's ok to be scared inside, 
especially if you can act in spite of your fear.
     It can be a process so you and your momma will have to work together.
     Feel free to write to us anytime.

Your buddy,
Captain Jack (and Barnacle Bill, too) the Jolly Rodent Piggy Pirates

     


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