Sometimes the most important thing we can teach our dogs is that they don’t have to be doing something.

Content Notes: Brief mention of being unwell/overheated, puppy training and teething, and the loss of beloved pets.

Welcome back to The Crippled Cryptid.

Hi, I’m Sky.

It’s Monday.

Usually, that means we’re heading into the Wyrm Workbench to talk about writing.

The words.

The projects.

The stories currently rattling around inside my skull demanding to be let out.

But sometimes…

The writing table is quiet.

Sometimes there isn’t a word count to report.

Sometimes the project is resting.

Sometimes I’m resting.

And sometimes the best thing I can do on a Monday is admit:

The dogs have been doing considerably more interesting things than I have.

So, when there isn’t a Wyrm Workbench…

We open the Cryptid Kennel. 🐾

This is where the pack gets the spotlight.

Luna.

Blitzø.

Mama.

M&M.

BJ.

The training.

The adventures.

The victories.

The crimes.

The muddy paws.

The stolen socks.

The ridiculous little moments that somehow become stories.

Because the dogs aren’t just part of the scenery around here.

They’re part of the family.

They’re part of the routine.

They’re part of the chaos.

And very much part of the stories.

So…

Welcome to the Kennel.

🐾 Today’s Pack Report

Luna: Big Sister, Professional Good Girl, and Mama Supervisor

Blitzø: 13-week-old Potato learning the fine art of being a civilized household creature

Mama: Teaching two dogs that sometimes doing absolutely nothing is the assignment

M&M: Treat distributor, canine fashion department, puppy negotiator, and resident Baby Shark victim

BJ / Yard Yeti: Tractor operator, professional ball thrower, and Luna’s favorite source of maximum ball distance

Training Win: Both dogs practicing settling calmly together

Current Crime: Blitzø remains a puppy

Best Good-Dog Moment: Blitzø voluntarily coming inside and settling when the tractor came out

Pack Shenanigans: Rain tolerance, nail-trimming plans, morning wrestling negotiations, and the continuing saga of Breakfast Games™

Kennel Status: Open. Slightly chaotic. Currently powered by peanut butter.

☕ Monday Morning at the Kennel

Hey guys.

Happy Monday…

Well.

If Mondays have a happy.

We got up a little later than normal today.

In my defense, I was up until about 4 a.m. not feeling well, so we had a very slow start this morning. I think I managed to get myself pretty overheated over the weekend, and we’re dealing with the aftermath of that.

But we’re not here for the health stuff.

I don’t really want to talk about the health stuff.

Not here.

Not on a Monday.

Not when I’m drinking my coffee and teaching the dogs something very important:

It is perfectly okay to do nothing.

Today, each dog got an Ol Roy Munchee bone.

Peanut butter flavor, naturally, because both dogs love anything peanut butter.

They ate breakfast.

Then we sprawled across the back room floor and just… relaxed.

Why?

Because not every moment we’re awake has to be a moment where we’re running at top speed doing The Thing™.

It’s 84 degrees outside.

It’s sunny, which is a pretty dramatic change from yesterday’s on-and-off storms.

I’m waiting on a few calls back from the doctor’s office.

And the dogs?

They’re happy.

They’re enjoying their treats.

They’re settling across the floor.

When somebody has to go potty, they go outside, do their business, come back in, and go right back to their treat.

And so far?

I haven’t had to redirect or correct either dog away from the other’s treat.

The only correction I’ve really had to make is:

This isn’t playtime.

We need to relax.

We need to lay down.

We need to be quiet.

We are not wrestling.

We are not fighting.

We are not turning the back room into WrestleMania: Canine Edition.

Because that is one of their favorite things to do in the mornings.

They LOVE to wrestle.

But today we’re learning to settle.

And honestly?

That’s an important lesson.

🧘 The Fine Art of Doing Absolutely Nothing

When we’re out and about in the world, being able to settle is one of the most important things these dogs are going to need to learn.

Especially if we ever want to take them places like dog-friendly stores, patios, restaurants, and other environments where they can’t spend the entire time behaving like they’ve just been released into a NASCAR pit lane.

Luna already knows how to behave in public.

She has to.

She’s a service dog.

But Blitzø is thirteen weeks old.

He’s still learning what the world is.

He’s still figuring out what is and isn’t acceptable.

He’s still discovering what the world has in store for him.

And right now, one of his favorite things to do is spend mornings with Mama at the back table.

Whether I’m writing…

Or answering phone calls…

Or doing paperwork…

Or just existing…

He wants to be there.

And mornings right now mean Breakfast Games™.

They also mean the bag of The Honest Kitchen Surf & Turf Meaty Littles, the Slow Roasted Chicken & Salmon bites, and whatever other tiny, delicious bribes I have decided are appropriate for the day’s curriculum.

Those chicken and salmon bites are currently some of my absolute favorite training treats when I’m not using something from the Breakfast Games™ Jar.

And every week, I like to switch up the Breakfast Games™ Jar just a little.

Some weeks it’s treats we got from BarkBox.

Some weeks it’s things we grabbed at HomeGoods in the pet section.

Some weeks it’s Cheerios and kibble.

Some weeks it’s a menagerie of whatever was left over from last week.

Think of it as the world’s best treat salad.

I can look inside and tell you what each dog likes best.

And because no two dogs are alike, I can usually tell which treat is going to work best depending on who I’m training.

🫙 The Breakfast Games™ Hall of Fame

Bear would’ve loved the Breakfast Games™ Jar.

Bear loved everything.

Anything I reached into that jar and pulled out would have gotten his attention in approximately 0.0003 seconds.

That’s just who he was as a “person.”

He was a foodie.

The world lost a damn good dog on October 28^th, 2025.

I’m not sure there will ever be another one like him.

Rex, on the other hand, was a food snob.

I like to joke that it was because he was a purebred Shetland Sheepdog.

In reality?

He was just picky.

His favorite treats were those twisted Canine Carryouts, the bacon-and-cheese twisty ones.

There is a smell I don’t think I’m ever going to forget.

And he’s been gone since 2013.

Some things apparently just live in your brain forever.

Blitzø’s current favorite from the Breakfast Games™ Jar is a pork jerky we got from BarkBox that I cut up into itty-bitty little pieces.

He will do approximately anything for it.

Before that, it was the BarkBox pork-and-apple treats, also cut down into smaller pieces so I could make them last longer.

Luna is currently obsessed with Zuke’s peanut butter training treats.

This is apparently a recurring phase.

Before that, it was The Honest Kitchen Duck & Cranberry bites, again chopped down into tiny pieces.

And another current favorite?

The beef heart and lung jerky we got from Chewy.

My aunt got the dogs completely obsessed with it. She created monsters.

It’s good for their joints and bones, so I can’t complain too much.

My biggest complaint?

It’s expensive.

But you know me.

You know I’d do just about anything for these dogs.

So…

We have beef lungs.

Because apparently that’s who I am now.

What are your dogs’ favorite treats right now?

I need to know what everyone else’s treat economy looks like.

And maybe it’ll give us some ideas for the next treat supply run!

🌧️ The Sky Wets Are Acceptable

We also learned something important yesterday.

Maybe…

Just maybe…

Binka isn’t afraid of the rain anymore.

When it was only sprinkling a little, he discovered that the sky wets aren’t actually so bad.

Luna did too.

Which is a pretty huge change.

And honestly?

A pretty impressive glow-up for both of them.

Because before this, neither dog wanted anything to do with rain.

Not for potty.

Not for exploration.

Not for anything.

Not even for ball.

When it’s raining hard, we still need to leash them and encourage them to get outside and actually do their business.

But at least now we know that a light drizzle isn’t an automatic:

ABSOLUTELY NOT. THE SKY IS BROKEN. RETURN TO THE HOUSE.

Progress.

I’ll take it.

✂️ Today’s To-Do List: Tiny Raptor Claws

The rest of today’s plans are pretty simple.

We’re trimming nails.

Because it’s that time of the month.

And if we don’t?

Tiny.

Raptor.

Claws.

I would also like to try walking them around the block before dinner when the weather is more agreeable to puppy paws.

I’m really liking the way Blitzø is doing on a leash and harness.

He’s walking so well.

He knows he’s not supposed to pull and run after things.

And he doesn’t.

He focuses on me, or whoever has his leash.

And if a car comes by, or something loud happens, he’ll hide behind me.

He’s a very handler-oriented puppy.

Or, more accurately…

Mama-oriented.

And I think that’s one of the things I love most about him.

One of the best parts of the last few weeks has been getting to learn who he actually is.

Watching his personality sprout.

Watching that big blue-eyed baby become this caramel-eyed gentle giant.

…and then growing more…

And more.

And more.

Getting to watch him figure out the world.

It’s been one of the joys of my life.

Is he perfect?

Of course not.

He’s thirteen weeks old.

He has exactly as many brain cells as the situation requires, and occasionally the situation requires none.

But you know what?

He’s a good boy.

🐄 The Potato Is Becoming a Person

Does Binka know his name?

Of course he does.

He knows he’s Blitzø.

He knows Blitz.

He knows Blitzy.

He knows Binka.

He knows Binky.

He knows Potato.

Yes.

He has approximately seven names and responds to all of them.

He knows sit.

He knows lay down.

He knows both commands in English, German, and French.

Yes.

We’re a multilingual household.

He gets praised in French because of Aunt Lise.

He knows touch, although we haven’t started teaching that one in anything but English yet.

We’re working on paw and roll over, too.

We haven’t quite gotten the hang of those.

We’re getting there.

And every chance he gets, if I’m sitting on the floor, he wants to crawl directly into my lap.

Just like the day we first met.

And that’s why he’s my Potato.

My Mr. Big Paws.

Mr. Paws.

The giant spotted baby who arrived with paws approximately 7–10 business days before the rest of him.

He’s learning.

He’s learning me.

He’s learning all of us.

And I’m learning him.

🐾 Meanwhile, Luna Is Learning How to Be a Big Sister

And Luna?

Well.

She’s adjusting to being a big sister about exactly the way you’d expect.

Sometimes gracefully.

Sometimes with every ounce of:

“Do not touch my things, you foul creature.”

Sometimes all she wants is Mama.

Sometimes all she wants is M&M.

Sometimes all she wants is the Yard Yeti, who remains her best friend and the undisputed champion of throwing her ball approximately seventeen miles.

But most of all?

He gets her moving.

Before Binka, Luna didn’t move around nearly as much.

She didn’t have nearly as much of an itemized schedule.

Before him, if I wasn’t feeling good, she was perfectly happy to stay in bed.

She’d let herself out of the bedroom.

Take herself potty.

Come back.

And crawl right back into bed until my body decided it was okay enough for us to start our day.

Things are different now.

We’re out of bed by 10 at the latest.

Usually sooner.

We go outside.

Potty first.

Once potty is done?

Balls.

Then we come inside.

Breakfast.

Once breakfast is done, I’m usually sitting at the table doing some writing if I don’t have appointments or phone calls.

If I do?

Unfortunately, Binka goes into his crate, or M&M watches him if she’s not coming with me.

Then we have 30–45 minutes of rest so everyone can let their food settle.

After that?

Breakfast Games™.

That’s our training time.

We do reps of things we’re learning and things I want them to learn.

Then…

Mandatory naptime.

Sometimes the nap happens outside the crate.

Sometimes Binka can’t quite settle himself and needs the crate to help him switch his brain off.

Lately, though?

He hasn’t needed it.

He’s been able to settle himself on the floor of the back room.

And that’s a pretty big deal for a thirteen-week-old puppy.

🕰️ The Daily Cryptid Schedule

Because Blitzø is a growing large-breed puppy, and technically a giant-breed puppy if you want to get specific, he’s eating three times a day.

Great Dane.

Anatolian Shepherd.

With a sprinkle of Turkish Kangal because of his father, Tzar.

Basically: Large.

So, after that morning nap, he gets another meal, which we lovingly refer to as lunch.

After lunch?

Another mandatory settle period.

And during that settle period, Luna gets one-on-one time with her mamas.

Because she’s important too.

I don’t ever want her to feel like she has to watch him all the time.

I don’t want her to feel like she lost a huge part of her life.

She was an only dog from late October 2025, practically November, until July 2026.

She deserves her one-on-one time.

She deserves her Mama time.

She deserves her M&M time.

She deserves to still be Luna.

Then we do another training session with both dogs.

Later in the afternoon, when Blitz doesn’t have quite so much energy, he gets his own one-on-one time before dinner.

And that can look like anything.

Snuggles.

Playing.

Exploring.

Laying on the floor while he investigates the world.

No two days look exactly the same.

It’s about his energy level.

How he’s feeling.

What he’s interested in.

What the moment calls for.

Dinner comes between 6:30 and 7 p.m.

It’s late enough that nobody is starving before bed, but early enough that we’re giving ourselves a decent chance of avoiding potty accidents.

Because we’re still potty training Blitz.

He’s thirteen weeks old.

His bladder is still tiny.

And if he tells us in the middle of the night that he needs to go outside?

We get up.

We take him out.

We don’t mind.

That’s part of having a baby.

And no, this schedule doesn’t include every single piece of enrichment we do.

Snuffle mats.

Food puzzles.

Lick mats.

Walks.

Play.

Exploration.

All the other little things that happen throughout the day.

This is just a general idea of what a normal day might look like.

And so far?

He’s integrating into the family incredibly well.

🚜 Today’s Unexpected Training Opportunity

Another reason today’s post is coming out so late?

The Yard Yeti is doing his namesake.

The yard.

BJ pulled out the tractor to mow because the lawn was getting long.

Which was great.

Because the lawn needed it.

But it also gave us two very important pieces of information.

First: We now know how Blitzø reacts to the tractor.

Second: We now know whether he needs to be put inside while it’s running.

Luna is allowed outside when the tractor is going.

She knows to stay away from it.

She knows she can watch from the deck or from across the yard.

But she ultimately knows:

Tractor = Do Not Approach.

When BJ pulled the tractor out of the shed, which looks suspiciously like a barn, little Binka did exactly what we wanted him to do.

He ran toward the house.

He came inside.

And he settled down on the floor.

Naturally, he got a treat.

He got pets.

And he got called a good boy with his marking word:

“Yes.”

That’s another thing we’ve been working really hard on, thanks to the Woofz app.

It’s something I bought when I got Blitzy because I’ve never had a puppy this young before.

I figured…

Maybe it would help.

And you know what?

So far?

No complaints.

🧘‍♀️ The Lesson of the Day

If there’s one thing I want to take away from today, it’s this:

Training isn’t always about teaching a dog to do something.

Sometimes it’s teaching them that they don’t have to.

Sit.

Stay.

Paw.

Touch.

Come.

Leave it.

Walk nicely.

Don’t chew that.

Don’t eat that.

Don’t tackle your sister.

Don’t steal Mama’s stuffed animals.

All important.

But so is:

Lay down.

Take a breath.

Nothing is happening right now.

You are safe.

You don’t have to do anything.

That is a skill too.

And watching both of my dogs learn it together this morning?

That’s pretty damn special.

🛒 A Little Something for the Cryptid Kennel

And because apparently two dogs can consume resources at a rate previously thought possible only in small municipalities…

We do have a Cryptid Kennel wishlist.

Treats.

Training supplies.

Enrichment things.

Puppy nonsense.

Big-dog nonsense.

Things that make their lives a little more fun and a little easier.

Nobody is ever expected to buy us anything.

Seriously.

Reading, sharing, commenting, sending your own dog stories, and hanging out in the Den are more than enough.

But if you’ve ever looked at Luna or Binka and thought:

“I want to spoil that creature.”

We’ve made it possible.

The dogs will not complain.

They have no dignity.

🛒 Spoil the Cryptids.

And yes.

They have opinions about snacks.

Obviously.

🎥 Something Else Is Brewing…

There’s another thing I’ve been thinking about lately.

I’m already documenting the dogs here.

Obviously.

You have witnessed approximately seventeen thousand photographs of Luna and Binka, and I regret nothing.

But I’m starting to wonder if the dogs deserve their own little corner of the internet.

Not because I want to separate them from The Crippled Cryptid.

Quite the opposite.

I think they’ve developed enough lore to require their own jurisdiction.

😂

I’m thinking about starting a dogs-only TikTok dedicated specifically to:

The Cryptid’s Dogs. 🐾

Because there’s a difference between the dogs being part of my story…

And letting them have a place where they are the story.

The main @The.Crippled.Cryptid account is still very much the whole Cryptid Den.

Disability.

Chronic illness.

Writing.

Life.

Dogs.

Chaos.

Everything.

But I’m thinking the dogs could have their own little corner that’s just…

The dogs.

Luna’s service-dog life.

Binka growing up.

Training.

Milestones.

Adventures.

Their relationship.

The ridiculous things they do when nobody asked them to do anything.

The crimes.

The snacks.

The wrestling.

The rain.

The zoomies.

The moments that make me stop what I’m doing and go:

“Did anybody else just see that?”

Because I’m already documenting all of it.

I’m already taking the pictures.

I’m already making the videos.

And frankly…

These two have enough material to support their own television network.

So maybe it’s time they got their own channel.

Nothing is official yet.

I’m just thinking about it.

But if The Cryptid’s Dogs™ suddenly appears somewhere on the internet…

Well.

You heard it here first. 🐾🐄

🐾🏠 Kennel Closing Report

And that’s today’s Cryptid Kennel report.

Another Monday.

Another week of paws on the floor, fur on the furniture, toys in inconvenient locations, and at least one creature looking at me like I have personally failed to provide adequate snacks.

Luna did her job.

Blitzø learned something.

Probably.

M&M survived the canine negotiations.

BJ probably threw a ball approximately seventeen miles.

And Mama…

Well.

Mama lives here too.

That’s the thing about this little pack.

We’re not perfect.

The dogs aren’t perfect.

I’m certainly not perfect.

Nobody is expected to be.

We’re learning.

We’re growing.

We’re figuring each other out.

Sometimes one day at a time.

Sometimes one training session at a time.

Sometimes one tennis ball at a time.

And sometimes… one stolen sock at a time.

Luna has taught me that help can look like a paw pressed against your leg.

Blitzø is teaching me that healing can sometimes look like getting up because a puppy needs you.

M&M reminds all of us that somebody has to keep the household supplied with sweaters, bandanas, snacks, and common sense.

And BJ?

Well.

Every pack needs somebody who can throw the ball farther than everyone else.

Apparently, that’s his sacred duty.

This is what the Cryptid Kennel is for.

The big milestones.

The tiny victories.

The training sessions.

The ridiculous stories.

The muddy paws.

The quiet cuddles.

The adventures.

The crimes.

The moments that make me laugh when I didn’t think I had another laugh left.

Because sometimes the things that keep us going aren’t enormous.

Sometimes they’re four paws waiting at the door.

A wet nose against your hand.

A puppy falling asleep beside you.

A service dog quietly doing her job.

A ball thrown across the yard.

A dog curled against your legs while the rest of the world feels too loud.

Sometimes… that’s enough for today.

So, wherever you are tonight:

Pet the dog.

Tell them they’re good.

Give them the cookie.

Unless they were bad.

Then…

Maybe give them half a cookie.

I’m not here to judge.

🐾 Luna’s Kennel Report

Mama survived.

Everyone was supervised.

The ball should have been thrown more.

Needs improvement.

🐾

🐄 Binka’s Moo Memo

I AM GOOD DOG.

I LEARNED THING.

I GOT COOKIE.

I LOVE SISTER.

I LOVE MAMA.

I LOVE MUMTHER.

I LOVE YETI.

I AM BABY.

MOO.

🐄

Until next Monday…

Stay weird.

Stay kind.

Keep the snacks somewhere the dogs can’t reach.

And remember:

A house full of dogs is never truly quiet.

Sometimes that’s the point.

Love you.

Now say it back.

– Sky

© The Crippled Cryptid

Disability. Dogs. Honesty. A little chaos.

🐾 Luna: Service Dog & Professional Mama Supervisor

🐄 Blitzø: Puppy, Big-Paw Menace & Full-Time Baby

🖤 M&M: Canine Fashion Department & Permanent Pack Member

🦆 BJ: Yard Yeti & Official Ball-Throwing Champion

🔗 https://linktr.ee/skylanarissa

No pressure to donate.

Reading and sharing count.

The Cryptid Kennel is simply one more corner of the Den where we get to tell the truth, laugh at ourselves, and celebrate the creatures who make this life a little fuller.

Until next Monday.

🐾🐄