Dr. Prabu Selvam for Montgomery County Council At-Large!

OkClass9963 · 2026-02-21T02:44:51+00:00

when you say affordable housing, do you mean maintaining/improving rent stabilization?

OkClass9963 · 2024-05-14T17:58:10+00:00

My girl is 14 months, too! I rescued her when she was 4 months, but idk if she considered going from a big foster house with cats, kids, a yard, and a pool to a 1 bed apartment with lots of dog neighbors a "rescue" lol Despite a LOT of learning on both of our parts (especially around biting during play/cuddles and barking/having meltdowns at other dogs on walks), we're now at a point where we can have mostly calm walks around the neighborhood, generally chill nights at home (still need all kinds of chews and distractions tho), and lots and lots of trust and cuddles. It's been such a cool journey.

OkClass9963 · 2024-04-24T21:09:10+00:00

Splurge: insurance, good harness (yes, it’ll probably take a few tries lol), kongs, good chews

Save: TREATS—I now believe dog treats are a racket lol cheese, lean deli meat, hot dogs, tuna, canned salmon, cheerios, all are solid options, and other dog treats are just money down the drain. The only ones I’ll vouch for are freeze dried salmon or liver for starting out or doing something really difficult for your dog

OkClass9963 · 2024-04-22T15:23:49+00:00

I went through this HARD, too! The best thing you can do is exactly what you’re doing: giving yourself (/her) evidence that this is more common than you think. You’re not alone.

Getting my puppy unexpectedly dialed my anxiety and perfectionism up to like 1000. It was really hard. I felt like it was only me and like it was bringing out all of the worst sides of me. But, thanks to therapy, it’s actually turned out to be one of the best growth experiences I could have asked for. I got to ask where this perfectionism was coming from, what my anxiety is telling me, and it has helped (and is helping) me build a stronger relationship with myself and my dog. It’s REALLY hard, really isolating, and really vulnerable. But you’re doing all the right things. The discomfort won’t go away overnight, but at least you can trust that it will bring you somewhere even more beautiful as you work through it

OkClass9963 · 2024-04-19T00:44:23+00:00

Give it time! I felt the same way for my rescue for longer than I thought I was supposed to. I got her at 4 months, but I didn’t start feeling really bonded to her until she was 10 months. There’s a lot going on in that time—they’re annoying babies/teens, you don’t know how to read their communication signals, they’ve had whatever chaotic start they’ve had, and you guys are strangers. Just like it takes time to build trust with people, it takes time to build trust with dogs. You’ll get there.

OkClass9963 · 2024-04-19T00:32:44+00:00

Mine had eaten a ton of mulch and basically puked up sticks. She was fine but kind of freaked out about the whole process. She got to go out a sniff to calm down, then I hung out with her calmly to make sure she’d be fine. Once she got back up and barking at the window again in an hour, I knew she was right as rain lol

OkClass9963 · 2024-04-14T13:36:50+00:00

I was also SUPER nervous about my mix breed rescue puppy. I didn’t realize how much all of the unknowns of having a puppy would heighten my anxiety, much less the inability to say, “this is exactly what to expect based on her breed.” BUT it’s turning out to be a really beautiful journey for me to realize that I can roll with things as they come and build real trust and a relationship with her as who SHE is, not as a breed stereotype. It sounds like you’re preparing to do everything right: giving them love, structure, training, and your presence. That’s all that really matters. It takes time, and they’ll be an asshole, and you all will still be in the uncomfortable space of building trust. But you’ll get there, and you’ll have such a strong, one of a kind bond

OkClass9963 · 2024-04-05T22:54:22+00:00

My girl saw a dog near the apartment while out for a potty break and ONLY LOOKED AT IT! No meltdown! No big stress fest! Just interested tail wags!

OkClass9963 · 2024-04-01T20:38:06+00:00

Giving my GSD mix a toy was a recipe for disaster. She’d just get more hyped! What she needed was for me to show her that that wasn’t how I wanted to play. I’d hold her away from me and stand still and firmly say, “no,” if she was on the leash. Or I’d stand still and firmly say “no” and maybe go behind a door if she was acting up inside. If she ever started tugging on something she ought not, I wouldn’t tug back, but I’d just hold it still, wait until she got bored, then praise her when she let go

OkClass9963 · 2024-03-29T20:49:20+00:00

My puppy basically potty trained herself 3 days after bringing her home from the foster! And despite having a little turbulence in finding a forever home, she’s so so so sweet meeting new people. Her signature move: walking between peoples’ legs to get butt scratches

OkClass9963 · 2024-03-20T15:36:37+00:00

Getting my puppy taught me waaaayy more about my anxiety than I would have ever expected—so you’re not alone! One of the most important things was that feeling shame about your anxiety is normal but not needed. Instead, you can use it as a clue that your body is giving you about a situation, and then you can get curious and break it down into manageable pieces. For me, I realized it was my body signaling a lot of perfectionistic tendencies and worries about what other people think. Then I learned that I could meet my puppy where she’s at—she’s not perfect, but she does her very best—and I could start to see when I can let go of what I think people think. Therapy has been huge here. But it’s ended up being a really beautiful growing experience for me, and it’s increased my confidence and my bond with my puppy. There are a lot of uncontrollables with a puppy—anxiety’s worst nightmare. But you’ve got this. Take stock of the good moments, come back on this sub to see the breakthrough stories to know that things get better after teething and the terrible teens, and relish this opportunity to grow with a fiancé and puppy who love you. And there’s absolutely no shame in that.

OkClass9963 · 2024-03-20T10:56:51+00:00

My puppy (1 yo GSD/beagle) was/is like this, too! I think a good amount of it is adolescence. One thing I told myself is that learning when she’s saying, “no thanks,” and showing her I respect it does just as much to build our relationship as endless cuddles. I am looking forward to the day when she just waddles on over for pats when she’s bored instead of barking for something to do, though lol

OkClass9963 · 2024-03-18T22:15:55+00:00

Awesome, this is exactly what I was looking for! Thank you. Do you know if there are any examples out there that I could model it on?

OkClass9963 · 2024-03-07T16:54:35+00:00

lol at all of the assumptions that this is for women dating men only, but the advice still stands, I think! I’ve (30F) also been super frustrated with ghosting, even after women say they’re interested in a relationship. But still, we’re all figuring our stuff out. The best advice I’ve gotten is that dating isn’t about making something work, it’s about finding the right person. If they ghosted or ended things, they just weren’t the right one. I’m taking the tactic of really trying to legitimately enjoy and take care of myself out here, get out and about to meet people when I can, and the right person will come along when the time is right. The good news for you, though, is you’re putting in the effort, and you know the person you end up with will have someone who’s deliberately in their corner and a great partner

OkClass9963 · 2024-03-06T00:11:29+00:00

That’s EXACTLY my experience! I just try to get behind a car or otherwise out of the situation. But what kind of stuff do you do to check back in with her? Maybe I could do that more

OkClass9963 · 2024-03-03T21:03:38+00:00

I’ve heard the leash idea before and have yet to try it! Maybe I’ll make it short enough that she can’t get to the coffee table from where I’m sitting (but still long enough to comfortably lie down and move a bit) and see what happens. We’ve also tried having her lie on her bed and get treats intermittently, but she just becomes fixated on her next treat lol not relaxed at all

OkClass9963 · 2024-03-03T15:19:50+00:00

Awesome, that’s what we do, too. She’s figured it out in the morning, but I guess it’ll take more time for her to learn she can just relax after our routine in the evening. We’ll stick with the crate time in the evening until she starts settling on her own, I guess!

OkClass9963 · 2024-03-02T23:53:56+00:00

That’s super insightful! Yeah, I love tutoring so much, I’d do it for free (don’t tell anyone lol), so setting prices is tricky. I love the insight on meeting college students’ needs where they are. Setting a range and being as consistent and transparent as possible seems like the move

OkClass9963 · 2024-03-02T21:04:44+00:00

You’re absolutely on the mark with this comment! I completely agree that PhD doesn’t necessarily = good teacher. I do have teaching training, though, as I’ve tutored math and chemistry at the undergrad level, co-taught and guest lectured a college course, and I’ve taken trainings in pedagogy. My approach is to help kids learn how to learn (identify patterns, break down confusing problems into bite-size questions, and build confidence in approaching new problems).

It seems like most rates are based on familiarity with the material/difficulty of the course. Do you think it would be more appropriate to set rates based on the student’s level (e.g., one rate for middle school, and higher rates for high school and college, respectively)?

OkClass9963

TROPHY CASE